THE SEAGULL
US, 2018, 98 minutes, Colour.
Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll, Brian Dennehy, Elisabeth Moss, Billy Howell, Jon Tenney, Michael Zegen, Mare Winningham, Glenn Fleshler.
Directed by Michael Mayer.
Anton Chekhov is considered a great Russian playwright, a great world playwright. There are continued performances of his Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull. 50 years ago Sidney Lumet directed a film version of The Seagull with Simone Signoret as the ageing actress, James Mason as her lover and the young Vanessa Redgrave as the aspiring actress.
Chekhov’s pre-Revolution world is rather enclosed, the characters often feeling stifled and/or bored – as if a revolution, which Chekhov did not see, was necessary to bring these characters to real life.
One of the difficulties for an audience is that it may also feel stifled, somewhat trapped in this rather artificial world. The audience needs to concentrate, be willing to empathise with the characters (not an easy task at times) to appreciate who they are and how they live. And, with so many characters on display in The Seagull, there are so many/ too many focal points, an array of a great number of characters, and their relationships are tangled.
The initial setting is 1904, the applause for actress, Irena (Annette Bening at her imperious and insensitive-to-others best, including her highly-strung son, Konstantin (Billy Howell), in a Moscow theatre and the immediate summons to go to the country estate where her brother (Brian Dennehy in a welcome appearance) is dying. Then there is a flashback to the summer, two years earlier when most of the action of the film takes place. In an interesting device, the opening several minutes are repeated exctly at the end of the film, the audience reaction to the characters so much more different now that they have got to know and like (or dislike) them.
Irina dominates the summer, narcissistic, insensitive, manipulative. Corey Stoll is Boris, the celebrated author, her lover, seemingly a strong character but his later being criticised as spineless, being able to bend in all directions. Konstantine is moody, disdains popular theatre, writes a play which, at best, might be called poetic, and the young neighbour, Nina (Saoirse Ronan) performs before his mother’s loud and sarcastic comments causing him to stop the performance.
Some of the supporting characters do arouse the interest, especially Elisabeth Moss as Marsha, daughter of the maid, Polina (Mare Willingham), infatuated with Konstantin, wearing black because she is in mourning for her life, courted by the teacher who insists on mentioning, always, how hard his work is and with such little remuneration. Jon Tenney as the local doctor, relied on by most of the characters, offering advice, is always on hand.
So, if an audience is attuned to the plays of Chekhov, there is much to commend (although for some ears, somewhat disconcerting to find these early 20th century Russians or talking with strong American accents). If an audience is not attuned, better to find an alternative insight into pre--revolutionary Russia.
1. The work of Anton Chekhov? Theatrical, style? The focus on many characters, their interactions? Characters on display?
2. An American interpretation, accents, style?
3. The opening sequence, the theatre in Moscow, 1904, hurrying to the country, the ill brother? The flashbacks to the summer of two years earlier? The return to the opening sequence, the repetition, audiences understanding the characters better because of what they had seen?
4. The range of characters, many, changing focus, the relationships and the tangles?
5. The theatre, a theatrical film? Irina, her applause, her performances in players, the posters? Konstantin, his writing the play, Nina and her performance? Irina and her going on tour? The musical score?
6. Soren, his character, ill and dying, the family gathering, playing Lotto, Kostya and Nina and her arrival? The repetition and understandings of the characters better?
7. The summer, the house, the grounds, the countryside and the forest, the lake, the views?
8. Irina, her age, her career, her husband, lovers, the tension of her relationship with her son, her performances, performing in real life, narcissistic, chatter, her performance during her son’s play, talking out loud, spurning him? The picture with Nina and her wanting to look younger? Her relationship with the doctor? The dependence on Polina? Polina’s husband, defying her about the horses the carriage, his resigning? Her relationship with Boris, the age difference, her power over him? The concern about clothes, appearance, looking in the mirror? Kostya shooting himself, her concern, bandaging his head? Belittling Nina’s father and family? Wanting to possess Boris, manipulating him?
9. Boris, celebrated writer, always taking notes, observing? His relationship with Irina, not talking about himself? Kostya and his jealousy? The attraction to Nina, the infatuation, her gift of the token, the boat ride on the lake, Irina controlling him against Nina? The end, Kostya and his story, saying he would read it on the train? Revealed as Callow? Kostya, acting in his play, the words in her delivery, people’s reactions afterwards? Meeting Boris, amazed, infatuation, falling in love, giving him the token, talking with him? Her decision to act? Going off, her performances, failures, her return?
10. Kostya, young, temperament, the swimming, his moods, love for Nina, the kissing, the planned her performance, calling it off, upset, going off by himself, deriding contemporary culture, wanting elevated culture? Masha and her devotion to him? Shooting himself, the wound, wanting his mother to bandage the wound? His writing the stories, some celebratory fame after two years, Nina, her return? Shooting himself? The background of the actual seagull, Konstantin hunting, shooting, the conversation with Nina about the dead bird? Symbol of Nina?
11. Masha, wearing black, in mourning for her life, the teacher and his infatuation and devotion, her rejection? Her drinking, drugs? Upset, the search for Kostya, her breakfast talking with Boris, the decision about marrying the teacher, fact, her pregnancy, her treatment of him? The relationship to her mother and father?
12. The teacher, concerned about money, the difficulties in teaching, his infatuation with Masha? Presence in the house, marrying her?
13. The doctor, the past, his help, observing, counselling?
14. Polina, the household, her husband and his tantrums, resignations, the courses and cart? Her relationship with her daughter? Her infatuation the with the doctor, wanting to be with him?
15. The place of the servants, the ironic comments and expressions?
16. Sorin, his lack of achievement in his life, not writing, not marrying? The law, sad for over 10 years, advising others?
17. A society that was rich, bored – and a preview to the Russian Revolution.
