A Nest of Gentry

Based on Ivan Turgenev's mid 19th century novel director Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky's 1969 Soviet Russian adaptation of the story is beautifully photographed, has superb production design, a good score and is technically very good. The story is a tragic period romance of half stated emotions involving the middle aged Fyodor who returns to his country estate in Russia after the disillusionment of years in Paris and his wife Varvara and her 'infidelity' towards him. When he returns he falls in love with his cousins daughter Elisaveta. Visually lush, opulent, audibly rich,this is a lyrical and emotional film,envisioning a world of the gentry cocooned in a cradle of idyllic greenery and luxurious opulence, as the sunlight glints through the trees,the bushes rustle with the colours of children playing,and ornate rooms are wandered through. None of this helps Fyodor,as he rediscovers his Russian past,wrestles with his own 'class contradictions', and the ironic idea of love versus happiness. Often stunning to look at,this is like an opera and a ballet in terms of it's feel.

Beautifully filmed (great job of the art director Boym), but extremely boring movie. Konchalovskiy gathered very good actors, but they failed to play in ensemble. So every actor plays his own movie. It reminds me a bit of Mechanical Piano by Mikhalkov, but much, much worse.

Fyodor Lavretski, estranged from his unfaithful wife returns to his childhood home. He falls in love with a young relative, Elizaveta (Liza) Kalitina, who returns his love, but loses her when his wife suddenly turns up. Liza decides to become a nun.

Konchalovski's film is freely based on "motifs" from Turgenev's novel - the main characters are still Lavretski and Liza, but many details on Lavretski's life have been added. The actors are all excellent, down to the children, but one must especially mention the young Irina Kupchenko, radiant and sensitive as the serious Liza. Visually, the film is a treat, with Northern summer days and nights.

This movie manages to deliver a mood of the Turgenev's novel, but the director added also his own vision of the Russian life in the 19th century. All elements, all components of successful movie are presented in this work -- scenery based on literary classics,nice cinematography, excellent direction, beautiful performance by all actors, unforgettable music, and amazing Russian landscapes. This is one of those movie which i like to watch again and again, and every time i will find something new, something that will touch my soul. It is a clever movie made with sincere love of Russia. What i would like to emphasize particularly is the nice women shot in this movie, beautiful actresses -- Irina Kupchenko and Beata Tyshkevitch, one can easily fall in love with, as it happened to the director, as i know from his reminiscences. i give 9,5 of 10 to this masterpiece, the excellent exemplary of how classics has to be brought to screen