Five-hour film “War and Peace” shows Russian aesthetics

The curtain has fallen on the Shanghai Oriental Art Center’s 2023-24 season: the Vakhtangov Theater’s “War and Peace,” a five-hour epic play full of tears, laughter and fateful stories that proved to be a feast for the eyes and mind.

The play is based on the classic of the same name by Russian literary great Leo Tolstoy and was the last work of the late Lithuanian director Rimas Tuminas for the Moscow Theater as well as a tribute to the theater’s 100th anniversary.

Tuminas died in March of this year, but his talent and deep understanding of Tolstoy’s works are preserved and passed on through these stage works.

Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, War and Peace tells the story of the rise, fall, joys and sorrows of several noble families. People tear open the cracks to find light, showing their passion and desire to carry on living in a miserable world overshadowed by war.

Tuminas’ emotional expression of the young heroines is impressive. Whether it is the beautiful Natasha jumping up and down to sort out her emotional thoughts in “War and Peace” or Tatyana falling in love and swirling around in bed in “Eugene Onegin”, they all show a strong vitality and a sincere pursuit of beautiful feelings.

In these stage works based on Russian literature, the world and history are presented in a grand and solemn manner, but the most important core and value remains love.

“War and Peace” has been adapted several times around the world, including in the form of films and television series.

“In film adaptations, there are always many characters,” says actor Pavel Popov, who plays the role of Pierre. “But when it becomes a stage play, the selection and use of characters in each scene can really showcase the director’s thoughts and understanding of the roles.”

Popov acknowledged that it would be impossible to fully restore Tuminas’ adaptation of the play after the director’s death, but the team, with the help of Tuminas’ rehearsal assistants, is trying to maintain the director’s style and characteristics in future performances.

The four performances at the Oriental Art Center were packed and attracted many young theatergoers. Some are fans of Tuminas and the Vakhtangov Theater, others are learning and interested in Russian language and literature.

“I am a fan of Tuminas and Tolstoy, and I like the novel very much,” Russian literature student Liu Jiayu told the Shanghai Daily. Liu took a train from Nanjing to Shanghai for the performance. She also saw Tuminas’ “Eugene Onegin” in Shanghai in 2019.

Liu noted that the number of Russian works and elements on the domestic stage is increasing.

“It feels like a revival of Russian literature,” she said. “I’ve also noticed that works by contemporary Russian authors are being translated and introduced more often these years. Perhaps it’s because Chinese and Russian literature have a certain affinity, which makes it easier for Chinese people to appreciate Russian literature.”

The charm of Russian aesthetics was on full display last week at the Oriental Art Center.

On August 18, Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory Piano Department lecturers Andrey Pisarev and Pavel Neressian gave a three-hour concert at the Art Center to open a series of music-related activities in Shanghai.

The concert was followed by a four-day piano master camp, during which Pisarev and Nersessian deconstructed classical piano works, interpreted the Russian Piano School’s integration of European musical traditions and Russian national culture, and helped students improve their understanding of classical works and their artistic quality.

In September, graduates of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory will perform as part of the Shanghai Oriental Art Center’s Citizens’ Concert Series.