what was Zanaida doing when...

i was kinda confused with that one too, but i thought it had something to do with getting ready to have sex since she went over to that guy afterward. Also wasn't that supposed to be when Vladimir sees her having an affair with his dad or something...i'm a little rusty though, i only saw like the last half hour today. I have seen the whole thing, but like a month ago.

but if anyone does know tell us because we are confused lol.

--Jen

First, this director was indelicate in conveying the subtleties in the novelette, and left so much murk in this film that any reasonable person would assume that Zinaida was a prostitute. Clearly, he did not "get it".

All of the other replies presume that Zinaida had only one lover. That may have been the case in the novelette, but this is a film adaptation in which many elements have been changed. I could be mistaken, but I thought Vladmir witnessed his father coming TO Zinaida's home, not going FROM. So I interpreted the douching scene to be an act she was performing between lovers. Or maybe it was just hot urine steaming up in the cold Russian air. We'll never know because the director was so dense.

To bolster my argument for two lovers, you'll recall the suitor who was expelled from her home, and had that angry roadside confrontation with Vladmir's father. That confrontation, which had a level of aggression uncharacteristic of "gentlemen", (it was almost ghetto, I thought they were going to duel)was over a letter sent to Vladmir's mother revealing his father's affair with Zinaida, and ruining Zinaida socially. All this jealousy and vengeance appears to be the result of two men fighting over the favors of one woman. Later in Moscow, Vladmir learns that Zinaida's other suitor/lover has disappeared.

So all of this led me to the conclusion that Zinaida had two lovers, but I'm still confused about why she would be performing such a private act with the assistance of a manservant, when clearly it could have been done privately and the servant rung for afterwards. I'm also confused why the director would show Vladmir watching this. The whole scene had a perverse, voyeuristic, urophilic flavor, as though the director wanted us to watch a golden shower.

actually i think by then she was already pregnant... people have posted that her butler was holding something, but if u pay close attention, one can see that it is the old medicine woman that appears earlier in the movie. i think this was some sort of way to tell the sex of the baby or is she was pregnant or not.

I thought she was doing a peasant dance or maybe some warm-up ballet exercises.



"The night was sultry."

My theory is that she was being checked to see if she was a virgin. After all, wasn't her mother selling her to the highest bidder? If she was proven to be 'untouched' she would be worth more. If she wasn't a virgin likely the deal would have been called off. My theory, anyhow--I've watched the movie a few times hoping to have it all made clear. Maybe the next time it will!
I actually opened this IMDb account to reply to this specific question. Not the greatest movie ever--although Julie Walters is a hoot to watch, and Geraldine James is on fire.