An impeccable and very touching adaptation of one of Turgenev's great novels, with powerful insights into human psychology. This film follows the novel quite closely, and successfully manages to capture its mood and main ideas.
The film shows the contradiction in intergenerational love between parents and children and the "nihilistic" rejection of the principles and values of the elders by the more energetic and somewhat arrogant youths. It also portrays the tensions between conforming to tradition and protesting, trying to find one's unique path in life. Traditional courtship and marriage is shown side by side with more complex relationship between the sexes.
Beautifully filmed, great attention to detail, great musical score.
The actors play outstandingly, including the secondary characters. I was very moved by Sergei Yurskii, as Bazarov's father. What he manages to convey with and without words is truly extraordinary.
The film director has shown that it is possible to make nowadays a thoroughly convincing and beautiful adaptation of a novel written almost 150 years ago. Bravo to her and to all the team.