Nothing is hotter than a repressed angsty aristocrat...
Eeek! I really really want to watch the 1998 Russian adaptation of the Dumas novel La Dame De Monsoreau (one of my all time favorite books, and yes, I do own the 1970s French miniseries based on it. Bussy was one of my earliest crushes). And I can find it, too, but OMG, it’s over $120 and yes, it is 9 discs and 20 episodes long but still. *faint* I’ll think about it long and hard, I suppose. (There is also a Russian adaptation of Queen Margot and is way cheaper, but I am less interested in it because I love the French move so).
Oh, and Bednaya Nastya! This gets better and better. Apparently Vladimir has some sort of unspecified war PTSD trauma? Mmmmm. YES. I do love the scene where he is just getting drunk and hopeless, and the ‘witch’ (she isn’t really, but she is this odd lady who lives in a house in the woods) comes there, and even though he can’t stand her, she gets him going again because she says this is his new war, to recover what has been taken from him. And she is all ‘I can read faces and I see strength, and also love in your heart.’ :P So he glares at her and snarls ‘so, is the name of my beloved also written on my forehead?’ And she replies ‘Anna.’ And she adds that she knows that he loves her but she loves someone else and it’s eating him alive but he should put it aside and focus. Heh. But I’d be more impressed with the ‘witch’s’ being able to tell that the woman he loves is Anna if it wasn’t for the fact that even a blind person can read it. In large print.
It’s so interesting how the Michael-Anna-Vladimir dynamics have shifted. I love the scene in the kitchen where she is actually defending Vladimir to him. YESSS. Because she says he was sincerely repentant and did his best to make amends (and Michael is indignant, heh). Actually what I think impressed her most is that Vladimir told her (when she said does he think she will forgive him) that it doesn’t matter, what matters is making it right for her. That’s pretty impressive because then he is not after getting forgiveness because he wants to feel good, but he is into making it right, and it’s a huge difference. And I think that is why Anna will gradually switch her affections (she already started): Anna is no Natalie, who is super pushy and very strong, so she likes the shy, adorkable Andrei because someone equally strong-willed could be problematic. Anna is, despite her reserves of strength, rather traditional, and a little fragile. She wants someone incredibly strong, someone to sweep her away, to protect her against the world no matter what. Sort of a human wall, really. Plus, a bit adventurous, because for someone as bound as she has been from birth, this would be liberating. Ergo, bye Michael. I know, later on, they actually establish that Anna never really loved Michael, just was in love with the idea of someone good-looking and noble treating her like a lady, and it’s only Vladimir for her, but they don’t have to, I get it anyway. I am thinking of the scene of Michael/Anna’s only kiss, where after it, she tells Michael that no one else has been as kind to her except for ‘Uncle’ (Vladimir’s Father). Seriously, what a thing to say to a man with whom you’ve been necking: he makes you think of your father figure? That is NOT how you should feel after smoochies. Clearly, Michael is just displacement for her, because she loves being ‘kind’ed. Heh.
That is the thing: Michael’s behavior is losing him Anna. Not because he is being evil, or horrible, or anything. He is a very nice guy, but he is too vacillating, not capable of the grand gesture she needs. He doesn’t have the sheer force (for good or ill) Vladimir does. I keep thinking of the scene where Michael begs her to run away so she won’t be sold to Arkhangelsk and she asks him why he feels that way and he comes up with all sorts of reasons: humanitarian, charity etc. And finally he tries to say he still loves her but he can’t, because he can’t overcome the fact that she is a serf, not really. And I love that she refuses help because she doesn’t want to rely on someone who does not love her when she loved them (he says he will spirit her away anyway, YES). And I do find them adorable in the gypsy camp. They are very different from V/A. Where the latter is all passion and angst, M/A are just sweet. Hmmmm.
And because I love pictures. Here are stills from Vladimir and Anna’s first on-screen interaction (in ep 1). The scene just has scary chemistry and a LOT of repression.
Anna is singing and playing the piano in the St. Petersburg house of Vladimir’s Dad:
And Vladimir is listening behind the door (I love that she makes him sneak like a criminal in his own house):
Oh, you angsty repressed woobie!
Yes, you do have a major thing for the serf girl you should hate. I know you don’t realize it yet, but I am impressed no one else has noticed as the only thing is plainer is the nose on your face:
‘I will be resolute and not allow this to overpower me. While looking hot at the same time.’ The latter? Yes, success. The former? Not so much.
I love how he has to tug at the suddenly too tight collar before nerving himself to go in and confront her:
Anna sees him and is vary. To say they don’t get along is a total understatement:
Vladimir’s view of chit-chat is to be sarcastic and ask her if all serfs spend their time singing and playing the piano?
To which Anna retorts that she has his father’s permission:
Oh man. I love this bit. Because he is telling her since he is a master, she has to obey his orders too, ‘all my orders’ and I love how he is fighting so hard not to touch her and is totally saying it automatically to sort of reinforce for himself that no, she is not his equal and he should stay away and she is so only a serf. But the way he looks at her, he certainly has orders he’d love to give her, and not the ones he does give: to go buy him champagne and to get his boots cleaned. I think his preferred orders would involve a lot more nudity. ;) But anyway, I love the almost touch thing, when he has to forcibly restrain himself from touching her:
Seriously, if after this exhibition she can’t tell he is mad for her (and she can’t, but then to be fair neither can he, poor dimwitted darling) she must be blind:
She says she will obey (I love that in her quiet way, she is snarky too, in the way she says it) and asks if there is anything else. Of course, it’s while out shopping that she meets Michael, so I bet Vladimir will end up wishing he never sent her anywhere :P
Oh chemistry chemistry chemistry:
Seriously, just do it on the table already. Vladimir has experience with that sort of thing, as a later ep will show ;)
And she walks away. Oh, yeah, well, Vladimir. You are Byronic, your job is to angst:
OK, this is just cute:
No, your hand is not Anna, stop smooching it. Or something :P
Never fear, I am not lost to drama world :) Next week, tatterpunk and I are going to meet up and watch My Name is Kim Sam Soon.
Oh, and Bednaya Nastya! This gets better and better. Apparently Vladimir has some sort of unspecified war PTSD trauma? Mmmmm. YES. I do love the scene where he is just getting drunk and hopeless, and the ‘witch’ (she isn’t really, but she is this odd lady who lives in a house in the woods) comes there, and even though he can’t stand her, she gets him going again because she says this is his new war, to recover what has been taken from him. And she is all ‘I can read faces and I see strength, and also love in your heart.’ :P So he glares at her and snarls ‘so, is the name of my beloved also written on my forehead?’ And she replies ‘Anna.’ And she adds that she knows that he loves her but she loves someone else and it’s eating him alive but he should put it aside and focus. Heh. But I’d be more impressed with the ‘witch’s’ being able to tell that the woman he loves is Anna if it wasn’t for the fact that even a blind person can read it. In large print.
It’s so interesting how the Michael-Anna-Vladimir dynamics have shifted. I love the scene in the kitchen where she is actually defending Vladimir to him. YESSS. Because she says he was sincerely repentant and did his best to make amends (and Michael is indignant, heh). Actually what I think impressed her most is that Vladimir told her (when she said does he think she will forgive him) that it doesn’t matter, what matters is making it right for her. That’s pretty impressive because then he is not after getting forgiveness because he wants to feel good, but he is into making it right, and it’s a huge difference. And I think that is why Anna will gradually switch her affections (she already started): Anna is no Natalie, who is super pushy and very strong, so she likes the shy, adorkable Andrei because someone equally strong-willed could be problematic. Anna is, despite her reserves of strength, rather traditional, and a little fragile. She wants someone incredibly strong, someone to sweep her away, to protect her against the world no matter what. Sort of a human wall, really. Plus, a bit adventurous, because for someone as bound as she has been from birth, this would be liberating. Ergo, bye Michael. I know, later on, they actually establish that Anna never really loved Michael, just was in love with the idea of someone good-looking and noble treating her like a lady, and it’s only Vladimir for her, but they don’t have to, I get it anyway. I am thinking of the scene of Michael/Anna’s only kiss, where after it, she tells Michael that no one else has been as kind to her except for ‘Uncle’ (Vladimir’s Father). Seriously, what a thing to say to a man with whom you’ve been necking: he makes you think of your father figure? That is NOT how you should feel after smoochies. Clearly, Michael is just displacement for her, because she loves being ‘kind’ed. Heh.
That is the thing: Michael’s behavior is losing him Anna. Not because he is being evil, or horrible, or anything. He is a very nice guy, but he is too vacillating, not capable of the grand gesture she needs. He doesn’t have the sheer force (for good or ill) Vladimir does. I keep thinking of the scene where Michael begs her to run away so she won’t be sold to Arkhangelsk and she asks him why he feels that way and he comes up with all sorts of reasons: humanitarian, charity etc. And finally he tries to say he still loves her but he can’t, because he can’t overcome the fact that she is a serf, not really. And I love that she refuses help because she doesn’t want to rely on someone who does not love her when she loved them (he says he will spirit her away anyway, YES). And I do find them adorable in the gypsy camp. They are very different from V/A. Where the latter is all passion and angst, M/A are just sweet. Hmmmm.
And because I love pictures. Here are stills from Vladimir and Anna’s first on-screen interaction (in ep 1). The scene just has scary chemistry and a LOT of repression.
Anna is singing and playing the piano in the St. Petersburg house of Vladimir’s Dad:
And Vladimir is listening behind the door (I love that she makes him sneak like a criminal in his own house):
Oh, you angsty repressed woobie!
Yes, you do have a major thing for the serf girl you should hate. I know you don’t realize it yet, but I am impressed no one else has noticed as the only thing is plainer is the nose on your face:
‘I will be resolute and not allow this to overpower me. While looking hot at the same time.’ The latter? Yes, success. The former? Not so much.
I love how he has to tug at the suddenly too tight collar before nerving himself to go in and confront her:
Anna sees him and is vary. To say they don’t get along is a total understatement:
Vladimir’s view of chit-chat is to be sarcastic and ask her if all serfs spend their time singing and playing the piano?
To which Anna retorts that she has his father’s permission:
Oh man. I love this bit. Because he is telling her since he is a master, she has to obey his orders too, ‘all my orders’ and I love how he is fighting so hard not to touch her and is totally saying it automatically to sort of reinforce for himself that no, she is not his equal and he should stay away and she is so only a serf. But the way he looks at her, he certainly has orders he’d love to give her, and not the ones he does give: to go buy him champagne and to get his boots cleaned. I think his preferred orders would involve a lot more nudity. ;) But anyway, I love the almost touch thing, when he has to forcibly restrain himself from touching her:
Seriously, if after this exhibition she can’t tell he is mad for her (and she can’t, but then to be fair neither can he, poor dimwitted darling) she must be blind:
She says she will obey (I love that in her quiet way, she is snarky too, in the way she says it) and asks if there is anything else. Of course, it’s while out shopping that she meets Michael, so I bet Vladimir will end up wishing he never sent her anywhere :P
Oh chemistry chemistry chemistry:
Seriously, just do it on the table already. Vladimir has experience with that sort of thing, as a later ep will show ;)
And she walks away. Oh, yeah, well, Vladimir. You are Byronic, your job is to angst:
OK, this is just cute:
No, your hand is not Anna, stop smooching it. Or something :P
Never fear, I am not lost to drama world :) Next week, tatterpunk and I are going to meet up and watch My Name is Kim Sam Soon.