The verse drama 'Maskarade' by Mikhail Lermontov was repeatedly rejected by the censors and was only performed, with cuts, ten years after the author's demise. This film, directed and adapted by Sergei Geramisov, was released to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of Lermontov's death in a duel at the age of twenty seven. It is a film of the highest quality in terms of cinematography, art design and music. The acting is uniformly excellent although very 'mannered' especially the performance by Nikolai Mordvina as Arbenin who goes over the top on several occasions. He is far more effective in his quieter moments. There are shades of Othello here as Arbenin is a monster of pride, self-satisfaction and gullability who is ready to believe in his wife's infidelity on the flimsiest of evidence. Desdemona's fate was sealed by a handkerchief whereas Arbenin's wife Nina is doomed by a cheap bracelet. Nina is played here by the director's wife Tamara Makarova who is magnificent in the role. She and Sofiya Magarill, splendid as the Princess, both give stylised performances whilst still remaining 'filmic'.The version on You Tube is sub-titled so there is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for not experiencing this first class film.
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