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Well, tin, you spoke of movies based on classics

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Victor Khomenko

It is safe to presume that Bulgakov's Master and Margarita IS indeed a classic work. Modern, classic, OK, but still. With that in mind, and given the significance of that work that is impossible to overlook, for any educated Russian, it was great fun to view the two available movie versions.
First, the recent Russian release. Of course it touched the nerve, and spurred endless discussions. I loved it, enjoyed it, and consider the ball part (too long to be called a scene) one of the high points in modern cinema.
The film makes a serious effort at staying close to the original, almost to ae fault, and as result is easy to follow. All in all, a fine effort, even though not without faults... among which is the choice of lead actors, both of which left me somewhat cold.
Be it as it may, if an English version ever crosses your way - it is a must.
The 1972 version made in Italy and Yugoslavia by Aleksandar Petrovic is a TOTALLY different ball of wax. This is the film for hard core Bulgakov's fans, intimatelyy familiar with his works. For the very scope of the large book defies its adaptation into a 96 minutes film.
The critics have not been too kind to this film. And it is easy to see why, and yet... and yet I found it immensely enjoyable.
If you have not read the book, watching this film will not make you a Bulgakov expert, for the film is trying to preserve some general tone, rather than the flow and the plot... if one can even speak of a plot in this case.
To make it short - for anyone familiar with the work, this should be great fun... it was for us. To see another interpretation of the work, characters, is quite entertaining, and the two lead actors do good job, with Ugo Tognazzi'e performance having significance and presence, and Mimsy Farmer bringing in the somewhat cold beauty and kindness.
I would not recommend the Italian film to someone seeking familiarity with the great work. The Russian film is much more workable in that regard... if you want familiarity without reading the work itself. But for those of you who want to do it right, look no further than the Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky translation, London: Penguin, 1997.

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My local Russki friend claims that M&M is, if not the greatest novel ever written... - clarkjohnsen 10:09:19 03/19/07 (8)
...it's at least the greatest Russian novel -- both untranslatable (into English) and irreducible to the screen.
What say ye?
clark
- The greatest Russian novel???? Greater than anything Turgenev, - tinear 11:11:10 03/19/07 (6)
  Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky wrote?
  You need some new friends.
  - You left out Barkov... quite a poet! :-) - Victor Khomenko 11:36:19 03/19/07 (5)
    His highly pornographic poem Luka Mudischev has been widely quoted, but only saw official publishing recently.
    Just teasing you, of course...
    Ivan Barkov (Open in New Window)
    - Is his Barkov worse than his Biteoff? Sorry... nt - tinear 13:33:12 03/19/07 (4)
      a
      - Not bad... not bad at all. - Victor Khomenko 16:58:42 03/19/07 (3)
        
        In Reply to: Is his Barkov worse than his Biteoff? Sorry... nt posted by tinear on March 19, 2007 at 13:33:12:
        
        I wonder if you could get the translated Luka poem.
        
        "...7-vershok long..." I don't know what that unit of measure is but 7 anything - tinear 05:06:41 03/20/07 (2)
        
        In Reply to: Not bad... not bad at all. posted by Victor Khomenko on March 19, 2007 at 16:58:42:
        
        is impressive!
        Sounds hilarious.
        My wife studied Russian in college but through lack of practice, she's a tad rusty.
        I'll try a few googles.
        Thanks.
        
        Jesus, you found it? - Victor Khomenko 05:44:47 03/20/07 (1)
        
        In Reply to: "...7-vershok long..." I don't know what that unit of measure is but 7 anything posted by tinear on March 20, 2007 at 05:06:41:
        
        Vershok is 1.75 inch... and if you were to take home one great word from that hilarious work, that would be the Russian word 'elda'. I am sure you can figure that one out :-)
        
        As in "I respect my "eldas"?" ;-0 nt - tinear 08:09:27 03/20/07 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Jesus, you found it? posted by Victor Khomenko on March 20, 2007 at 05:44:47:
        
        yh
- I say that's OK as far as opinions go - Victor Khomenko 10:45:43 03/19/07 (0)
  I would definitely not go that far. There are great books that have been written all over the world, but you know the Russians... they invented radio, airplane, steam engine, air, water and light. No wonder they also have the best novel ever written.
  I don't know how to judge the novels, so I just say it is an extremely important 20th century classic, which I think is already enough.
  Translation-wise, your friend is not correct. I specifically bought that particular translation and read it, and it is quite good. Like with every literary work that is rooted heavily in contemporary reality, some of that original charm and subtle things will be lost... but hey, I am sure some of the original flavor of Tess is also lost on me. Every translation is a struggle, and as far as struggle goes, that particular one is rather good.
  I would certainly not refuse to read it simply because it is a translation. Try it, it is dirt cheap... America...
  Irreducible? Well, the Russian version is long, several hours, and it does quite well at capturing the story. And the Italian one doesn't even attempt, it is basically the director's dream about the novel, but an interesting one.
Re: Well, tin, you spoke of movies based on classics - tinear 07:45:30 03/19/07 (0)
You're making me feel guilty that I haven't returned to the book, yet. I'm still ripping through the collected short stories of Borges, which I VERY MUCH recommend to you.
Be warned: after Borges, most other writers' styles appear bloated, uninteresting, and superficial.

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