Chekhovskie motivy (2002)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Kira Muratova

Writers:

Yevgeni Golubenko (writer)
Kira Muratova (writer)

Release Date:

11 January 2004 (Hungary)

Genre:

Comedy

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Sergei Bekhterev
Nina Ruslanova
Natalya Buzko
Philip Panov		(as Filipp Panov)
Jean-Daniel
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Georgi Deliyev
Vladimir Komarov
Sergei Popov

Also Known As:

Chekhov's Motifs (International: English title)
Chekhovian Motifs (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

Czech Republic:110 min (Karlovy Vary Film Festival) | Russia:120 min

Country:

Ukraine | Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Black and White

Company:

Intercinema Art Agency

Exotica , Erotica , Romantica...

Unbelievable , but Muratova hasn't kept us waiting too long for another masterpiece . It's particularly notable , considering highly creative approach by which Muratova got us plunging into the weird atmosphere of Chechov . As usual it makes us feel a lot of contradictory moods...some kind of " emotional vacuum cups " .

I won't reveal anything new saying that Muratova's movies are extremely irritating . I suppose in " Chechov's Motives " she's done her best in this aspect.

There are always certain scenes or motives in her films which are particularly hard to perceive , let alone liking them at first sight . Sometimes it's necessary to come back to them several times to appreciate their condition or even relevance . Eventually each particle of story finds its irreplaceable location,but it takes time before we realize that.

While there are just several episodes in her other works which might be classified as " hard-to-swallow " , in " Chechov's Motives " we are exposed to 50-minute-patience-test in the sequence which can be called " An Educational Orthodox Wedding Guide For Enterings Church Establishments " . Undoubtedly this piece can be related in the same proportion as to Chechov as to Muratova . I guess if Chechov himself had been alive he would've appreciated such a syndicate.

Only here you will find a clergyman having served God for 40 years without believing in his existence ( if church let itself doubt , what can we say about its parishioners? ). Add to it self-made Nouveau Riches and Bohemians who arrived at " Sacred Procedure " which will turn into neverending ordeal as for participants as for viewers .

Twenty years later Muratova comes back to cinematic poetry . Almost amateur black and white image , genius editing of the final scene . It's just impossible not to point out the opera version of musical grotesque composed by V.Selivestrov , transfering us back in 1979 in another piece of art " Getting To Know A Big Wide World " . Definitely , Muratova and Sakurov are the only genuine directors left on the Post-Soviet stage.