Best televisionor film adaptation of Dostoevsky

[tristessa]

Does anybody have any ideas of the best T.V or film adaptations of Dostoevsky's major works?
I watched a highly commendable serialisation of 'Crime and Punishment' by the BBC; John Simm (of 'The Lakes' and 'Life on Mars') was a very watchable Raskolnikoff.

[underworld men]

Does anybody have any ideas of the best T.V or film adaptations of Dostoevsky's major works?
I watched a highly commendable serialisation of 'Crime and Punishment' by the BBC; John Simm (of 'The Lakes' and 'Life on Mars') was a very watchable Raskolnikoff.

Akira Kurosawa's the idiot.

I would also say
 
Fight Club
Taxi Driver
The Machinist
And
American Beauty.

But other then Taxi Driver or Machinist
none even acknowledge Dostoevsky.

[Radio Saturday]

There was a miniseries version of "The Idiot" done in Russia not long ago. I haven't seen it, but I've heard it's pretty good.

By the way, Tristessa - It was John Hurt (The Elephant Man, Alien) who played Raskolnikov in the BBC version of "Crime and Punishment," unless we're thinking of a different one.

Has anyone seen "Niotti Bianche"? It's an Italian director's version of "White Nights." I can't remember the nae of the director, but he's supposed to be pretty good.

[tristessa]

The John Simm version was made fairly recently; six or seven years ago, i think.  You should give it a go, i highly recomend it.

[Radio Saturday]

I stand corrected, Tristessa. I will have to check that one out.

[OlegB]

For me it's the relatively new Russian mini-series "The Idiot" - a really good movie, and kind of a breakthrough in Russian television (they stopped filming series about the mafia, cops and cheap love stories at last! ) Too bad "Master and Margarita" by the same director which came out on our TV 2-3 months ago was much worse. Then again, I don't value Bulgakov too high, at least this particular book (White Guard and Heart of a Dog are better for me - without the devilish and mystic things which I don't like). I think people take it too seriously when really it's not much more than a Gogolesque satire.

Then I also like the Soviet "Crime and Punishment" (1969), with Georgy Taratorkin (Raskolnikov), Innokenty Smoktunovsky (Porfiry Petrovich) etc. The acting is extremely good and generally it really translates the book's mood. Too bad it doesn't touch religious themes much (for me it's the most important stuff) due to obvious reasons. For example they don't show Raskolnikov's exile, he only comes to the police and that's where it ends. Also I didn't like the actress playing Sonya too much, she was just too theatrical for me (crying very loudly etc - wasn't very believable). But in other ways - an excellent movie, though I saw criticism from the Western audience (on imdb for instance).

Also I watched the Soviet "Adolescent" which was a series of several films if I recall correctly, but it was long ago and the only thing I remember is that I liked it . I haven't watched any non-Russian versions of Dostoevsky or any other of our writers because I don't think a Western (and even more so, an Eastern - Japanese or such - they are just completely alien) can really capture the book's spirit and, most importantly, the Russian spirit itself. Too many cultural differences. Russian Sherlock Holmes movie is considered the best, though, so maybe it's the Russians' unique ability to understand other cultures and incorporate them. Or maybe it's once again my slavophilic-nationalist ranting (nationalism in a good sense, not racism etc.). Oh well...

[tzar]

the old Soviet movies "Karamazov Brothers" and "The Idiot" of course,  by Pyriev as director.  none of those known abroad,  but out here they achieved a cult status of unsurpassed classics.

[tzar]

There was a miniseries version of "The Idiot" done in Russia not long ago. I haven't seen it, but I've heard it's pretty good.

unfortunately, it's a pile of rubbish, certainly not a patch on old soviet times unfinished (due to sudden demise of it's director) "The Idiot" movie.

[mudgopher]

I've never seen a Dostoyevsky-related movie, but I'm going to check out the above. That's just awesome.

[tzar]

    i saw that one.  not so bad as one might expect.
raskolnikov is ok, but all women characters are just out of place, i mean, they dont look russian at all.

[tzar]

       Philosophy was sacrificed in favor of brutality, and Svidrigailov character fell victim of that.  On another hand, the whole movie is made accessible for western public's perception.
       

[lerik]

You should definatelly watch the mini-series "Idiot" that they filmed in Russia.It is an amazing movie.The same director filmed Bulgakov's "The dog's heart",which is also very good.

[bigtommyg]

IMDb lists an old version of The Brothers Karamazov with Yul Brennar as Dmitri and William Shatner as Alyosha. Has anyone seen it?

[tzar]

You should definatelly watch the mini-series "Idiot" that they filmed in Russia.It is an amazing movie.

pile of crap, i say.
definitely not worth watching.
producers just nicked the money from the state.

[Radio Saturday]

IMDb lists an old version of The Brothers Karamazov with Yul Brennar as Dmitri and William Shatner as Alyosha. Has anyone seen it?

I have. It's not bad, but it's not great either. For one thing, it's "The Brothers Karamazov" in about 2 hours. For another, they changed the ending rather drastically, putting in a bizarre prison break scene, which, though mentioned in the book, to the best of my recollection, never takes place. Also, the focus is shifted from Alyosha to Dmitri and Father Zossima is virtually non-existant.

So, there you go. Basically, it's the action-movie version.