Film Adaptations of Russian Classics - by Alexandra Smith & Olga Sobolev (Paperback)

About the Book

Discusses film adaptations of Russian classics since the 1960s

Book Synopsis

The volume examines several screen adaptations of works written by mid- and late nineteenth-century authors, who constitute the hallmark of the Russian cultural brand, finding favour with audiences in Russia and in the West. It considers reimagining of Goncharov, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Chekhov and Tolstoy in different contexts.
The book examines various types of adaptation, including transposition, commentary, and analogy. It focuses on established Russian and western filmmakers' dialogue with the classics taking place in the last 60 years. The book shows how the ideological and/or philosophical concerns of the day serve as a lens for a specific reading of the novel, the story, or the play. By foregrounding a synergetic literary-cinematic space, the book demonstrates how the director becomes a creative mediator between his audiences and the author, taking account of contemporary epistemological imperatives and the particularities of the reception by viewers.

Review Quotes

An erudite study that places adaptations of less-studied works (Tolstoy's The Forged Coupon and Dostoevsky's The Double and "The Meek One") alongside large-scale projects like the BBC's award-winning 2016 adaptation of War and Peace. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty.

--A. J. DeBlasio "CHOICE connect"

This book is an excellent source of information for readers with different levels of knowledge of Russian classics, world cinema, historical context, and relevant scholarship [...] it provokes the reader to watch films, read literature, and explore more information about relevant filmmakers and historical figures.

--Marina Rojavin "Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema"

This fine volume applies an adaptation studies lens to Russian literature with compelling results. Its authoritative case studies and theoretically sophisticated introduction provide new insights into film versions of key works from Russia's 19th century canon, using a dialogic frame to tackle issues of huge intercultural, aesthetic, and socio-political significance.

--Stephen Hutchings, University of Manchester

This volume is indispensable for scholars of adaptation and Russian literature. What is universal and what is nationally specific about humor, death or nostalgia? The contributors answer this question, analyzing adaptations as a multi-level dialogue between different media, across various cultures and historical eras.

--Lioudmila Fedorova, Georgetown University

An erudite study that places adaptations of less-studied works (Tolstoy's The Forged Coupon and Dostoevsky's The Double and "The Meek One") alongside large-scale projects like the BBC's award-winning 2016 adaptation of War and Peace.--A. J. DeBlasio "CHOICE connect"