Chichester Cinema at New Park
Kreutzer Sonata
TOLSTOY CENTENARY (1828-1910)
The 3rd of the Rose trilogy, this film is adapted from the Leo Tolstoy novel of the same name which itself was inspired by the music of Beethoven's sonata, and updated to a contemporary Los Angeles, telling the story of Edgar (Danny Huston) and his relationship with Abby (Elisabeth Rohm), a woman whom he meets at a party and is destined to become his wife.
He's a rich businessman and she's a concert pianist, when they meet at a party and act upon their obvious attraction. They eventually marry and have two kids, but Abby resents giving up her career as a concert pianist and being stuck at home. This begins to fuel Edgar's jealousy and concern, believing that she is bored with her life and will start to look for some excitement.
He arranges a party where she is to play ‘The Kreutzer Sonata’ with a talented and much younger violinist (Matthew Yang King), and Edgar is driven into a terrifying state of morbid jealousy where his uncontrollable rage can only lead to tragedy.
At the beginning of the film, intertitles tell us that Tolstoy, painter Ilya Repin and actor Andreyev-Burlak discussed the possibility of a multi-disciplinary response to Beethoven's Sonata. Tolstoy would write, Andreyev-Burlak would read, while Repin would illustrate it.
Writer /director Bernard Rose attempts to accomplish what they never did, since Tolstoy was the only one who kept to the bargain. This means, the story is Tolstoy's; Andreyev-Burlak's role is represented by the voice-over; with the Repin-style illustration coming in the form of segments from Edgar's life.
Mature in every sense, the film is sexually explicit and emotionally frank, flagging the film as being the work of a non-American director. UK director Bernard Rose’s other movies include his film on Beethoven (Immortal Beloved).
This is the third of director Bernard Rose and actor Danny Huston's Tolstoy Adaptations. We hope to welcome the director to introduce one of his films.
USA · 2008 · Bernard Rose · 99min
