Ryan McNeil
I can’t explain how this happened, but with the amount of movies I see, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I often look to film as an escape from real life…as two hours traffic that can take my mind off what’s happening around me. It was only a matter of time though, until the stars lined up, and I sat to watch a film seemingly tailored to make me think about what’s happening around me.
It happened this weekend – and the film was THE LAST STATION.
THE LAST STATION details the final year of Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). AT this junction in his life, Tolstoy was a walking prophet, with legions of devoted followers of his philosophies. Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) was among the most devout, and a man driven to make his life’s work belong to future generations of Russian people.
Conversely, Tolstoy’s wife Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren) wants her husband to understand what his life’s work is truly worth. She loves him dearly, and knows he isn’t long for this world. She tiptoes around madness as she tries to make Tolstoy understand her fear of being left without anything or anyone to care for her.
In the middle of this philosophical fracas is Tolstoy’s new secretary, Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy). Valentin is a Tolstoyan, but one who can see both sides of the domestic struggle at hand. He is trying to avoid taking sides, but also has his own problems as he seems to be falling hard for a fellow Tolstoyan commune member, Masha. The two have a kinship, somewhat reminiscent of the fire that still burns between Tolstoy and Sofya…but how is one supposed to express such affection when being a Tolstoyan follower requires denying such lustful weakness?
While THE LAST STATION isn’t nearly a perfect film (why are Russians speaking with English accents?), at its core are emotional truths that reach very deeply into the heart of the audience. It asks us all to examine the final destination of our life’s journey, and think about what’s most important in those last gasps of this existence. Such times, when we are at our most desperate…our most fragile…are the times to once and for all take off our armour. These moments leave us nothing negative – no spite, no hatred. All we can do as it all starts to end, is what we should be doing every other moment of our lives.
Love.
Tolstoy believed that the religions of the world had become shadows of themselves. He believed this, because he saw faithful people turning to superstition…and turning away from love. Even his own followers couldn’t truly understand the concept of unconditional love. Tolstoy saw the world as a gift that mankind was unworthy of. He believed that we shouldn’t lay claim to any of it, that we shouldn’t kill any living part of it, and that the best way to honour it was to love every person within it.
THE LAST STATION tries to encourage us to always surrender to love – whether that love is a bright burning infatuation of someone new, or the still warming embers of a life long soul mate. This film takes us by the hand, and tries to remind us that so much pain that we cause in this world, even pain we believe we are justified in causing, can be avoided if we surrender to true love.
I can’t speak for everyone, I can only think of what I would want as my life’s train is pulling into its last station. When that day comes, I can promise you that I won’t be thinking about the people who have crossed me, or any petty trenches I have dug between myself and anyone else. I will carry the lesson of this film with me, and only hope that the love I spread from this day ’til then affords me a measure of peace when that train finally stops.
I really want to see this, and I hope I get the chance to sometime in the near future 🙂
I haven't seen this but I found it interesting that yesterday in the Toronto Sun, yes I stooped that low, someone was writing about how they are glad that Christopher Plummer had finally gotten an Oscar nomination and how he should win simply because he deserves it. I don't know, unlike this person, I believe Plummer doesn't have a chance at winning and find that he has excelled more on stage than on screen. I'm not even sure I've ever seen him in a film role I thought Oscar worthy, althought, again, I haven't seen The Last Station.
I'm so glad you got to see this and enjoyed it Hatter! I gotta say, I had a similar experience watching it. I was completely mesmerized and blown over by the ideas and the message. One of the most powerful films I've seen in a long time.
re: Christopher Plummer, he's great in this, as is Helen Mirren and James McAvoy, but chances are so slim that anyone but Christoph Waltz would win this year. Not saying it isn't a deserving performance, just that the odds are against it.
While THE LAST STATION isn't nearly a perfect film (why are Russians speaking with English accents?)
Because the producers didn't hire Russian actors and actresses for this movie. It's an old tradition on both sides of the Atlantic.
@ Univarn… Track it down. I'm quite curious to know what you think.
@ Mike… Plummer is actually quite deserving for this part (he has lots of charm as Tolstoy), so a win would actually be rathere deserved…and The Academy does tend to use an opportunity like this as somewhat of a 'lifetime acgievement' award. Unfortunately this year, he's just far too over-matched.
@ Shannon… I do want to watch it again down the road. Part of me wonders if I was more sucked in to the overall message because of how it related to things happening in my real life.
Regardless, it was a timely watch, and you're right – very powerful!
@ Rush… Yeah, I figured that was the reasoning. Doesn't exactly make it a GOOD reason!
Very well said Hatter. The last couple of weeks have certainly helped to remind us all of the value of life and what's really important. The small stuff that tends to get in the way is not worthing sweating about.
I love you very much and am so, so proud of you!
Mom.
Wow! You're one of 18 people on Earth who have SEEN THIS MOVIE. I guess I have to since Helen Mirren got nominated. Then again, she gets nominated roughly every time she exhales, so that's hardly a shocker.
@ M… I think it could well go down as a rather underrated movie. It ain't flawless by any stretch, but it's worth the price of admission for Mirren and Plummer alone.
I must also admit that it made me quite curious to learn a bit more about Tolstoy, and any film that can spark an interest in its subject matter is a success in my book.