Anton Chekhov’s The Duel

Russian writer Anton Chekhov is often hailed as one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. In his brief, prolific career, Chekhov was known for writing short stories and plays, even though he practiced medicine throughout his professional career. Released in 2010, Dover Kosashvili’s “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel” is an adaptation of Chekhov’s novella that was initially shown as part of a touring European film festival. The film received generally positive reviews in the art-house circuit.  Kosashvili, who is well known for the critically acclaimed “Late Marriage” (2001) beautifully creates a period drama, reminiscent of a Merchant-Ivory production.

We meet three principal characters in film, whose lives are inexorably connected to each other by unusual circumstances. Laevsky (Andrew Scott) is a Russian aristocrat employed by the Russian Civil Service. He now lives with his mistress, Nada (Fiona Glascott), who is apparently another man’s wife. It is revealed that Laevsky seduced Nada from her husband, eventually escaping to a remote island. Laevsky feels he is no longer attached to Nada and begins to worry that he might have to marry her at some point. As a result, Laevsky increasingly indulges in gambling and drinking and becomes emotionally unstable. Not surprisingly, Laevsky’s high debt becomes another source of worry for him, and it set things in motion that will define the three characters. Meanwhile, we learn Laevsky is not on talking terms with his once-close friend, Von Koren (Tobias Menzies). With each passing day, Laevsky becomes anxious with the burden of his debt. He begins to behave awkwardly in several social settings and soon finds himself ostracized by his close friends. Through a common friend, Von Koren agrees to give money to Laevsky on one condition: he will call for Nada within a week. Soon, Von Koren comes to know about Laevsky’s rogue plans and invites him to a duel.

“The Duel” is a slow-burning drama in which characters just talk, and the plot progresses at a snail’s pace. As such, the duel exists in the minds of the characters. Much of the plot is revealed in the dialogue, and the film propels forward on how the characters react to situations falling in their path. Laevsky’s actions define the course of the story, whereby both Nada and Von Koren are pulled in a deadly grip of fate. The film successfully portrays Laevsky’s transformation because of Scott’s realistic performance. Scott conveys the right emotions, starting with a calm personality and then rapidly degenerating to a neurotic, alcoholic personality. In the opening scene, we see Laevsky resting in a room with his face covered, trying to escape the heat of a summer day. A fly zips past him, and in a snap Laevsky swats the fly down. The scene probably depicts violence in Laevsky’s mind, and we see traces of his violent behavior in encounters with Nada. He is sexually obsessed with Nada, not at an emotional level but, rather, in a “using” way to satisfy his needs. Anger and frustration lead to forced sexual encounters with Nada.

Laevsky’s matchup, Von Koren, is equally entertaining to watch, especially in verbal exchanges with Laevsky.  As an overzealous botanist, Von Koren weighs human relationship to each other in the context of the classic Darwin theory: the survival of the fittest. He views his verbal tussle with Laevsky, coupled with Laevsky’s irresponsible behavior, as a threat to his territory. Von Koren’s invitation to a duel results from his mind-set operating in the survival-of-the-fittest mode.  But deep within, Von Koren is a man of honor, and this draws the two men to the final face-off.  Of all the characters, Nada’s character is the most pleasing to watch. A lovely Glascott injects grace into her character as she aptly represents a woman from the higher classes. Even though she seems satisfied with the setup at Laevsky’s house, there exists an unspoken tension between Nada and Laevsky, probably as a result of a sexual undercurrent.  Glascott never dramatizes her character, even when Laevsky forces himself on Nada.  Glascott’s facial expressions perfectly embody Nada’s introvert, suppressive persona; you can read Nada’s face and know something is not quite right.

But just like Laevsky, Nada is also a flawed personality, who is equally vulnerable.  Her forced flirtations with a higher official, exposes her precarious situation, and we get an insight into her complex character. Glascott--in a subtle way--is expressive in depicting an emotional turmoil boiling inside Nada. While the performances enrich the film to a certain extent, I could not find myself investing in any character. The lack of pertinent details on the characters like the rivalry between Laevsky and Von Koren and Nada’s tumultuous past leads to characters that aren’t fully developed; as viewers, we fail to fully understand the meaning of their actions.

On the positive side, “The Duel” features stunning cinematography. Paul Sarossy’s photography perfectly captures the natural beauty on the island; it is an important aspect because it also succeeds in representing the costumes and other period details. Story-wise, “The Duel” offers no concrete plot. The focal point in the story is the rivalry between the two protagonists, and it lacks depth. Even so, the conclusion seems rather lightweight, considering the build-up to the climax. The film moves along at a leisurely pace, and it never fully captures our attention.

Video:

Music Box presents “The Duel” in a splendid-looking 1080p transfer that is encoded in an AVC codec and framed in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The transfer is crisp and clean throughout. Mainly shot in daylight, the transfer brings to life the natural beauty of the island. The lush-green landscape is beautiful to look at. The colors--mainly greens, whites, and reds--are deep and vibrant. The transfer exhibits increased sharpness, mainly when we see the interior décor in Laevsky’s house. It is in these scenes that we also see remarkable details in both medium and long takes. The close-ups are clear, demonstrating a gain in sharpness and detail. Likewise, the skin tones are consistently bold and lifelike. In the night scenes, the transfer maintains a perfect balance in representing colors; as a result, the blacks are deep, and the contrast is well balanced. On the whole, this transfer does not disappoint at all.

Audio:

Music Box has included a 5.1 English DTS-HD Master Audio track. Mostly a dialogue-driven affair, “The Duel” uses mainly the front channels. The dialogue, even though for the most part fairly audible, comes across as bit inconsistent at times. I found the dialogue too soft in several scenes. With no option for subtitles, I had to raise the volume on numerous occasions so that I could understand the conversation. Other than this, the track perfectly captures the ambience of a calm island; the surrounding noises form part of this track. The score shines as well, and we do get a nice immersive sonic experience.

Extras:

There are no extras included for this release except for a few promotional trailers of upcoming movies soon to be released by Music Box.

Parting Thoughts:

As a period piece, “Anton Chekhov’s The Duel” prompts comparison to Merchant-Ivory films. The film features high production values, and the lavish sets are further enhanced by breathtaking cinematography. The characters are interesting but are somewhat underdeveloped. As a result, they never become emotionally uplifting in any way. This Blu-ray release offers a stunning-looking 1080p transfer and a good-sounding audio track, but the lack of extras might be a concern to some viewers.