Russian and English films and literature

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

My question is not about learning russian or english, it is more about the cultural difference.

Last Tuesday I have seen a film on TV, the british version of our classics Eugeny Onegin.

It is a very strange film. It is so very close to the book and yet so very far from it.
Starting from the fact it is in prose and the original is a poem, and all screen a theatrical adaptaions I have seen before are operas.
And the accents, the emphasis are made differently to those that are felt when you read the poem Евгений Онегин Александра Сергеевича Пушкина.


It is difficult to explain this feeling, yet there are a lot of facts that give a general sensation of "not russian-ness", and not-Pushkin-ness

From the very beginning when he enters his uncle's home, and a library where the book-cases stay in the middle of the room (in reality they were always positioned along the walls, and protected with glass from dust as the books were valued very much)

Through the whole film, when Onegin tries to return Tatyana her letter saying it could compromise her; the duel scene on the bidges on some lake near a windmill (a site really uncommon in Russian province)

And to the end, where Tatyana's husband who (in the book) is a 1812 War hero and older than both her and Onegin doesn't have this "brave" air and is too young, and the very end where Onegin sits on веранда and drinks водка out of a самовар.

Nothwithstanding all that, this is good film. But not russian.


And I must therefore ask a question. Do you, dear russian-learners, feel the same when you watch our adaptations of your classics?

Comments

[freedomcry.livejournal.com]

and the very end where Onegin sits on веранда and drinks водка out of a самовар.

OMG...

[ducking.livejournal.com]

This is outstandingly ridiculous.

[terminator-nemo.livejournal.com]

Yes, we do. Like with lots and lots of other movies about Russia, their authors are too stupid or too lazy to consult with actual Russians about circumstances of Russian life.

[devinshire.livejournal.com]

I watched that film with my class in St. Petersburg. We laughed at all the incongruencies.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

There must be also a babushka out somewhere. Can't believe they can miss a babushka.

[oncogene.livejournal.com]

Haahahaha

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

I'm not familiar with any russian adaptions of western classics. I would love some suggestions about which ones exist, it would be entertaining I'm sure.

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

I know the following. But I'm not sure if these are classis though...

"The importance of being earnest", but couldn't say which actors play there.

The adventures of Tom Sawer(never knew how it's spelt!) and Huckleberry Finn,
Приключения Тома Сойера и Гекельберри Финна (http://yesplus.in.ua/video/dvd/familyfilm/info/9846)

The misterious island Остров сокровищ, 1971 (http://www.dvdpirat.ru/Obzor/georgy01/ostrov_sokrovich.shtml)
Остров сокровищ, 1982 (http://www.vsetv.com/films.php?fid=366409)

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

damn, Treasure island of course

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

nd don't forget Sherlock Holmes!

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

Wow, the Tom Sawyer looks really interesting. I might have to buy it. American film versions of the book have had some trouble representing the black characters in the book (who are slaves at the time) in a way that wasn't offensive or stereotypical. Because some of the black characters in the book *are* offensive and stereotypical. I'm quite curious to know how a Russian version handles that sensitive topic.

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

Sherlock Holmes in russian? That sounds amazing...

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

The importance of Being Earnest seems like it would be very hard to translate into Russian, it relies so much on word play in in English. Is it funny in Russian? It's quite funny in English still, even for something of an old chesnut.

[ars-longa.livejournal.com]

They (there are 4 films or so) ARE amazing, believe me. You can buy them easily on the Net or in Russian movie stores. They are definitely worth watching. But I'm warning you - it's a different take from what you're probably used to, much more humorous, although they are not comedy. Just... Russian take on English humor, and pretty successful at that.

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

You really should buy THIS movie, it is hilarious, genious:

Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона (http://www.kino.uz/movie/227/), Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона, XX век начинается (http://www.kino.uz/movie/2224/)

and a bit mor info (http://actors.km.ru/view/a41F4AACD57EF4D4089EAA837572C7E65.htm)

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with ars_longa :)

Breakfast of sir Henry Baskerville(sp?):
"Бэрримор, что это?!"
"Овсянка, сэр!"

(-Berrimore(sp?), what is this?
-Porrige, sir)

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen the russian one, but was watching the English (translated of course, the one with Colin Firth(meow!) and Rupert Everett), and mom joined me and said "That's quite a movie, couldn't be compared to russian, where all the heros seem fools". So yes, it's difficult

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

I don't remember if they showed any black characters there apart from Jim (and in the book itself, which characters do you find offensive and stereotypical?), and he was just a usual man.

*ага, ага!*

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

there are 5, follow the last link in my comment

(http://www.livejournal.com/community/learn_russian/312184.html?thread=4457848#t4457848)

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

Well a lot of readers (and I'm not certain that I am one of them) have had problems with Jim, the way he speaks and the way he is referred to in the book. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been banned from some American school libraries for this reason. I think banning books in schools is stupid, but bringing a character like Jim to life, being both faithful to the book, and responsive to the history of race in america, is not really an easy task. I was just sort of curious how a Russian film would handle this, since obviously, it's pretty closely tied to history that is very specifically American. From what you say, it seems as if the Russian version is free of these very American issues. It sounds like it might be a refreshing version.

[gjertsen.livejournal.com]

Fascinating, thank you. can you translate for me please the title:
СОКРОВИЩА АГРЫ?
I can figure out all the rest. My dictionary defines the first word as "treasure". But I can't seem to match it up with any of the english titles...
Thanks.

[nataxxa.livejournal.com]

Agra - is a city in India (Tadj Mahal is located there).
So it is The Treasures of Agra.

[nataxxa.livejournal.com]

And this film is based on different stories not only one.

[nataxxa.livejournal.com]

The Sign of Four and A Scandal in Bohemia were united for this film.

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

the movie was silly by any standards
but I don't feel about any movie in comparison to a book
I think it should be judged as a separate (from the book) art work -- if I want faithfulness to the book, I read the book -- and no movie will "do faith" to a book because the medium is so different

that said,
some favorite adaptations of "English" classics:

"Prospero's Books" (adaptation of Shakespeare's "Tempest")
"Titus"
"Howard's End"

[oryx_and_crake]

From IMDB: "All world cinematographers (including British ones) have admitted that Vasiliy Livanov is the best Sherlock Holmes that ever appeared on screen."

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086333/#comment

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

I have only read this book once in English (and it was the very first one I have read in unadapted version), but I understand what you mean :)

Yet the translation of the book has smoothed most of the stuff for which it was banned in some of your schools. And it is obviously impossible to find such slang there which Mark Twain meant to be (I remember that in the foreword to Huckleberry Finn he says it was on purpose that he made different character speak different dialects).

And when I read the book, Huck Finn's dilemma of freeing Jim and going to hell was very very weird to me.

I think you will find this variant refreshing :)

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

These are English fims?

[spiderhood.livejournal.com]

I know a couple of chaps from England who used to claim it's the best variant one can get. They've also said that on Baker Street in London there is a memorial plaque, and there's Livanov's face is on it.

[serialcondition.livejournal.com]

yes

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, Livanov IS the best Sherlok Holmes ever, no doubt.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

All I could remember about that Russian version of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is that it wasn't a bad movie, and that in the scene with the King and the Duke they used to sing a funny song in English, something like "gather 'round people, gather 'round here." Jim was played by an African actor, and I could not find anything special about racial issues in that movie, but again, we Russians never felt the same abouth those issues as Americans did - because we had lived (actually, still do) with different types of problems.