The Cherry Orchard (1999)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Mihalis Kakogiannis

Writers:

Anton Chekhov (play)
Mihalis Kakogiannis (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 January 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Madame Ranevskaya (Rampling) is a spoiled aging aristocratic lady, who returns from a trip to Paris...

Plot Keywords:

Foreign Language Adaptation | Based On Play | Independent Film

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Charlotte Rampling	...	Ranyevskaya
Alan Bates	...	Gayev
Katrin Cartlidge	...	Varya
Owen Teale	...	Lopahin
Tushka Bergen	...	Anya
Xander Berkeley	...	Yepihodov
Gerard Butler	...	Yasha (as Gerald Butler)
Andrew Howard	...	Trofimov
Melanie Lynskey	...	Dunyasha
Ian McNeice	...	Pishchik
Frances de la Tour	...	Charlotte Ivanovna
Michael Gough	...	Feers
Simeon Victorov	...	Doridanov
Itzhak Finzi	...	Stranger
Ivan Pangelov	...	French priest
Ivan Grigoriev	...	Yevstigney
Margarita Kemalova	...	Yasha's mother
Yuli Toshev	...	Auctioneer
Todor Georgiev	...	First Bidder (as Todor Gheorghiev)
Vassili Trayanov	...	Lopahin's friend

Directed by
Mihalis Kakogiannis		(as Michael Cacoyannis)

Writing credits
Anton Chekhov		(play "Vishnyovyy sad")
Mihalis Kakogiannis		(screenplay) (as Michael Cacoyannis)

Produced by
Mihalis Kakogiannis	....	producer (as Michael Cacoyannis)
Alexander Metodiev	....	executive producer
Yannoulla Wakefield	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Aris Stavrou

Film Editing by
Takis Hadzis
Mihalis Kakogiannis		(as Michael Cacoyannis)

Casting by
Bruce H. Newberg

Production Design by
Dionysis Fotopoulos

Set Decoration by
Ivan Andreyev

Costume Design by
Dionysis Fotopoulos

Makeup Department
Yvonne Guguchikova	....	assistant hair stylist
Yvonne Guguchikova	....	assistant makeup artist
Joan Hills	....	hair designer
Joan Hills	....	makeup designer
Sophie Hvasieva	....	assistant hair stylist
Sophie Hvasieva	....	assistant makeup artist
Lisa Pickering	....	assistant hair stylist
Lisa Pickering	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Pat Arvaniti	....	production supervisor
Jean-Pierre Desagnat	....	production manager: France

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Guy Travers	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Krassimir Andreyev	....	set painter (as Krassimir Andreev)
Gérard James	....	property master
Venzislav Lilov	....	set constructor
Bogomil Petrov	....	property master
Lili Pezanou	....	set architect
Valentin Valvov	....	set dresser
Rafaël Vicent-Marti	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Thanassis Arvanitis	....	sound transfer
Alexander Bachvarov	....	sound recordist
Aggela Despotidou	....	assistant sound editor (as Angela Despotidou)
Tsvetan Kadiiski	....	boom operator (as Zvetan Kadijski)
Valery Metodiev	....	playback operator
Kostas Varybopiotis	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Costa Varibopiotis)
Les Wiggins	....	sound editor (as Leslie Wiggins)

Camera and Electrical Department
Christo Bakalov	....	Steadicam operator
Nedialko Georgiev	....	key grip
Nikos Kavoukidis	....	cinematographer: orchard
Stavros Markomihalis	....	electrician
Linos Meitanis	....	focus puller (as Linos Meitanos)
George Mihailov	....	electrician (as Georgi Mihailov)
Anton Nakov	....	camera loader (as Anton Nacov)
Yavor Zahariev	....	electrician (as Javor Zahariev)

Casting Department
Claudie Layton	....	casting associate: London
Timothy Michals	....	casting associate: Los Angeles (as Tim Michals)
Belinda Norcliffe	....	casting associate: London
Thierry Tronchet	....	casting associate: France

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Justine Duprat	....	wardrobe: France
Jane Hamilton	....	costume supervisor
Katya Ivanova	....	wardrobe mistress
Ekaterina Karaivanova	....	wardrobe mistress (as Katerina Karaivanova)

Music Department
Vladimir Ashkenazy	....	musician: piano
Martin Atkinson	....	recording engineer: Vladimir Ashkenazy's performances
Chamber Orchestra Kremlin	....	musician
Andrew Cornall	....	music recording producer: Vladimir Ashkenazy's performances
Dimitris Papadimitriou	....	music consultant (as Dimitri Papadimitriou)
Misha Rachlevesky	....	conductor

Other crew
Ludovic Henry	....	location manager: France
Mariela Kanilova	....	caterer
Krasimira Karachorova	....	script supervisor
Ellen Katsikeas	....	assistant to director
Albena Kovacheva	....	assistant to director
Fedya Lobanov	....	dance arrangements
George Martinis	....	accountant
P. Papadimitriou	....	title designer
Bobby Ranghelov	....	production liaison (as Bobby Rangelov)
Manolis Sakkadakis	....	title designer
Radoslava Todorova	....	location manager
Argyris Vavouris	....	lettering
Vladimir Vladimirov	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Melanda Film Productions (present)
• Greek Film Center (in association with) (as The Greek Film Centre)
• Amanda Productions (in association with)
• Films de l'Astre (in association with)
• Canal+ (participation)
• Eurimages (support)
• Greek Television ET-1 (in association with)

Distributors

• Les Films de l'Astre (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• TF1 Vidéo (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Kino International (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Slater & Associates Casting  casting
• Cosprop  costumes (London)
• Sofia Kinozentrum Bojana  costumes: Sophia (as Boyana)
• Decca Record Company, The  courtesy: Vladimir Ashkenazy's performances available on (as Decca Records)

Also Known As:

La cerisaie (France)
O vyssinokipos (Greece)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

Greece | France | Cyprus

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (video rating) | Australia:PG | France:U | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Bulgaria

Company:

Melanda Film Productions

Trivia:

Glenn Close was the second choice for Ranyevskaya. After Helen Mirren withdrew she was called to replace her. She was busy with Robert Altman's Cookie's Fortune (1999) at the time, so she refused the part at the last minute. Charlotte Rampling eventually got it.

Movie Connections:

Version of Körsbärsträdgården (1970) (TV)

Soundtrack:

String Quartet No 3

Chekhov on film with mixed results

Chekhov's plays have generally resisted film and TV adaptations: Sidney Lumet's "Sea Gull" was lumpy and not well cast, and even the Russian film adaptations have been turgid affairs.

Michael Cacoyannis' version of "The Cherry Orchard" (originally titled "Varya" after one of the main characters), is better than Lumet's film largely because it's better acted in general. But the direction is sometimes fussy, sometimes leaden - the pacing becomes more and more turgid as the film progresses. The final 40 minutes or so become very tedious. Plus there's an unnecessary prologue in Paris - an obvious attempt to open up the play, but it goes on much too long.

Charlotte Rampling does very well as Madame Ranyevskaya, a near-penniless aristocrat who returns to her family estate as it is about to be auctioned after a default on the mortgage. Rampling clearly shows us a aging woman who is spoiled, charming, childish, delusional, sometimes haughty and condescending, and feckless - a person who never learned how to manage money because she never felt she had to. Her performance makes this woman less conventionally sympathetic than others in the role - which is fine. There are times when her performance is undercut by some jarring editing where her mood swings from one extreme to another.

The rest of the cast is quite fine: Alan Bates as Ranyevskaya's equally feckless and lazy brother Gayev shows us the man who knows full well his coming fate, yet goes through fits of denial to coddle his sister and the others; Michael Gough as the increasingly senile family servant Fiers; Tushka Bergen as Ranyevskaya's daughter Anya.

The best acting comes from Katrin Cartlidge as the hapless, lovesick, foster daughter Varya, a soul sister to Sonia of Uncle Vanya; and Owen Teale (who was superb with Janet McTeer onstage in "A Doll's House") as Lopahin, a former peasant whose family worked on Ranyevskaya's farm but who has now become a successful businessman. His efforts to convince the fading aristocrats to save themselves by selling the estate fall on deaf ears, so he decides on a different plan of action.

I would recommend seeing this only to people who are familiar with the play. First-timers would be better off seeking out a good stage production (lots of luck there) as Chekhov has always worked better there.