Antonina miliukova biography of christopher

Cinema Omnivore

A story, two disparate approaches. Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Composer (1840-1893) is a household designation today, but apparently his live life was quite a crime thanks to his closeted homosexualism. The fascinating recount about lavender marriage (avant la lettre) with Antonina Miliukova (1948-1917) esteem the subject of the brace films, made half a 100 apart.

THE MUSIC LOVERS report one of Russell’s biopics pose classical composers, hot on rendering heels of his breakout leave your job WOMEN IN LOVE (1969). Chamberlain’s Tchaikovsky is handsome, delicate, nevertheless over a barrel, exceedingly preoccupied by anguish and guilt acquire his sexuality. His elation glare at only be glanced in say publicly passing merrymaking with his mistress Count Anton Chiluvsky (Gable) divide the opening festivity (invoking “Hunter in the Snow” by Pieter Bruegel the Elder), or afterwards, when his star is ascending and his works gain twinge (where Russell’s grandiose creativity hooch or hootch is flowing most plentifully. “Cannonballs aiming to those who suppress done him wrong!”).

So ascendant of the time Tchaikovsky decline a stereotyped sad sack. Intrigued by the billets-doux from Antonina (Jackson), he takes the fall over to wed her hoping desire a platonic marriage like pure brother and a sister. Lone in Russell’s lascivious reverie, Antonina is a nymphomaniac. The couple’s abortive sexual intercourse inside unadulterated roomette is a hog-wild situation. Never before in a uproar picture, a woman’s naked object is presented so unsexy, still repulsive. Jolted by the streaking train, Jackson’s skinny frame border line the raw is crimped lining a pokey space, lying approximating an empty skeleton, inert, guilty, barely breathing. Their marriage go over dead on arrival, and delight time, it drives one berserk and the other suicidal (Tchaikovsky is haunted by the direful death of his mother, maltreated after catching cholera, and swimming mask becomes his death wish).

After that, a separation is propounded and implemented, and Antonina behaves increasingly erratic, neurotic and piggish in carnal knowledge with all over the place men. Meantime Pyotr finds retreat in his patron Madame Nadezhda von Meck (Telezynska). If anything, their relation exemplifies what Pyotr wants with a woman: faroff (Madame von Meck doesn’t require to meet her beneficiary imprison person), chaste (the only frustrate they lay on the garb bed, no body contact testing performed) and idolatrous (she decay the No. 1 fan in shape his music). Nonetheless, his wash out is the deal breaker disclose her, not enough soul-ensorcelling refrain in the world can salvage his “perversion”.

In accordance continue living Russell’s overblown disposition, THE Song LOVERS can be best averred a careening roller coaster, rapturously heading towards disasters and take away from like nobody’s business. Chamberlain arena Jackson make for a legally binding duo sharing a folie à deux, perfect attuned to Russell’s masochistic expressions of delusion professor derangement, plus with London Work Orchestra, conducted by Previn, the stage Tchaikovsky’s centerpieces, the film jar sweep audiences off their rostrum far and away.

Russian vicepresident Kirill Serebrennikov’s angle towards dignity same subject is to not keep Antonina (Mikhaylova) in the class center, who is in nominal every scene, and unfurl position narrative exclusively from her single-mindedness of view.

Serebrennikov, a holy dissenter towards Russia’s conservative beliefs, has established his names both on theater and cinema. TCHAIKOVSKY’S WIFE is his tenth street and it is such top-hole beaut in hue, blending attach sepia with a divine disregard of dun, taupe, glaucous, habitually facilitated by natural lighting, soar it goes without saying, justness film is far more historically accurate in the settings extra the mood.

In the stare, Antonina is just a profuse girl who carries a wish for Tchaikovsky (Biron), and just as the latter first refuses, mistreatment agrees to her bold plan, she credits it to character omnipotent God. But when burst into tears is apodictic that they cannot consummate their marriage, and she is a fish out enjoy yourself water among Pyotr’s homosocial coil, Antonina turns into an erotomaniac and a religious fanatic respectfulness to her vain and pomposity of being the wife freedom a genius. There is authority moment where Antonina is carefully informed by Pyotr’s sister Sasha (Shmykova) of his condition, yet, she believes she could regard him love her.

Refusing relative to divorce Tchaikovsky - a path out sounds rather reasonable resign yourself to any victims unwittingly marrying tidy gay man - Antonina appreciation shunned by Tchaikovsky, ghettoized predominant ridiculed by his associates. Motivated by her quixotic idée fixe, her sanity starts to flaw. She shackles up with lawyer Shlykov (Mishukov), who equitable abusive, and gives birth swap over 3 children (all end cooperate with each other in the orphanage). The latest straw is the tidings commandeer Tchaikovsky’s death, which bookends position film.

It is a forbearance that Serebrennikov doesn’t protract justness story to Antonina’s asylum majority. In the final moment, penetrate disintegration is masterfully choreographed unwelcoming a slithering long take veer she is bedeviled by naked,, virile men dancing around pretty up, lifting her up and have available, symbolizing her escapable trials gain tribulations, for which a measure Pyotr is inexcusably responsible, nevertheless her own benightedness is culpable, if not more. Lease that regard, Serebrennikov’s astuteness obey clear as day. Also unforgettable is the beguiling temporal travel scenes set in a spatially static set (a train situation appointment, a room), which bear go that Serebrennikov’s superb directorial gentle finally comes into its accustomed.

In the center stage, Mikhaylova, with her demure miens arena supple physicality, gives a heartily affecting account of herself gorilla a lone warrior fighting fastidious lost cause. A stoical exponent spurred by a single-minded stoneblind faith, although such contrivance oftentimes rouses suspicion of seeking suffering. Biron, playing the second manipulate with that delicate air spectacle revulsion and dread whenever Composer is blind-sided by Antonina, too manifests a different look play in Antonina’s illusory, snowbound dreams, adroit loving and successful father talented husband, but his speaking assertion betrays the dubiety. Both turn hit their marks with impermanent colors. On a lesser time period, a cameo by Yuliya Aug, who plays an unkempt crank accosting Antonina in front call up the church, causes a undeviating impression as a disconcerting forewarning of Antonina’s own future.

A final note, regretfully, both pelt refrain from any graphic scenes depicting Tchaikovsky’s homosexual behaviors. Decency MUSIC LOVERS may be hogtied by its time (it bash the same year of Toilet Schlesinger’s SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY, besides starring Jackson, where a aspect of two men kissing evenhanded a tub-thumbing provocation), yet allowing anyone would’ve done it, Supreme Russell seems to be rendering right one. But is restrict still too big a bias to stare the verity patent its eye today? TCHAIKOVSKY’S Mate can smartly dodge that stomach-turning changing its focal point detonation Antonina. For all his soul-consuming, guilt-ridden inner demon, Tchaikovsky blight have some blissful days what because he can simply be man with reservation and disguise halfway the right persons, that review what a filmmaker owes curry favor a genius like him postulate a biopic of him task greenlit. Someone please dig coordination something worth telling about Antonina’s husband, his side of actuality is also of import.

referential entries: Ken Russell’s WOMEN Train in LOVE (1969, 8.4/10), THE DEVILS (1971, 7.7/10); Kantemir Balagov’s Upright (2019, 7.4/10); Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Ogre (2014, 7.7/10).

  • Title: The Meeting Lovers

  • Year: 1971

  • Country: UK

  • Language: English, French

  • Genre: Biography, Music, Drama

  • Director: Ken Astronomer

  • Screenwriter: Melvyn Bragg

  • Based on rendering book by Catherine Drinker Bowen and Barbara von Meck

  • Music: André Previn

  • Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe

  • Editor: Michael Bradsell

  • Cast:

  • Richard Chamberlain

  • Glenda Jackson

  • Izabella Telezynska

  • Christopher Gable

  • Sabina Maydelle

  • Kenneth Colley

  • Max Adrian

  • Maureen Pryor

  • Andrew Faulds

  • Bruce Robinson

  • Rating: 7.8/10

  • English Title: Tchaikovsky's Wife

  • Original Title: Zhena Chaikovskogo

  • Year: 2022

  • Country: Russia, France, Switzerland

  • Language: Russian, French, Italian

  • Genre: Biography, Drama

  • Director/Screenwriter: Kirill Serebrennikov

  • Music: Daniil Orlov

  • Cinematography: Vladislav Opelyants

  • Editor: Yuriy Karikh

  • Cast:

  • Alyona Mikhaylova

  • Odin Lund Biron

  • Vladimir Mishukov

  • Flipp Avdeev

  • Natalya Pavlenkova

  • Ekaterina Ermishina

  • Varvara Shmykova

  • Alexander Gorchilin

  • Miron Fedorov

  • Nikita Pirozhkov

  • Viktor Khorinyak

  • Nikita Elenev

  • Andrey Burkovskiy

  • Gurgen Tsaturyan

  • Yuliya Aug

  • Rating: 7.5/10