Chekhov's four-act play Uncle Vanya, a world-renowned classic, has been staged many times. Both Chinese and foreign audiences have a high evaluation of this dramatic work full of strong realism.
The British 2020 film version of "Uncle Vanya" was recorded during the epidemic period and has a special significance.
The plot of the whole play is still the old plot, but the special place is that it combines the contradictions and spiritual crises of life in Russian society at the end of the 19th century with the thinking about the current epidemic.
This combination will make the audience realize that whether it is at the end of the 19th century or living in the present, it is inevitable to fall into a confused, desperate, and painful mood.
Because life is painful and happy, even if we fall into the abyss, we have to get up and continue to hurry.
Although the British version of "Uncle Vanya" exudes a strong British style, it has made new ideas in many ways in order to get close to the incomparably depressing "mourning" of Russian society at the end of the 19th century.
The first is that the sound of the big piano and the piano that echo from the beginning to the end are worthy of praise. Before the first act of the play has begun, you can hear the low cello sound, and then as the lights gradually turn on, the sound of the cello becomes thicker and thicker, and then sandwiched with the piano sound that seems to be venting emotions, the "mourning" of the whole play begins to stand up.
At the end, the big piano and piano sound again, but no longer as sad as at the beginning, and the rhythm is slightly faster, as if to hint at the dawn of despair.
Secondly, the design of lighting and choreography is also careful.
Let's start with the lights. From beginning to end, the cool lighting can always immerse the audience in repressed and painful emotions, and the gray light renders the original boring life more lifeless.
As the protagonist, Uncle Vanya, who lives in a bleak world, has worked diligently all his life, seeing others as his entire faith, only to find that it is a nothingness.
Uncle Vanya, whose faith had collapsed, had been walking in the cool light, as if he had seen no happiness or hope in his life.
In the arrangement of the stage, in order to highlight the style of the Russian manor, the corner of the floor-to-ceiling window was specially covered with dead yellow leaves. There are also clothes worn by each character, which is also very Russian. But the most comfortable thing is that the structure of the whole stage is like an oil painting, which has a sense of age.
It's just a fly in the ointment that Yelena's clothes are not very retro, and can even be said to be a little modern, easy to make people play.
In terms of lines, the original play is roughly followed, but the lines in the first and second acts are too long, and the director has no innovation at all. In particular, there are too many lines between Uncle Vanya, the doctor, and Yelena, which makes the first half of the whole play tasteless.
But there are also places that shine.
For example, the monologue of Uncle Vanya, first of all, the actor who plays Uncle Vanya's control over the emotions of the lines, coupled with close-up shots and pause processing, undoubtedly amplifies the charm of the lines, and at the same time allows the audience to further feel the pain of Uncle Vanya.
As for the performance of each actor, this is a benevolent person who sees the wisdom of the wise, because the feelings of each audience are different. But what is certain is that the three roles of Uncle Vanya, Doctor, and Sonya are very brilliant.
Uncle Vanya's actor, Toby Jones, was born into an acting family in the United Kingdom and has been influenced by acting since childhood. His performance in this play is natural and smooth, and his eyes are full of drama.
He naturally revealed His uncle Vanya's admiration for Yelena, his hatred for his brother-in-law, and his pity for his niece Sonia through his eyes.
When he points a gun at his brother-in-law, the climax of the whole play follows.
But Toby Jones doesn't let out all his emotions, but presents them in a complex of emotions that are patient, repressed, and particularly eager to explode.
The final shot of the whole play is given to Jesus crucified, as if to imply to the world: all our suffering, God is bearing for us, even if life is difficult, do not give up the faith in our hearts.
Then, all the actors closed the curtain and hugged.
After the play, the outside camera also shot at the audience at the theater scene and the empty audience.
The empty audience is a reflection of the tense period of the epidemic, when people suddenly stopped their work and returned home, doing every day to eat and sleep, as if life was in a dead end.
However, after the epidemic, we still have to regain the courage of life like Uncle Vanya in the play, face the cruel reality, and find the dawn in confusion and despair.
Even if the dawn is nothing and ethereal, we comfort ourselves and continue to hurry.
After all, there is only one kind of heroism in this world, that is, after recognizing the truth of life, you still love life.