The Cherry Orchard (1999)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Theatrical Trailer Interviews-Crew-Director Michael Cacoyannis
Rating
Year Of Production	1999
Running Time	141:00
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Mihalis Kakogiannis
Studio Distributor	Madman Entertainment	Starring	Charlotte Rampling Alan Bates Katrin Cartlidge Owen Teale Tushka Bergen Xander Berkeley
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	?	Music	None Given

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Digital 2.0 (224Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.66:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.66:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	None	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

The Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov wrote only four full length plays. Each has merits but at least two, Uncle Vanya and The Cherry Orchard are considered cornerstones of modern drama. Not only are they superbly written, painfully detailed character studies but they are both snapshots of a World coming to an end. Never more apparent is this sense of entropy than in The Cherry Orchard, a play written in 1904 at the end of Chekhov's life.

Chekhov conceived the play as a comedy but, like much of his work, the laughter catches in the throat. Stories are legion of a disappointed Chekhov who felt that the first production of his play had been destroyed by legendary theatre director (and originator of the acting "method") Konstantin Stanislavski. His crime? Stanislavski directed it as a tragedy, not a comedy.

The fact that this is one of the greatest plays ever written does not mean that it has had a happy experience off the stage. In fact it is fair to say that none of Chekhov's plays have ever reached their heights in celluloid form. This is probably due to their "stagey" qualities. Vanya on 42nd Street was perhaps the only unqualified success, perhaps because it took the play off the stage and set it during a "rehearsal", providing another dimension to the characters.

The Cherry Orchard has been filmed before: but only for television; the BBC twice, in 1964 and 1980, both featuring Judi Dench, and for Australian TV in 1974. However, the Australian version is no longer in print however the 1980 version with Dench, playing the lead, can be purchased as part of the recently released Judi Dench Collection. The earlier version is available as part of a set in Region 1.

For Chekhov fans and general theatre nuts this release is therefore a rare permanent fix of the masters art.

The Cherry Orchard has a plot of sorts but it is really more of a series of character strands. The matriarch of the household, Madame Ranevskaya (Charlotte Rampling) has returned to the old home in provincial Russia with her daughter Anya, her guardian Charlotte and butler Yasha. After the death of her young son she fled the estate and hasn't been seen for five years. She is on the edge of bankruptcy. A long sojourn in Paris with a young lover has seen the family fortune dissolve and her lover has flown the coop.

She returns to a changing Russia. There is revolution in the air and, though she cannot or will not see it, she and the whole of the landed gentry are doomed. They are ghosts walking.

In her 5 year absence the estate has been managed by her adopted daughter Varya (Katrin Cartledge) and her ineffective brother Gayev (Alan Bates). Gayev is only happy when playing billiards. Despite Varya's earnest efforts the estate is failing. The family have few options to survive. It seems inescapable that the estate must be sold. In fact, already plans are underway to auction the land.

A local merchant Lopahkin provides another option. If Madame could only see her way to cut down part of the cherry orchard and turn the area into vacation cottages the extra income would save the day. Lopahkin is an example of the new industrialist who has risen up from peasant status to rule the world - but not without a chip or two on his shoulder about the condescension of the gentry. He is also in love with Varya and she with him although he can't quite seem to get around to making that proposal.

The play and the film then deal with the all important "will she or won't she" whilst the supporting cast fall in and out of love. That Chekhov saw it as a comedy is understandable- the actions of Ranevskaya and Gayev are proud and stupid - they fiddle whilst Rome burns. The boorish Lopahkin and the meek Varya, with their tortuous romance, are also figures of fun. Anya and her love interest, the eternal student Trofimov, are funny in their earnestness and the love triangle that develops between the uppity servant Yasha, the simple maid Dunyasha and her long-suffering clerk boyfriend, the bumbling Yepihidov (played by Xander Berkeley) are worthy of a chuckle. Finally, the very aged servant Firs has some genuinely funny moments as he dithers around the house.

However, it is also the case that Firs features in one of the most heartbreaking moments in theatre and for all her blind optimism Ranevskaya is also a tragic character as she remains steadfast in the view that the cherry orchard will be saved despite the approaching calamity. The love troubles of Varya and Lopahkin are played out in the most soul destroying fashion. Therefore, it is also understandable why Stanislavski saw the play as tragic through and through.

Every production of The Cherry Orchard wrestles with the question of establishing the tone of the piece. Too much comedy and the weight of the play is lost. It becomes like a farce where the stakes are meaningless. Too serious and Ranevskaya can come over like a mad woman and the level of her self delusion becomes annoying and utterly unsympathetic.

This film was directed by Michael Cacoyannis in 1999. Without being unfair, the Greek director had done his best work thirty years earlier with Zorba the Greek, and in the 70's with his adaptations of classic Greek tragedies. The Cherry Orchard seems to have been a labour of love for the 77 year old director. He worked heavily with Helen Mirren preparing for production however, she bowed out when he demanded that she remain in Bulgaria for the length of the shoot. Charlotte Rampling was his third choice. Right from the start this raises eyebrows as well as the question of whether she will fit his expectations of the role.

He takes the play out of the house and opens it up to keep the viewer interested. In fact, his adaptation of the script includes a scene not in the play, when Anya and her entourage go to Paris to collect her mother. The dialogue for the scene is cribbed from the play and the additions made by the director don't harm the play. What Cacoyannis does achieve is a fairly light tone throughout that only comes to a dramatic head at the key moments. In this he is assisted by Rampling who gives the performance of her life in a film that , tragically, few people saw. It is on record that the actress took off some time through personal reasons before making this film and Ozon's Swimming Pool and the weight of those years brings a frightening demonic intensity and gravitas to Ranevskaya. She conveys why people surround her like a moth to a flame but also the tragic delusion that is not only her doom but the entire land owning species.

Bates makes as good a fist as he can of the thankless role that is Gayev, a man with so little inner dimension that he might be transparent. Fans of hard hitting TV dramas like 24 might get a buzz out of seeing nut buster Xander Berkeley as a love struck, accident prone, wimp. It is also a great performance as Varya by Katrin Cartledge, who died tragically a few years later. Finally, flavour of the year Gerard Butler gives a nice sneer to the superior butler Yasha who has seen through the facade of the rich and famous and cannot muster any respect.

The play is presented in a way that can only charm those who love their Chekhov. I suspect those who don't will be unmoved and it certainly wont generate sudden interest in the masters work. A pity as every line of dialogue sings a song both affectionate and ultimately sorrowful.

Video

The Cherry Orchard was filmed at an original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 - standard European widescreen.

I had a momentary shudder when looking at the back of the DVD case as it states that the film has been transferred to DVD at a 4:3 Full Frame ratio. It is both good and bad news to report that the film is in its original aspect ratio. In fact it is a little wider than 1.66:1 but imperceptibly so. Unfortunately, this is a letterboxed non-anamorphic transfer.

The visual quality of the film is something of a trial for those intent on enjoying the film. I had a similar experience reviewing Madman's Medea a while back but that film was an arthouse flick from the 60's. This may still be art-house but it dates from 1999. No film from 1999 should look this average. The result of the non-anamorphic transfer, as you can imagine, is that the whole DVD lacks clarity and detail. The image is soft and looks much older than 1999. Seriously, if I had been told that it was from 1979 I would not have blinked an eye.

There are no subtitles.

The telecine is a bit wobbly at first but the main problems are the rampant edge enhancement in all the outdoor scenes, the level of scratches and artefacts throughout and, most seriously, some interlacing issues that are a major annoyance. Once noticed they were hard to ignore and appeared in most scenes of rapid movement. I checked the film in three different systems and found that by mucking around with the settings I could reduce the impact of the problem. However, it still didn't look much good.

In short, the film is in a barely acceptable state.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

The sound for The Cherry Orchard is English Dolby Digital 2.0 running at 224 Kb/s.

In fact, the limited soundscape is not a big issue for a film that primarily relies on dialogue for support. The dialogue is reasonably clear and easy to understand. The audio sync appears fine.

The music is a selection of string and piano music by Tchaikovsky. The piano music is played by Vladimir Ashkenazy. It is a nice backdrop for the film although the Russian master didn't always write music appropriate to the comedic aspects of the film and overall it is a bit dry.

Audio Ratings Summary

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Theatrical Trailer 2.29

The theatrical trailer gives a good account of the film.

Prelude to a Film - Interview Director Michael Cacoyannis 20.23

This feature consists of a lengthy interview with director Michael Cacoyannis. It is divided into several sections each dealing with aspects of the production. As it turns out he was inspired to make the film after a stage version of the play fell over due to the difficulty in assembling a quality cast. There is actually comparatively little about the adaptation process although Cacoyannis pats himself on the back saying that his changes were "very legitimate". He originally sought Alec Guiness for the role of Firs the aged butler but by the time of casting Guiness was too old to safely travel to Bulgaria for filming. He describes in some detail the process involved in casting Rampling and the troubles selecting the location for filming. Interestingly, the shots of the blooming cherry orchard were shot some 6 months before the beginning of principal photography. Cacoyannis is an old man of considerable confidence and vitality and the interview is an interesting watch.

The film has been released in Region 1 and 2. I can't find any reviews of the film to compare with our region in terms of picture quality. Therefore I would give the poor looking Region 4 the nod until a reader can tell me what the Region 1 looks like. I assume our transfer was sourced from Region 2.

The Cherry Orchard is a classic play that struggles to come to life on the big or even small screen. That this version achieves the fine balance between laughter and tears is a tribute to both the director and the cast.

The sound and vision are sub-par however, and it is hard to believe that this film was made the same year as The Mummy, American Beauty and The Sixth Sense which all made their way to DVD in reasonable shape.

The interview feature is worth a look.

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