The Seagull

Pre-revolutionary Russia experienced something of a literary golden age, spawning many prized works still read today. Among them is The Seagull. Written by Anton Chekhov in 1896 and originally jeered at by angry mobs in St. Petersburg, it has since stood the test of time and is now considered nothing short of a game changer. The latest incarnation has flown to a cinema near you. 

A star-studded cast of Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Billy Howle and Corey Still grace the screen. Much of the story takes place during high-summer at a picturesque provincial estate. The film kicks off when Irina (Bening) arrives to visit her dying brother, Sorin (Brian Dennehy). Irina – a legendary actress clutching to her fading fame and womanising lover, Boris (Stoll) – is narcissistic, self-righteous and incredibly vain. Demanding the attention of everyone, she is threatened by the arrival of her son Konstantin’s (Howle) new lover, Nina (Ronan), a beautiful ingénue, who happens to catch Boris’ eye, triggering a love quadrangle that unearths a gamut of unresolved resentment between mother and son. 

The theme of unrequited love touches almost every main character. Completing the complex romantic equation is Masha (Moss). This woman, draped in black, drinks and self-medicates, while languishing for Konstantin who barely notices her. Moss says it best when she woefully says she’s “in mourning for her life” – a sentiment packed with enough punch that many in the audience felt. 

The scenery and the cinematography, especially in the row boat scene between Boris and Nina, is stunning. Bening is an undeniable star through the film and really brought Irina to life. There are times where you can see through Irina’s scathing remarks and prima donna attitude, and see a woman who is vulnerable, scared of being alone, and sadly, someone who misunderstands love. Bening and Howle really work well in portraying the dysfunctional mother–son dynamic which builds to a dramatic and horrible end. 

The Seagull is an intimate look at the tangled relationships of a group of people who pursue love – well their version of love. What makes Chekhov’s masterpiece work is the realism, the psychological lens applied to characterisation and the flawed characters who shine on screen. 

The Seagull
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