Not sure how Tolstoy's wife, Sophia/Sofya was is reality, but based on her attention seeking and dramatic antics, I'd say she's borderline.
I got completely irritated by her character fairly early on. If Sophia really was as Mirren acted in the film, Mirren did really well and Sophia was one helluva crazy bus, or some writer went overboard with Sophia's nonesense.
Any thoughts?
If there's anyone here who deserves hate in my opinion it was Sasha. God I found her character despicable...
I own the Jelena Jankovic board
I agree and from what I read she stuck by her father and his cronies til the end, even after his death.
My husband and I are watching this now and we keep pausing it to discuss the movie and history of things.
I see Sophia and Lev as basically comparable in many ways to say Elvis and Priscilla Presley. He created a world around him of people who idolized him and rarely stood up to him... he mistakenly believed ALL of these people were looking out for his best interests and what HE wanted when obviously there were some that were looking out for THEIR best interests and doing whatever it took to turn him against his wife so that they could set things up to get his fortune.
This was a woman who helped her husband get and maintain his wealth. She's nearing 70 years old herself... she is watching while people are coming in and taking her husband away from her. When he wasn't with the cronies they often seemed to maintain a decent relationship (if they just focused on them). She felt she was about to lose everything and these cronies did not care. They sure liked the home she maintained when they were there to visit and stay.. had they TRULY gotten him to do all these things with the copywrites and his wealth more than a few years before his death they wouldn't have been staying at their home because they enjoyed the things his wealth provided.
I agree with and enjoyed your point of view skinnyyeahright.
I own the Jelena Jankovic board
Ummm....
No offense but, Elvis and Priscilla comparison while somewhat apt because of the age difference is really baseless.
Priscilla wasnt there writing songs for elvis, or scripting movies for him to star in, or involved in his music career in any way. Meanwhile Sophya Tolstoy was Tolstoy's muse, editor, helpmate and in many ways his intellectual equal, as well as being a soulmate. For many years their marriage was a true parternship. By the time Priscilla showed up in Elvis' life he already had his camp of cronies and hangers on. Heck, when they went on their honeymoon, Elvis' 'gang' came along too!
"There isn't a jury in the world that would convict a baby...well, maybe Texas "-
actually, hated every character in this.
shareAfter a long, passionate marriage and partnership, Lev stopped having sex with her because of his new philosophy. Also, she contributed a great deal of support and help when he was writing. Because of this she felt that his novels were hers as well. By signing the copyright to his books over to "the people", he was depriving their 8 surviving children of their inheritance. He replaced a photograph above his desk of the two of them with a photograph of Chertkov. Tolstoy treated his life with Sophia as if it were something to be put behind him as he began his new life with Chertkov and the Tolstoyans. I don't blame her for being distraught as her life with Tolstoy came to an end. I think he was the crazy one!
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OP, I agree. The old fool wanted to give up everything and not provide for his family. No wonder she freaked out.
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On the movie, I hated Chertkov and Sasha. And liked Sofya, despite her mood.
shareGrand wealth in those days was based on the worst exploitative system known to man.
Serfdom was only abolished a few decades earlier.
Tolstoy wasn't too wrong to be disgusted by privilege.
Besides..if I understood correctly...
She could keep the estate. The proceeds of his anarcho Christian writings were destined for 'all of mankind'.
This is neither unfair or cruel. It actually sounds pretty darn logical.
On the contrary, I felt for her from beginning to end. I thought it was quite cruel they kept her away from her husband until the last minute.
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Mirren is not "acting."
She does give the impression of being Borderline. Her mood swings, her lashing out, her "suicide" attempt to gain sympathy, all follow that possibility. While he probably should have given her a reasonable portion of his estate, she is constantly falling apart throughout the film. It's kind of moot anyway, since we learn that she ultimately got the copyrights to his work.
Leo certainly was single minded in his determination to give his books to "the people." And, that is inconsiderate to his family. But, Sophia didn't engender sympathy for many of us. But, he didn't either, when you come down to it.
In the end, they were made for each other since they were self destructive.
"I. Drink. Your. Milkshake! [slurp!] I DRINK IT UP!" - Daniel Plainview - "There Will Be Blood"
I thought Helen Mirren was great as was Christoper Plummer.
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