Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano

Rating:
Summary: Perfect portrayal of Chekhov's world
Review: From the opening moments of gay laughter and silliness to the closing shots of a lost Russian social class fading into time, Nikita Mikhalkov's film 'An Unfinished Piece for Player Piano' is perfect Chekhov. Drawn from 'Mr. Platonov', the story circles around a group of relatives and friends at a country estate. Everyone is giddy with boredom until a woman arrives who was Platonov's youthful love in past years. This arrival stirs up old memories and questions Platonov has never resolved about the former relationship and his life direction. Others are affected by his changed mood, and they too begin to question certain relationships among them. In Chekhov there is never tragedy in the sense of anger, betrayal, and death, but rather in nuances of missed opportunities, regrets, and critical life insights always achieved in hindsight. Most of his plays leave you with a feeling of sadness and yearning for character types that no longer exist. The turn-of-the-century people he presents are part of a fading aristocracy that will be eliminated by the revolution of 1917. In this production, the ending is sweet. I have read and seen Chekhov's plays, but until you see a fine Russian production such as this one, you can never quite experience the tone and color of the story as Chekhov himself intended. The acting is superb (and includes Director Mikhalkov himself). A must see.

Rating:
Summary: If you want to understand Chekhov, see this film.
Review: This film is amazing, I only wish that it were more widely available