Onegin
1999, UK/USA, Directed by Martha Fiennes
Colour, Running Time: 102 minutes
DVD, Region 2, EIV, Video: Anamorphic 1.85:1, Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
Eugene Onegin is rich, handsome, fortunate, admired, popular, and bored. He’s invited to gatherings, concerts and other social events hosted and attended by people that fail to interest him. Hearing of the death of a wealthy uncle who dwelt in a provincial state, a reluctant Onegin and his servant embark on a trip to briefly visit the place for the will reading. Attaining more land as well as a mansion from the deceased, his attention is almost immediately captured by the young, exquisite Tatyana, the naïve sister of the fiancée (Olga) of his newly acquired friend, Vladimir. Onegin decides to stay in the country location for a while, clearly his presumed-dead enthusiasm for life has been stirred into motion but unexpectedly Tatyana also develops an infatuation for him over the coming weeks and, possibly emulating something from one of the novels she regularly borrows from the Onegin mansion, she decides to write him a letter in an attempt to explain the increasingly powerful feelings that are afflicting her. But, invited to a nameday gathering in her honour, Onegin’s cynicism prevails and he outright rejects her affections. Seemingly as a means of concealing his own emotions from himself he dances with Olga at the party and then insults her in a conversation with Vladimir. Overwhelmed by the assumed threat that Onegin poses to the stability of their relationship, and the dishonour directed towards his fiancée, Vladimir declares that they must face each other in a duel at dawn. The rich noble is not entirely convinced this is the way to solve their personal problems but is culturally obliged to go along with it. Tragedy follows, forcing Onegin back to his abode in St. Petersburg, but a chance encounter later causes him to realise that his original acknowledgment of Tatyana’s presence may actually be evident of genuine love, this initiating a change in his attitude and behaviour towards the now-married woman.
Based on a classic nineteenth century Russian serialised poem (later to be published in its entirety as a novel) by Alexander Pushkin called Eugene Onegin, the film follows previous adaptations going as far back as 1911. It’s a historically-set romantic tragedy utilising the skills of Ralph Fiennes as the titular character (pronounced onn-yey-gen), his sister Martha making her directorial debut, Toby Stephens as Vladimir and, surprisingly, Liv Tyler as Onegin’s soul mate. The cast and crew do a brilliant job of creating a lost time and universe inhabited by people who either are damaged or will be at some point. Onegin is not someone who is easy to sympathise with because his boredom has so encompassed his existence he has in turn become boring, appreciating nothing - not even the potential devotion of the beautiful and nubile woman he seemed destined to meet. There is indeed the suggestion that these people cannot escape their fate, no matter how doomed it may leave them. Despite his apathy there is passion remaining in Onegin’s soul somewhere, obviously evident in his eventual realisation of his love for Tatyana but also in his emotive response to the result of the duel with Vladimir. Martha Fiennes does an amazing job in directing her crew to delineate potent imagery, emphasising the cold and indifferent world that the characters are forced to reside within. The morning duel scene is a great example of her intuition, being set against the backdrop of a misty lake next to an old mill that is functioning incorrectly. The film is full of these powerful cinematic paintings.
Released before EIV really understood the DVD format the picture is slightly soft and the dull stereo track does little to embellish the score that should have enveloped the viewer with its inherent poignant beauty, but the film is strong enough to carry the average transfer. The on-set interviews are informative but didn’t too add much to my enjoyment. Almost a family effort with several of the Fiennes making a contribution, Onegin proves to be an appropriate representation of an unusual and revered book.