Anton Chekhov's The Duel (2009)

80% of critics liked it
(30 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(178 ratings)

Save Shakespeare, Chekhov is the literary giant whose work is most frequently adapted for the screen. Based on his eponymous 1891 novella, THE DUEL gives life to a classic Chekhovian tale: the young ne'er-do-well aristocrat vs. the arrogant man of science; the attraction of a manipulative,… More Save Shakespeare, Chekhov is the literary giant whose work is most frequently adapted for the screen. Based on his eponymous 1891 novella, THE DUEL gives life to a classic Chekhovian tale: the young ne'er-do-well aristocrat vs. the arrogant man of science; the attraction of a manipulative, narcissistic mistress vs. the life of the mind and of principled action. Gambling, alcohol and flirtations consummated in an impossibly beautiful countryside hold obvious attractions for Laevsky. But he's brought up short when financial ruin and his mistress's sexual dalliances lead to a violent denouement. Dover Kosashvili, director of LATE MARRIAGE, assembles a brilliant ensemble cast of British actors who strike just the right balance between intrigue and that particularly Russian brand of ennui we associate with Chekhov -- but which today might elicit a prescription for Celexa. -- (C) Film Forum

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Dover Koshashvili, Dover Kosashvili
Written By: Mary Bing
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Apr 28, 2010 Limited
On DVD: May 24, 2011
Studio: Independent Pictures

Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
You want bite. But the movie's teeth are locked behind the dramatic equivalent of a retainer.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
It somehow isn't as exciting as a duel over a woman should be. If you're not well rested before entering the theater, it could put you under.
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Chekhov's stories and plays often vibrate in that zone where comedy and tragedy are indistinguishable. And so it is with this movie.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
If you see this movie, it will give you more pleasure and more to think about than any of the more popular entries currently out there.
Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com
The setting of the title event is spectacular, and the photography is wonderful. In places the movie seems as lazy as Laevsky. But Chekhov's story provides a lot to chew on.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Mary Bing's debut feature script sticks close to the novella, and director Kosashvili is always alive to the story's richness of character and situation.
Blake Howard, 2UE That Movie Show
The Duel challenges the audience to watch it; but with unlikeable characters and a tedious pace you may just want to put your gun up to your own mouth and end the misery.
Dominic Corry, Flicks.co.nz
Starts of slow but builds gradually into a captivating tale of escalating mania.
Rob Thomas, Wisconsin State Journal
It serves the original source material well, and gives the audience much to ponder after the shots have been fired.
Kimberley Jones, Austin Chronicle
A compassionate picture -- lovely to look at, too -- but it never achieves any real immediacy, or urgency, even with the title's pistol-waving.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
Much of what is spelled out in the book is artfully condensed for the film, which was shot in Croatia and is pretty enough to double as a tourist lure.
Dan Lybarger, MovieMaker Magazine
They're working with a classic novella with The Duel, so they treat it with the same reverence and protectiveness that one might devote to a first child. In the process, they almost smother their well-intended creation to death.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
Screenwriter Mary Bing and director Dover Koshashvili seem baffled about what they're trying to say here.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
The Best Film You Almost Certainly Won't See of 2010.
Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews
blessed with a superb cast in perfect synch with Chekhov's sensibilities, rendering this a lush, literate film in which . . . the intricacies of human relationships are as heart-stopping as a high-speed car chase

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: Andrew Scott, Fiona Glascott, Tobias Menzies, Niall Buggy, Nicholas Rowe, Michelle Fairley, Debbie Chazen, Graham Turner, Jeremy Swift Director: Dover Koshashvili Summary: Chekhov's psychological insights and piercing humor illuminate the screen in this beautifully… More
Cast: Andrew Scott, Fiona Glascott, Tobias Menzies, Niall Buggy, Nicholas Rowe, Michelle Fairley, Debbie Chazen, Graham Turner, Jeremy Swift Director: Dover Koshashvili Summary: Chekhov's psychological insights and piercing humor illuminate the screen in this beautifully filmed drama about Laevsky (Andrew Scott), a narcissistic civil servant whose impetuous decision to leave his married mistress, Nadya (Fiona Glascott), sparks shocking reverberations. Pragmatic scientist Von Koren (Tobias Menzies), outraged by Laevsky's thoughtlessness, challenges him to a duel, and the trio's emotional entanglements overwhelm them. My Thoughts: "Laevsky is very self loathing and seems to be dealing, or I should say not dealing, with his personal demons and his many regrets. He has turned to gambling and alcohol to help him cope with Nadya, his mistress, a married woman. 'The Duel', is such a small part of the film that when it is brought to light is when you remember that is the title of the film. I think this is one of those films that is better on paper then on screen. It just didn't flow very well and some parts where never explained. I guess reading the book before watching the film would help better explain some of the scenes in the film. The movie was funny in some parts and wasn't completely a bore. I enjoyed the scenery in the film and great costumes. But the story just didn't do it for me."
Walter M

As Laevsky(Andrew Scott, of "Sherlock") confides to his friend Samoylenko(Niall Buggy), he no longer loves his lover Nadia(Fiona Glascott), a spendthrift. What truly frightens Laevsky is that he has a letter in his possession that tells him that Nadia's husband is now… More
As Laevsky(Andrew Scott, of "Sherlock") confides to his friend Samoylenko(Niall Buggy), he no longer loves his lover Nadia(Fiona Glascott), a spendthrift. What truly frightens Laevsky is that he has a letter in his possession that tells him that Nadia's husband is now dead, of which she is unaware. And once she is aware, it is a one way trip to the altar. For this and other reasons, Von Koren(Tobias Menzies) does not like Laevsky, feeling that in his day affairs were conducted entirely in private. Plus, Laevsky outdoes himself when it comes to sloth and indolence. With its deliberate pace and excellent cinematography, "The Duel" is an evocative movie that bottles one point in time, allowing us to observe it at our leisure. But then time is never entirely static as the people along with the social mores of the era are evolving however slowly. Also this serves as a valuable reminder that lovers and spouses are two separate categories of people but that does not mean they cannot be loved in the same ways. And who knew a movie based on a work by Anton Chekhov could be so darn sexy?

Cast

            Andrew Scott as Laevsky

            Fiona Glascott as Nadya

            Tobias Menzies as Von Koren

            Niall Buggy as Samoylenko

            Michelle Fairley as Marya

            Jeremy Swift as Deacon

            Nicolas Rowe as Sheshkovsky

            Debbie Chazen as Olga

            Rik Makarem as Atchmianov

            Simon Trinder as Postal Superintendant

            Graham Turner as Atchmianov Senior

            Alistair Cameron as Ustimovitch

            Mislav Cavajda as Kirilin

            Matija Jaksekovic as Officer 1

            Alan Katic as Officer 2

            Boris Bakal as Clerk

            Tvrtko Juric as Mustapha

            Goran Vrbanic as Fyodor

            Milan Banjanin as Shopkeep

            Tomislav Kozic as Govorosky

            Mario Kozic as Boyko

            Ilya Sarossy as Ilyana

            Geraldine O'Rawe as Ilyana's Mother

            Nina Serdarevic as Katya

            Maya Kosashvili as Woman with Baby

            Medea Kosashvili as Woman with Baby

            Juraj Krsevan Dovranic as Dmitri

            Sreten Mokrovic as Nikodim

            Juliana Overmeer as Lady with the Lapdog

            Douglas Ellis as Promenading Family

            Mary Bing as Promenading Family

            Lucy Grace Ellis as Promenading Family

            Anton Ellis as Promenading Family

            Neven Jercel as Tatar Horseman/Mountaineer

            Mladen Vulic as Kerbalay

            Franka Gulin as Blind Masseuse

            Dubravko Vusak as Organ Grinder

            Tea Matanovic as Lovely Young Woman

            Marijana Mikulic as Lovely Young Woman

            Igor Staki Sestric as Stevedore

            Nicholas Rowe
            
See full cast