Country Life

Usually, I dislike plays adapted to a place & time other than those the author intended. Country Life (the title is from Chekhov's subtitle for Uncle Vanya, Scenes from Country Life) is a rare exception. Placed in the Australian outback in the 1920s, aspects of the play, such as the old man's writings (here, trashy theatre criticism, some of which is quoted) are as worthless as his academic treatises in the play; veneration for London (true in much of Oz, even today) makes clearer the play's characters' veneration for Moscow; etc. Blakemore, a fine stage director, knows his Chekhov, knows how to get the most of his actors (all of whom are excellent) and, to my happy surprise, knows how to make a sparkling, engrossing film from a play by Chekhov, which is very difficult (Mikhalkov is the only other one who has done it, in An Unfinished Piece for Player Piano). A thoroughly delight

The first thing to do if one is to derive any pleasure from "Country "Life" is to forget Chekhov. Admittedly the film carries a disclaimer insofar as it is only "Suggested by Uncle Vanya", but having said this it is even more remote from Chekhov that Nikita Mikhalkov's "Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano" which carries a similar disclaimer "Themes from the works of...". This aside, "Country Life" is an agreeable piece of period soap set just after the end of the First World War with pretty visuals of New South Wales's Hunter Valley. Like "Uncle Vanya" it tells of the disruptive visit of a pretentious elderly professor-type and his attractive young second wife to the relatives of his deceased first wife living in a rundown country estate. There all resemblance ceases. Chekhov had a genius for taking a group of characters and exploring each one with equal depth so that even the eponymous Uncle Vanya is but one of several equally fascinating characters. In "Country Life" the focus of attention is placed on the elderly pedant, not unsurprisingly played by the director himself, Michael Blakemore. Would it be cynical therefore to suggest that the film becomes something of an ego trip! The rest, even the Uncle Vanya figure, are curiously colourless by comparison except for that 1940's glamour girl, Googie Withers, still going strong one is glad to see, who turns up as an elderly, domineering and tetchy family cook and almost steals the show. I cannot quite see why the film was made but at least it is harmlessly entertaining. For the real thing I went back to Stuart Burge's filmed adaptation of the Laurence Olivier 1963 Chichester Festival production of Vanya: sans very much in the way of scenery, sans music, apart from a bit of on-stage guitar stuff, monochrome and sans very much in the way of interesting camerawork and visuals, but with Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave, Joan Plowright, Rosemary Harris, Max Adrian, Sybil Thorndike and Lewis Casson, a cast to dream of in as powerful a piece of filmed theatre as one is likely to find anywhere.

Sally and her uncle work a sheep ranch in rural Australia, circ 1920 something. Along comes stiff and stilted Dad (Blakemore) and stepmum Debbie (Scacchi). Toss in a roaming physician, some hired help, etc. and you've got "All in the Family in the Outback". Personalities clash, eccentricities entangle, and hanky-panky ensues. "Country Life" is an endearing Aussie cum English wry and lighthearted romp which should appeal most to those who enjoy British comedy.

I can't speak to the quality of the source material, other than to acknowledge Chekov's fine reputation. I hesitate to read the book now, for fear that it will prove to be as bad as this film.

I was attracted by the the quality of the actors, and pleased by the production and tone of the film. The acting was indeed quite good, with perhaps one exception. I don't know if the character Jack Dickens was supposed to come across as a buffoon, or whether this was a case of over-acting by John Hargreaves. Either way, it was dissonant.

But the real disappointment was that the film ultimately failed to present any compelling or sympathetic characters among the marquee cast.

The supporting actors did yeoman work, and I found myself enjoying them more than the central players, e.g. The old farm hand, Livingstone, played by Maurie Fields. But among the principal figures, only Sally (Kerry Fox) was worthy of some sympathy, but not enough to overcome the growing feeling, as the story progressed, that their petty and silly putterings hardly amounted to a hill of beans. Initially, I could see some good qualities in Sally, Jack and the doctor, but as their core conceits were revealed, I found myself caring very little what happened with any of them, not to mention Sally's father and step-mother, the story's "catalysts".

Frankly, most of them deserved a good spanking. Come to think of it, and I regret to say, watching that might have made for a more enjoyable time.

Michael Blakemore's "Country Life" is loosely based on Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya". Mr. Blakemore, a distinguished theater director, and actor, takes us to his native Australia, where he sets the story circa 1919.

It's a time where Aussie soldiers are returning home from WWI. We watch as Alexander Voysey, who has been living abroad, returning with his new wife, Deborah, to the estate in the country where his daughter and brother-in-law are living. Voysey is a snob who seems out of place in the house that has seen better days. His young wife Deborah, is with him because obviously she needs a meal ticket.

Uncle Jack, has stayed behind doing all the thankless jobs, helped by his niece Sally, who is Alexander's daughter. We also see the free thinking doctor Max Askey, whose ideas clash with the conservative town folks. It seems inevitable, but Deborah and the doctor develop a passion for one another that comes to nothing, while young Sally who secretly loves the older doctor, doesn't stand a chance with him.

Ultimately, the Voyseys have had it with the place and when Alexander's plans to sell the estate to neighbors fail because Jack's protests and animosity toward his brother-in-law, who by now, we realize is a fake, decide to go west in search of greener pastures.

"Country Life" is a film where we draw parallels between its Russian model and the Aussie setting. All the elements of Chekhov are there beautifully staged and directed by Michael Blakemore. The distinguished cast acts well as an ensemble under Mr. Blakemore's direction. Googie Withers makes a good contribution as the crusty cook Hannah, who knows all the secrets of the family.

This is a different "Uncle Vanya", but worth a visit because of the excellent work of Mr. Blakemore.