In 2017, Vera Glagoleva passed away. She was known not only as a wonderful actress, but also as a director. Glagoleva made some films, but almost every one of them became an event in Russian cinema. In 2015, the film was released with the participation of the famous British actor. The picture is based on the work of Ivan Turgenev. In today's article, we will talk about the film Glagoleva "Two Women."
History of creation
Glagoleva dreamed of making a film based on the work of Turgenev. Once a famous director invited her to play one of the heroines in the play " A Month in the Village " . The actress refused, which she subsequently regretted for a long time. The film " Two Women " (2015) was shot precisely on this work. Glagoleva gave her work a different name, but completely preserved the author's text.
The play has never been filmed by directors . Glagoleva complained more than once: Russian filmmakers completely forgot about Russian classics. If in Soviet times the works of Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Turgenev were filmed quite often, then today's directors often turn to the works of modern authors. Moreover, films created from the books of Russian writers leave much to be desired. But this cannot be said about the work of Vera Glagoleva.
Scenery
The film " Two Women " was shot in the Smolensk region, in a real noble estate. Namely - in the Glinka Museum-Estate. This is a rather expensive project. Preparing for the shoot took a lot of time and money. I had to slightly rebuild even the terrace in the estate. Almost all the props were borrowed from antique salons. Decoration of the main character is fully consistent with the style of the era.
Costumes
For sewing dresses used natural linen , silk , cotton, wool. The film takes place in 1840. For the modern viewer, unless he is, of course, a historian, there is no difference between the forties and fifties of the nineteenth century. But experts are aware of the fashion features of each small period of the era in which Turgenev lived. In Glagoleva’s picture, the heroine looks like the lady of the upper world in the fifties. That was the director’s desire. According to Glagoleva, in the fashion of the forties there were too many pampered and romantic.
Mikhail Rakitin
Events take place in the estate of the landowner Islaev. In the first frames, viewers see the main character of the film - Natalya Petrovna. The landowner's wife is in love with her son’s teacher , Alexei Belyaev . Staying in gloomy thoughts, she watches as a young teacher frolic in the meadow with her student and pupil of the Islaevs Verochka. At this moment, a man arrives at the estate who has been hopelessly in love with Natalya Petrovna for a long time. His name is Mikhail Rakitin . With his appearance, the film " Two Women " (2015) begins.
The actor, who played Rakitin, is known to the older generation for his role as the SS sadist in the Oscar-winning film of Spielberg. Young viewers remember him in the movie image from " Harry Potter " . One way or another, this actor in the film " Two Women " (2015), shot based on the work of a Russian classic, played an atypical hero for himself. Sad, romantic, hopelessly in love.
Arkady Islaev
The painting perfectly conveys the spirit of the Russian noble estate. Its inhabitants drink tea, conduct idle conversations, read French novels. Arkady Islaev - the main character of the Turgenev play and the film " Two Women " (2015). The actor who performed this role has been pleasing the audience with his roles for almost forty years. The first film with his participation was released in 1981. It is worth saying that he played in other paintings by Vera Glagoleva .
Arkady Islaev , unlike his wife and friend Rakitin, is a down to earth person. His whole day is spent in worries. He oversees the work of the peasants, directs them. The landowner upsets the optionalness of the Russian peasant, a dislike for work. The fact that his wife is in love with a young teacher, he does not suspect.
Alexey Belyaev
A friend of the Islaevs doctor - Shpigelsky - once tells Natalya Petrovna that one elderly gentleman is in love with her young pupil. Verochka is only 17 years old, but she is a dowager. Given these circumstances, Shpigelsky believes that for a girl it would be a good party. Natalya Petrovna does not like the idea. But a little later, she begins to speculate that Vera, like her, is in love with Alexei Belyaev . And therefore, the opinion on the future fate of the pupil changes.
A love triangle formed. In its center is a young teacher, one of the main characters of the film " Two Women " (2015). The actor who played Belyaev is poorly known to the audience. On his account there are still few works in the cinema. According to reviews, the image of a teacher is the only drawback of the film. The actor’s game is unconvincing and hardly makes you believe that Belyaev is the same person who caused passions to flare up in the quiet estate of the landowner Islaev .
Further events
Ultimately, both Belyaev and Rakitin have to leave the house of Islaev . The teacher is indifferent to Verochka, who is in love with him, but has feelings for the mistress of the estate. Rakitin, meanwhile, is suffering terribly. After all, he is the only person whom Natalya Petrovna can trust. The friend’s wife tells him about her feelings towards the young man, and he just has to listen to everything that hurts. After all, the only way he can be next to his beloved woman.
The most charming character in the film is perhaps Arkady Islaev . He does not know anything about the love of Natalya Petrovna, but he realizes that Rakitin is in love with his wife. And he is ready to give her best friend. Islaev loves his wife, but believes that she is not worthy of her . Rakitin, in his opinion, is smarter and better than him. What is the fate of Verochka? The dowager finally agrees to become the wife of a wealthy, stupid, aged nobleman.
Actors and roles in the film "Two Women" (2015)
- Alexander Baluev - Islaev .
- Ralph Fiennes - Michael Rakitin.
- Anna Astrakhantseva is the wife of Islaev.
- Nikita Volkov - Alexey Belyaev.
- Anna Levanova - Verochka.
- Sergey Yushkevich - Dr. Shpigelsky .
- Larisa Malevannaya is the mother of Islaev .
Ralph Fiennes
The actor , who played the role of Rakitin in the Glagoleva film, is today known throughout the world. But once he was known only in the UK, and mostly fans of theatrical art. Ralph Fiennes was born in 1962. He graduated from the Academy of Dramatic Art. Then he played on the stage of one of the most famous theaters in the UK. Until 1993, the actor in the movie played a few roles. Fame came to him when the dramatic film " Schindler's List " appeared on the screens.
In a film about a German merchant who saved more than a thousand Jews, Fiennes played a more than negative role. He played Amon Geth - the commandant of the concentration camp. After such a role, it would seem that the villains and sadists had to play for a long time. But Fiennes is a diverse actor . On his account dozens of roles. Among them are both negative and positive.
By the way, Ralph Fiennes is well acquainted with Russian classics. On the stage, he played in a play based on a play by Chekhov. In 1997, the premiere of the film adaptation of " Eugene Onegin " , where the British actor played the main role. Glagoleva’s suggestion Fiennes was very pleased. After filming in an interview, he admitted that he previously knew about Russian estate culture only from books and films.
Alexander Baluev
It is difficult to say which of the many roles played by this actor, glorified him. Alexander Baluyev’s career began in the early eighties. After he graduated from the Schukin School, which he managed to enter only on the second attempt, he was accepted into the Yermolova Theater. The first film role Baluev performed in the film " Investigators are experts. " Then came the paintings “ Love with privileges ” , “ White horse ” , “ Muslim ” , “ Peacemaker ” .
Today Baluev is a rather sought-after actor . In 2012, he played a major role in the historical television series Zhukov. Two years later - in the film adaptation of the novel by Vasily Grossman " Life and Fate. " Of course, he does not always play the main characters. However, each image of Alexander Baluev is memorable, vivid. An example is his role in another film by Vera Glagoleva - " One War " . In the film reflecting post-war events, he played the role of a major in love with a woman who is expected to exile and camps.
Anna Astrakhantseva
The future actress was born in 1973, in Saratov. She graduated from the theater department of the local conservatory. In 1998 she moved to St. Petersburg, where she was accepted into the troupe of the Komissarzhevskaya Theater. The film career of Astrakhantseva began in 2000. Then she played in the movie " Exit " . This was followed by several films that did not gain much popularity.
In 2007, Sergei Solovyov made a film adaptation of the novel by Leo Tolstoy. Anna Karenina was played, of course, by Tatyana Drubich . But Anna Astrakhantseva in this film got a small role - the role of the girlfriend of the main character. The actress played in the films " Best Enemies " , " Alien Nest " , " Klim " , " Mediator " and others.