7 - Reinventing Chekhov for the American Screen: Michael Mayer’s The Seagull

Summary

The abundance of Russian and Western cinematic adaptations of Anton Chekhov’s plays, short stories and novellas provides a rich collection of cinematic Chekhoviana that deserves methodical critical evaluation. What is the reason for Chekhov’s everlasting appeal that goes far beyond geographical or temporal borders? Chekhov’s oeuvre, with its multiplicity of comic and dramatic characters, has inspired readers, actors and directors, providing literary and dramatic material for cross-cultural, cross-generational communication. The writer’s witty observations on the tragicomic condition of human existence can be easily understood by viewers from a wide variety of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. As filmmakers transport Chekhovian literary and dramatic texts into the film medium, they become co-authors with the nineteenth-century Russian writer, reinterpreting Chekhov’s oeuvre by establishing intertextual connections with the originals and adapting their cinematic narratives to the expectations of modern viewers.

Chekhov’s celebrated play The Seagull (1896) has undergone multiple adaptations on Russian and Western screens, creating a Chekhovian subgenre of its own that is waiting to be fully explored. This chapter is dedicated to the latest ‘American Seagull’ – Michael Mayer’s 2018 adaptation that undoubtedly deserves an honourable place in the gallery of screen adaptations of the play. Before plunging into a detailed discussion of Mayer’s film, I would like to briefly mention his notable predecessors to emphasise the distinctive features of Mayer’s adaptation. One should certainly mention Sidney Lumet’s 1968 version with an international cast that included the French movie star Simone Signoret as Arkadina, the English actors Vanessa Redgrave and David Warner as Nina and Treplev respectively, as well as the Hollywood star James Mason as Trigorin. Filmed in the Swedish countryside, this film relies on a group of renowned actors who lack the unity of ensemble acting that had traditionally been fundamental for the overall success of stage or screen adaptations of Chekhov’s plays. As Vincent Canby notes: ‘Most of the performances are excellent, but all of the actors seem to be on their own.’