Anton Tchékhov 1890

In 1890 medical doctor Anton Chekhov writes short stories in newspapers to sustain his parents, three brothers and sister. Discovered by publishers and consequently Leo Tolstoy, he finds success by receiving the Pushkin Prize. His publishers urge him to write novels and plays. However, when one brother dies of tuberculosis, he decides to travel to Sakhalin and meet its convicts who are subjected to terrible conditions. René Féret's final film plays out like one of his main subject's own scripts: it's a gentle, nuanced, above all subtle portrait (performed superbly by Nicolas Giraud) of a man who is "incapable to love" yet has an intense affair with a married woman and cares more for his fellowman than for himself. Assisted throughout by his sister Macha (Masha) and loved by his brothers, he unobtrusively becomes one of the world's most revered authors. This film should be made compulsory viewing to anyone daring to direct one of his major plays. In a remarkable scene he sits quietly in an auditorium watching a rehearsal of 'The Seagull'. Afterwards he gathers the cast round a table and without ranting and raving or raging, he tells them: "You are killing my characters. You want to show the audience what good actors you are. And how funny or dramatic you can be." Life - as seen through the eyes of Anton Chekhov, and the director of this loving, beautiful tribute - is a symbiosis of comedy and tragedy. The two are interminably linked. It's neither broad farce nor Greek catastrophe. Life is laughter hiding the lump in the throat and teary eyes. AND: life or comedy is never merely an unbroken string of coarse words.

I admire almost all of the Russian writers. In this film, he also talked about Anton Cehov 's private life.

it is a beautiful and inspired homage. to the work of Anton Tchekhov. to the art of Rene Feret.two virtues define it - the grace to explore a biography as puzzle of small pieces defining the interior universe of a great writer and the delicacy to recreate the atmosphere of XIX century Russia. but the best thing is the authenticity. a form of accuracy of facts, dialogues, gestures who has the precious advantage to preserve and mix the influences of French and Russian biographic film. because it is a film who gives to you Tchekhov in admirable manner. the words of his short stories, the levels of life, the question of love and relation with family, Sahalin episode and the play writer are presented with precise science of define the details as bricks of solid building. and this does Anton Chekhov 1890 almost an experience for the viewer because it is more than recreation of a biography. it is an homage to a man and his time and beautiful remind of the force of a fight for universal basic values.

This movie's a little long. The cut is awkward: we start a scene that stops abruptly; another one starts without much more interest. Above all, it is delivered to us only a small handful of texts from the writings of Chekov himself. In the end, we leave the session with a mixed desire to read more. As a film, it has intrinsic qualities, especially aesthetic ones. But as a biography whose subject is a writer, it's a failure.

Any film about one of world's greatest writers deserves to be respected. Anton Chekhov 1890 is one good example of such a film which does more than merely entertain people. French director René Féret has made many good films using his own artistic as well as financial resources but he would be remembered for a long time for this film. By making a film about one of world's most loved writers- Anton Chekhov-French director René Féret has shown his indebtedness towards the great Russian writer. The fact that the leading actor Nicolas Giraud looks like Anton Chekhov is to be viewed as one major casting coup. A viewer can't take eyes off his face. Watching him play the main role, one can compare the performance with those of British actor Ben Kingsley in Richard Attenborough's 'Gandhi'. This film boasts of an amazing eye for detail as far as costumes and sets are concerned. The humanitarian aspects of Anton Chekhov's brief yet illustrious life are presented through numerous minor incidents which took place in his life. This film is successful in revealing that Anton Chekhov was much more than a famous, talented, rich writer. He reflected goodness in human beings by being a rare writer who didn't hesitate even for a second to prefer simple life as a doctor over the comforts of being a famous, rich writer.