THE KREUTZER SONATA
US, 2008, 99 minutes, Colour.
Danny Huston, Elisabeth Rohm, Matthew Yang King, Anjelica Huston.
Directed by Bernard Rose.
The Kreutzer Sonata is Beethoven. The story is Tolstoy. Tolstoy listened to a performance of the Sonata in 1888 and wrote a story which was banned for some years in Russia. This updated version does not look like or sound like what we might imagine Tolstoy's writing to be like. It is the work of writer-director, Bernard Rose, who collaborated with actor, Danny Huston, on another Tolstoy story , The Death of Ivan Illych, which became the film, Ivan xtc. The Kreutzer Sonata is to be followed by a third updating of a Tolstoy story, Boxing Day, again with Danny Huston.
Beethoven's Sonata is played throughout the film along with other classical pieces (despite the central character, Edgar, as he listens to his wife accompanying a violinist playing the Sonata, stating that he loathes classical music – you can't dance to it, you can't hum a tune) offering a 19th century musical imagination to a 21st century cinema imagination of a wealthy playboy type, who also runs a charitable foundation with his sister, and his sexual infatuation with the pianist who becomes his wife and then his growing paranoid suspicions of her and of the violinist.
This is small-budget, digital film-making, taking advantage of the possibilities of getting the camera close to the cast and insinuating itself and the audience point of view into the action, much of it quite personally intimate. Rose also edited the film.
Danny Huston is often a powerful screen presence and he is here, in the film in almost every scene. He is not an admirable person in any way, initially seductive, giving only half his attention to the work of his charity and the meetings with its representative's discussion of education for disadvantaged children in Africa, then settling down to marriage and children – but then obsessive and ultimately violent.
Elizabeth Rohm plays his wife and there is a brief, very effective and alive sequence when Edgar goes to visit his sister, played by Danny Huston's own sister, Anjelica.
Whether the musical imagination corresponds to the narrative, the images and the passion, is certainly open for discussion – and depending on music appreciation and interpretation. Whether this update corresponds well to Tolstoy's story is yet another discussion. But, as a brief picture of contemporary passion, family life and philanthropy it is quite effective for a discriminating audience.
1.The collaborations between Bernard Rose and Danny Huston, the trilogy of Tolstoy stories, updating Tolstoy to the 21st century?
2.The information about Tolstoy, listening to Beethoven, the agreement with the artist and the novelist, their failure to do their work on the Kreutzer sonata? Tolstoy and his story, the book being banned in Russia?
3.The Beethoven sonata as played, in concert, in rehearsal? The placement of the various excerpts throughout the film? Audience response to the music? Bernard Rose’s narrative response to the music and its moods?
4.The framework of the film: Edgar, in the hotel room, his voice-over, lying on the bed, calling the ambulance? His memories? Leading up to the present, his killing his wife?
5.Edgar and his self-image, appearance, wealth, life and lifestyle, self-centred, the foundation and the concern for Africa, his interest in it, lack of interest? Collaboration with his staff, the meetings, at work? His encountering the pianist, the party, flirting with her, her own availability, her relationship with her boyfriend, ditching him? The visualising of the sexual encounters, passion, intimacy? The marriage, the children, the change to ordinary life? Her adapting to domestic life, letting go her career?
6.The pianist, her story, the boyfriend, her behaviour at the party, the story of her career and her talent, the sexual relationship with Edgar, marrying him, mothering the children, adapting to ordinary life, with the children, going out, playing?
7.Edgar and the idea of the fundraiser, to give his wife some possibility of playing the piano? Aiden, his Asian background, coming to rehearse, the time the couple spent together, the effect on the wife, her playing, exhilaration?
8.Edgar, his own comments about his lack of music appreciation, no tunes, the inability to dance to Beethoven’s music? His growing suspicions, paranoia and jealousy? Wanting to trap the couple? Failing?
9.The foundation, the discussions with the representative from Africa, the board and the discussion about how the money should be spent, the report about education in Africa? The visit to Elinore, at played by Danny Huston’s sister Anjelica? The horses, the ranch, going riding, the talk, the foundation? Her awareness that something was wrong with her brother?
10.The performance, society coming to listen to the piano and violin?
11.Edgar, thinking that his wife was lying, his fears, the obsession, not having any grounds for his obsession? Searching the house? His wife going out, his anger? Taking the knife, climbing the stairs, savagely killing his wife?
12.The aftermath, on the bed, watching the television, the pornography, his own behaviour, demented, collapse, phoning for the ambulance?
13.Bernard Rose’s 21st century interpretation of Tolstoy’s response to Beethoven?
