Photo courtesy of Sony Picture Classics
At the beginning of the 20th century, Leo Tolstoy was one of the most famous authors in the world. It was a time when movie cameras were a novelty and capturing footage of famous people, like the aging author of “War and Peace,” was new enough that celebrities had not yet learned to shy away, a time when World War I and the Russian revolution are both on the horizon.
The star-studded, Oscar-nominated British film “Last Station” is a historical drama about the epic struggle for control over his legacy, starring award-winners Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, Paul Giamatti and James MacAvoy.
The set-up sounds like a tense drama but there is actually a great deal of absurdist, farcical humor and even sexy, romantic scenes in this film. Everyone wants a piece of the great man—to be close to him, to be part of his work or in some cases to have control over his work and the money it generates—and will go to ridiculous lengths to get their way.
Nominated for two Oscars, “The Last Station” is one of a handful of critically-acclaimed, award-worthy films that opened elsewhere in late 2009 and are just now making their way here. Another on that list that recently opened here is the gripping, chilling German-language “White Ribbon,” also a period film, set in a small town in the same late Victorian pre-war period.
In “The Last Station,” the struggle that takes place before the cameras is between Tolstoy’s wife and muse Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), and Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), who has established the Tolstoyan foundation, an ideological, proto-communist movement inspired by the author’s writings.
Love, sex and money are at the heart of their battle for control of Tolstoy’s legacy. Born a count, Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) became a committed supporter of democracy and an end to class divisions, much to the irritation of his much-younger, loving but drama-queen wife. Tolstoy is torn between his great love for his hot-blooded, aristocratic wife and his political idealism, and his concern for his legacy.
The Countess wants their family to benefit from her husband’s work, while the ideology-driven leader of the foundation wants Tolstoy’s work to become public domain, free of monetary value. Yet neither side wants to fight openly and risk losing the favor of the great man.
So the pawn in this chess match becomes Tolstoy’s new assistant Valentin (James MacAvoy), an innocent, idealistic young man who worships the author.
Chertkov recruits young Valentin as his informant in the Tolstoy household, to keep an eye on the Countess and her influence over her husband.
“The Last Station” is not a flawless film but it is visually gorgeous, with nice period sets, costumes and fine photography. Plummer makes a very convincing Tolstoy and he certainly has chemistry with the appealing Mirren. Once again, James MacAvoy turns in a touching performance as the sincere Valentin, and holds his own with both Mirren and Plummer. One wishes writer/director Michael Hoffman had more scenes with Giamatti’s scheming character and fewer over-the-top scenes for Mirren’s character, and the plot sometimes loses dramatic steam. Apart from that, the cast is marvelous altogether.
The absurdist humor, the fascinating history and a wonderful cast make “The Last Station” a must-see for literary and history buffs alike.
