'Unfinished piece for the player piano' at RCC

The film is based on the works by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. It is a picture of the life of the Russian gentry in the late 19th century. The director reveals the moral bankruptcy of his heroes without a grain of sentimentality.

A village teacher, Platonov, is undergoing an emotional crisis. He believes his life has had no purpose. He is tormenting both himself and his young wife, Sashenka. The film's another protagonist, Doctor Terletsky, hates his patients and his work. The guests staying with a general's wife, Anna Petrovna, are talking about the pleasures of a simple village life, not really believing what they are saying.

The retro style chosen by the director and the masterly cinematography (a credit to N. Mikhalkov's permanent cameraman, P. Lebeshev) combine to make this film a real treasure for the lovers of Russian classics. Played in the film is the music by G. Donizetti, F. Liszt, S. Rachmaninov.

'Unfinished piece for the player piano' will be screening at the Russian Center, Colombo, (RCC) on February 10 at 6 p.m. Entrance free.