LADY WITH A DOG

USSR, 1959, 90 minutes, Black and White.
Directed by Josif Heifits.

Lady With A Dog is a fine Russian film of the 50s. Based on a Chekhov story and dedicated to him on his centenary, the film shows Yalta and people holidaying there in Czarist times. It provides the setting for the growth of an affair which is treated with sensitivity and delicacy. The aftermath with the lady going back to her town of Saratov and the man going back to Moscow and their loneliness and felt need and love for each other is very well portrayed. The genuineness of their love and the futility of its future is highlighted in the moving closing sequences. A very fine example of Russian film-making.

1. The works of Chekhov, his stories, his sensitivity to characters and interrelationships, characters in their Russian settings? The film as a tribute to Chekhov? A visualising of his literary world?

2. The techniques of Russian film-making in the 50s, the perspective on human relationships, the humanity of the characters and their plight? The universality of human nature?

3. The quality of the black and white photography, the re-creation of the period, the atmosphere of Yalta and its holiday boredom., the sea and its moods, the cafes and the streets? The contrast with Moscow and the world of banking, clubs, city boredom? The contrast with the provinces and Saratov, the streets, the homes, hotels, the theatre? The contribution of the score and its feeling?

4. The opening at Yalta with the sea, the bottle, the bored people at the cafe, the lady with the dog strolling past? The comments on boredom? Flirtation and romance within this context, away from home? Dmitri and his friends and their discussions in the cafe? The beginning of an affair and its not seeming to go anywhere? The strange movement between Dmitri and Anna and the developing of love?

5. The film's portrait of Anna as the lady with the dog? An attractive woman, her loneliness, the fact that she was a lady? Dmitri and his attentions and her response? The gradual sharing of walks, outings., standing by the sea? Mutual explanations? The growing bonds between the two and their credibility? The credibility of the sexual culmination? Dmitri’s calm, Anna's fear and guilt? The reasons for the continuation of the affair? Their revealing themselves to one another and yet having to part? The aftermath on each? How credibly was such an affair presented?

6. Dmitri and his inexpressiveness. enigmatic approach to life? Why did he begin the affair? Why did it continue? His behaviour during the rides, standing by the sea, his moods, the sexual culmination and his decisions afterwards? His not intending to remember the affair?

7. Dmitri in Moscow and his boring life, his wife and her affectation and attitudes, concerts? Her wealth? His children and his love for them? Soirees etc.?

8. The contrast with his work, life a the clubs, the boredom of his friends, their chatter., drinking, marriages breaking up? The flashback memories of Anna moving into this world persuading us of the genuineness of his love?

9. His deception of his wife in going to Saratov? The audience waiting with him to glimpse Anna, his visit to her house. seeing the dog, waiting? The importance of the concert sequence and his gradual glimpse of her, the music playing and his watching, her husband's presence. his going out and waiting for her at the interval, his following her through the foyer, their reunion and her fear? The background of her husband and his obsequiousness to the society people? The irony of the futility of the affair?

10. Anna's visits to Moscow. sending her messages and Dmitri's wife receiving them? Her waiting in the hotel? The nature of their liaison and meetings.. the pathos? Anna forced into the role of a deceiving mistress? Her attitude towards her infidelity? Her memories of being trapped into marriage and escaping from her home, her despising her husband?

11. The pathos of the ending with their parting, Dmitri in the street looking up, Anna remote in the window? The distance between the two no matter how often they came close?

12. How well did the film give insight into themes of love, motivation, guilt, circumstances altering people's lives, coping with circumstances, decisions and responsibility?