'Three Sisters' did have a good deal going for it. A big interest point being that it was directed by the legendary Laurence Olivier, and we already know that Olivier could adapt plays on film very well. Proven with for instance 'Hamlet', one of the best film versions of that play on film on its own merits. The cast promised a lot, the best known names being Alan Bates, Derek Jacobi and Joan Plowright. The play is one of Anton Chekhov's best, a masterclass of mood and character complexity.
Like with 'Luther', the previous film in the American Film Theatre series, my feelings on 'Three Sisters' were mixed to mildly positive. Loved most of the cast, with one person particularly standing out, and there are a number of fine qualities. Just found it too stagy and lacking in lustre. Do applaud Olivier for even attempting to adapt 'Three Sisters' for screen, Chekhov is one of the hardest playwrights to adapt and perform and 'Three Sisters' is one of the most difficult emotionally and in character writing. It just didn't quite come together as an overall whole.
A lot is done right. The cinematography is beautiful and atmospheric and actually did have a cinematic quality that was not present in the drama. William Walton's score is different from the rousing concert pieces of his and it captures the mood of the play very nicely without being too melodramatic. There are some moving moments, with the ending particularly having a staying power as ought. Chekhov's dialogue is amazing, his prose was met with a lot of scorn and criticism in his day but while wordy it has never been a problem with me.
It is full of emotion and thought-probing without being overwrought and typically fleshes out the complex characters with enough meat and not too much fat. The character complexity is nailed, thanks to the acting and Chekhov's prose, the character are not what one calls "likeable" but they are realistically flawed and psychologically fascinating. The performances do convey the key themes of loneliness and desperation very well and a vast majority of them nail their character traits and psychology. And it is the acting that saves 'Three Sisters', much of it exceptional. Was particularly mesmerised by Plowright and consider her performances one of the finest interpretations of any of Chekhov's female roles. Bates and Jacobi are outstanding too.
However, the stage origins show and often quite badly. While the cinematography opens up the action beautifully, Olivier's direction fails to do so. Much of it is too stagy, as well as too staid with no freshness or insight. Meaning that while the characterisation shines thanks to the performances the mood feels bland. The pathos for example doesn't resonate enough in my view.
Which is a big problem for an adaptation of Chekhov. There is one exception to the acting, Jeanne Watts was too histrionic for my tastes as Olga. With the over-deliberate pace and bland mood, 'Three Sisters' already long length feels longer. The sound is muffled at times.
Overall, was really taken with the performances (especially Plowright's) but there are far better representations of Chekhov around and it's not one of the best representations of Olivier either. 6/10.
