Film Review

TWO WOMEN {2014}

FILM REVIEW 

By Stephen Wilson

 

Based on the play 'A Month in the Country' by Ivan Turgenev

 

Director Vera Glagoleva.

 

Producer Natalya Ivanova

 

Screen Play by Svetlana Grudivich and Olga Kuzimina

  

 

Some  special scenes of films relentlessly haunt you. They leave an indelible impression on you. Such is the case with the film 'Two Woman' where many of the poignant and profound scenes of the film are so moving as to be unforgettable. Two scenes which come to mind are when we watch a tear stricken and distraught girl surreptitiously watch the man of her affection walking away forever back to Moscow and a scene where the intense inner loneliness of two married characters can be seen where they are both on a balcony watching a firework display {symbolic of how some kind of passion has quickly shot up and burnt out like a rocket }. But there are so many other scenes in the film which more than make this film a must to see!

And that is not all! I commend this film because of its stunning cinematography which perfectly captures the beauty of the Russian countryside, the authentic details of Russian clothes and things of the 19th century down to the last minute detail, and a great cast in which the actors superbly convey complex emotions with a subtle gesture, glance or move. Who can forget the scenes where a 17 year old adopted orphan is interrogated by her mother about love and feels a mixture of fear, guilt and surprise? Anna Levanova who plays Vera comes across as innocence personified. I like the scene where Rakitin informs a bemused and astonished tutor Belyaev that his employer has fallen in love with him. He is at a complete loss!

 

The cinematography is so good you want to cut out and keep every frame!

  

THE PLOT

 

The main story centers around the arrival of a young tutor employed to teach the children of a rich landowner and his wife in the countryside. Arkady is a strong, amiable and hard working landowner who is always busy with his estate. His wife seems stuck in a loveless marriage and she finds life tedious. She is not only bored of her husband. She is bored of her secret lover Rakitin who is no longer amusing. Natalya rudely tells Rakitin, "What is the use of being clever if you are not amusing? Nothing is more depressing than that sort of gloomy cleverness". A young tutor Belyaev is employed to teach her young son Kolya over the summer. She wants the tutor 'to give him a happy childhood he can fondly look back on.' This is  the childhood the mother never had. Since her son has been softened and pampered by his upbringing, the tutor must teach him to be brave. Belyaev does a great job. He teaches Kolya how to make and fly a kite as well as to climb trees. Kolya adores his tutor. The young girl Vera also likes Belyaev. And when Natalya watches them all happily attempting to launch a kite she also loses her head to him. So the tutor is loved by two different women who become rivals for his affection. When poor Belyaev finds out this is the case he does not see what the fuss is about. Hence the title of the film 'Two Women'. The tutor's impulsive, natural and kind behavior attracts them. As Rakitin tells the tutor, "What you regard as a defect, your impulsiveness, your freedom from constraint is what is attractive to woman". Rakitin feels displaced by this new affection. He tells Natalya, "Ah, I understand you envy their naivete, their freshness and their foolishness".

There is such a childlike innocence, kindness and boundless energy about Belyaev you can forgive any woman for inadvertently falling in love with him. Vera tells Natalya that he helps everyone and even climbed a dangerous slope to pick a flower for her.

 

However, an old landowner has sent a doctor to try and persuade Vera to marry him. When she hears of the proposal she laughs it off with the words that, "I didn't know people of his age still got married." Vera wants to marry for love and not prudence. When she asks Natalya why she married her husband, she nervously pauses and lies that she married for love. Should the doctor pull off the feat of arranging this marriage he will be rewarded with three horses.

Because Natalya has fallen so much in love with the tutor she is prepared to do her best to marry off Vera to an old foolish man. But both women confront each other and frankly express their views. Meanwhile, Rakitin is forced to explain to the landowner that he loves his wife. Both the tutor and Rakitin leave the estate 'to protect the honor' of the landowner and his wife.

The tutor tactfully tells Vera that he loves her as a sister and has no wish to hurt her feelings. He can't marry her because 'How can I support you? I have not a single kopek'.

 

INTERPRETATION

 

How might we interpret such a play? When I suggested that it was a comedy, the son in law of late film director Vera Glagoleva, Yevgeny Dzyuru, told me, "I don't think it is a comedy. It is very sad. I suppose people are going to interpret it in their own way". When I asked a French teacher Larisa she also stated, 'This is not a comedy. It is very serious. Many women were forced to marry against their will or not for love. This is still an issue. I know from the history of my own family". Perhaps the amusing scenes are when an old suitor for Vera's hand says he does not know how to speak to women and the doctor has to give him a crash lesson in using the most simple and plain language. The surprised attitude of the exasperated landowner who complains, 'Why is everyone leaving my estate?" His world has been turned upside down without him being aware. The words of Vera "I am in your power" to her step mother and rival Natalya perhaps succinctly expresses the lack of freedom felt by many women at this time.

 

I asked Yevgeny "Why did the film director make such a film? Did she like Turgenev very much?" He replied, 'Yes, this is true but not the only reason. Before you can make such a film you need a very good script. After someone brought her a great script she decided to go ahead and make it. Making this film was a lot of hard work. They had to make sure all the clothes and items on the estate were really from the 19th century. If there were mistakes a lot of people would start complaining about this. I actually stayed on at the place where the film was made and it was in the countryside. We had no internet, phones or television so it really was like living in the 19th century. You can see why the wife of a rich landlord could get bored. She had no work to do. So when she sees a young tutor come then you can understand why she would be attracted to him".

 

RALPH FIENNES

  

"How did the film director Vera Glagoleva manage to persuade Ralph Fiennes to play the part of Rakitin?" Yevgeny told me "To be honest when Vera met him at a film festival she did ask him whether he wanted to play the part of Rakitin in her intended film. It was originally intended as a joke. When the actor answered he would seriously think about it and later answered that he had agreed, we couldn't believe it. We never imagined he would agree to such a proposal".

 

"How did Ralph Fiennes manage in Russia?'  "He spent one year preparing for this role learning Russian. Whenever he was eating with us he told everyone 'Only speak to me in Russian'... He insisted in acting his part in Russian. But the director Vera would ask him, 'Could you say the words in English?' because she felt that when an actor speaks in another language they are not so relaxed and the acting is not so spontaneous and free. But Ralph Fiennes kept insisting he act in Russian". Vera would tell him, "Your Russian is very good but you can speak in English." She asked her producer Natalya to approach him to persuade him to speak in English. One day we called on Ralph Fiennes and found he had gone missing. He had disappeared. We looked everywhere for him but could not find him. We were very worried. What about the security? Later he came back on his bicycle laden with all kinds of glass jars of vegetables and fruit. The local people were happy to see that an Englishman had visited their village for a vacation. So they gave him all kinds of presents such as the food they grew on their garden plots. They didn't know he was a famous actor".  

 

What kind of man did you find Ralph Fiennes?  "He is very nice man. He has a complicated personality but lives a simple life style. Once we were in London late at night and I told him we could still arrange a meal even if all the places were closed. He answered, "That is impossible. Everything is closed at this time". But we found a hotel and persuaded them to organize a meal for 20 guests. When we went back to him and told him to get his car he answered, "I don't have a car. I have never had a car in my life. I just walk or ride a bicycle to places." So we all ended up walking to this hotel". Once he told me, "Remember I am Russian. I'm Rakitin". I learnt that in Russia, nobody had a bad word to say about Ralph Fiennes. Local villagers in the Smolensk region were charmed by him and Russians are impressed by his genuine interest in Russian culture and the fact that he made an effort to study Russian.

Yevgeny told me another amusing anecdote that after watching a performance of Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra. He went up to give some flowers to Ralph Fiennes. The rest of the people around him looked shocked by this action. Their mouths hung open. They don't do this in England. Ralph Fiennes saved the occasion by saying, "Don't worry. I know this man who is a friend of mine. It is a beautiful Russian custom for anyone in the audience at the theater to come up and give flowers to the performers".