ONEGIN - MIDNIGHT Ralph Fiennes, Prokofiev, Liv Tylor

He loved her from the begining,that's evident.

LOL

I agree completely; I read it in English eight years ago and it was completely pointless. The general sense of the words can be translated but their poetry certainly cannot. I think it would be worth learning a bit of Russian just to be able to read Pushkin properly.

I worded my comment poorly. He is trying to reject her without wounding her more than necessary, but manages to be condescending at the same time. I guess what I said refers to the poem more than the movie anyway.

Well, Ralph, being British(?) can't convey a Russian anymore than he could convey an American. Because, to do so takes years of cultural training as a real citizen.

It would be hilarious to see him portray a character like Tom Cruise. However, it would require that Ralph be less intellectual. And that his motivation be driven from below the belt instead of from the mind. Sigh. That is the American way.

In American Cinema, unfortunately, there is nothing more important than elements of lust and superficial "love".

We don't value the beauty of language, so this Russian highpoint goes over our heads.

How can rejection be condescending and kind at the same time? Ok I get it. He can be kind to let her know and go. But he's doing it in a condescending manner.

That's hilarious! You do know his rejection of Tatiana is considered condescending, though perhaps kind.

I personally adore Fiennes because he's such an amazing actor. But he still cannot convey the character as he is. What we see? Passion, maybe deep and sincere, but what else? The Pushkin's character is different. Very different, I should say, from what I see in the Feinnes' portrayal, and it's not the actor's fault. You know, this poem is called "an encyclopedia of Russian life," but the movie is very flat in this sense.

The plot may be trivial, and the lust-based passion less than noble.

But the passion of Ralph Fiennes, well, that is an artistic diamond. It transcends writing and intellect. It hits the soul right between the shoulder blades of the heart and makes the audience members go .....BUG EYED.

And that is what takes our breath away. The expressed passion captured on tape. Universal in any language.

mmm...well for me there is no use of trying to translate this poem in any other language than Russian. It's not being arrogant or something. It's just that as one of the best Russian literary critics pointed out, the plot is trivial, French, but the thing why this poem is so timeless is the language. And in English and in any other it's just an extremely simple love story and there's nothing great about it.

lol

If you like this clip, you should see the scene in this movie where he verbally rejects her.

It was so classy and considerate that I've actually adopted this method in real life.

amazing!!!thanxxx