La dame au petit chien

"Dama s sobachkoy" or "The Lady With the Dog" is an adaptation of the famous (and rather good) Anton Chekhov short story of the same name. Director Iosif Kheifits approaches the film sensibly by adapting not only the story but also many of the sensibilities and characteristics present in Chekhov's writing.

First of all, the pacing: In keeping with Chekhov's short story the pacing is natural in the way one would relate a truly affecting story from their life- slowly but also in a sense relentlessly and without break. Also typical of Chekhov and thankfully not changed in this film version is the lack of a moral 'message' as well as the subtle characterization that depends on highlighting character traits rather than blatantly telling you what sort of character to expect.

As a film "Dama s sobachkoy" is definitely impressive with the striking black and white photography by Dmitri Meskhiyev and Andrei Moskvin perfectly accentuating the various moods of the film. There's also a memorable score by Nadezhda Simonyan to add to the film with the main theme being particularly effective.

I'm not sure if I see any real flaws in "Dama s sobachkoy" but somehow it doesn't come off as a classic. What it does succeed in is becoming an excellent adaptation of a memorable short story that is pulled off unusually but very well regardless.

8/10

I admired the fact that the director paid such close attention to local detail that he included several scenes to point out the Moslem presence in Yalta (some 20% of the people are Tartars). There is a scene in which two touristy looking males order drinks in the hotel and then stick a pinkie into their glasses. This is a custom among westernized Turks who wish to follow the Koran's admonition that "the first drop of alcohol shall not pass your lips." So the first drop is removed. Then the coachman does his prayers while waiting for the lovers. And a mother is shown wearing a birka as the children are drilled in their Russian declensions. My fedora is tipped for him.

It is generally believed that unrequited love is classified as impossible love. This is not entirely true as impossible love is more related to a kind of love wherein lovers try to possess something that is impracticable. This is why most instances of impossible love are similar to most incidents of unattainable love."The lady with the dog"- one of the most tender classics of Russian cinema is a film which deals with the theme of impossible love. This Iosif Heifits film describes the tragic tale of Gurov and Anna Sergeyevna who met and fell in love with each other while vacationing at Yalta, Russia. It is based on a famous short story by Anton Chekov which also takes into account the realization of the worthlessness of one's existence in an extremely dull milieu. Gurov is an integral part of this milieu which he hates with all his might. The film remains faithful to the spirit of the book as it has added rich, visual touches to the narrative which takes into account a highly puritanical Russian society where divorce had not yet made its appearance. The beauty of this film lies in the fact that both writer Anton Chekov and director Iosif Heifits emerge as true chroniclers of male-female relationships as they emphatically convey that whenever a man makes the first amorous move, a woman accepts it only when she is truly interested in getting herself involved in a love affair. Lastly, we all know that love is not a child's play and can bring trouble as the viewers watch with astonishment how Anna Sergeyevna express incessantly all unease which she feels whenever she is made conscious of her love affair.

They don't make films like this any more. In film you either make it in the best time honoured classical tradition: logical sequence, irony, exquisite painstaking set-ups with perfect lighting, costumes, extras, everything pleasing to the eye and the heart and you find others watching it with a smile on their faces; or you make it so fast, jump edits, ramping, so wild that only you know the rules. Well you can do it the Clint Eastwood way which is the perfectly oiled machine: film them during the rehearsal. He really belongs to the classical genre. The problem with the second way is that you can't sit easily through two hours of a movie made like that. A pop video of two minutes fine, otherwise you emerge from the cinema with your brain fried and the stupid expression you get after sitting through three hours of watching ad commercial festivals. I've done it many times, and it's unnatural, and not good for you. THE LADY WITH THE LITTLE DOG is a perfect little story, superbly acted, observed, costumed, directed, lit, everything. A masterpiece of black and white. It cannot be faulted in any way. It must have taken ages to do the set-ups, something no one can afford to do these days; but then with the state paying the salaries, who was counting? So it was made during the Soviet era: but what is perfect, is perfect, for all time.

In the Nineteenth Century, at the seaside resort of Yalta, the upper class Dimitri Gurov (Aleksey Batalov) from Moscow meets Anna Sergeyovna (Iya Savvina) walking with her little dog. Both have unhappy marriages: Dimitri has a marriage of convenience arranged by the family when he was a college boy and Anna married a lackey for love that has gone, and they have a love affair.

When Anna returns to Saratov and Dimitri to Moscow, he has a boring life at home, spending his time working and going to the club after hours alone to drink and play cards with his friends. On Christmas, Dimitri misses Anna and lies to his wife, telling that he has a business trip to Saint Petersburg. However, he heads to Saratov and he meets Anna in the Opera House with her husband. Their love kindles and Anna promises to meet him in Moscow. In a period when divorce would be unthinkable, Anna and Dimitri are doomed to meet each other in hotel rooms.

"Dama s Sobachkoj" is a classy and melancholic love story by Iosif Kheifits based on a short story by Anton Chekhov. The film is developed in slow pace, with magnificent black and white cinematography and music score.

Iya Savvina has one of the prettiest faces I have ever seen and it is easy to explain the initial attraction of Dimitri for Anna. Each frame is magnificently shot in beautiful planes and details. The DVD released by the Brazilian distributor Cult Classic is totally restored with perfect image and sound. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Dama do Cachorrinho" ("The Lady of the Little Dog")