A few words about the truth With all my skepticism about the format of television performances about this project of Georgy Tovstonogov, I can only say the most enthusiastic words. The play about the trial implies boredom and the triumph of form. With a linear presentation, the viewer at least knows the sequence of all actions, as well as in most cases the outcome. This often leads to a lack of intrigue.
But Tovstonogov everything turned out radically differently. And it all started with the introduction. Kirill Lavrov, as the host, explained that the focus will be the American judicial parliamentary session condemning the Soviet government from the distant 1919. So we got a production in which the audience became part of the action, and one of them was Lavrov himself. Actor Lavrov played the role of the audience speaking from the auditorium.
But even that was not enough. When the meeting reached its height, the lights went out. And the viewer Lavrov from the distant 1969 began to argue with the participants of that very meeting. It didn’t come out without mystery, but how could it have been assumed in the first place? Well, when the director added a small appearance of Robespierre, Lincoln and Kennedy - the effect of the production became undeniable.
It is also important to note that the topics raised are still relevant. At the meeting, seemingly indisputable facts were mentioned and a certain assessment was given to them. But... The thing is that at the same time significant moments were silenced or changed. So the context changed.
And with all this, the production turned out to be “live”, fascinating and compositionally slender. In addition to the plot, this was achieved by technical means. Plans were constantly changing. Even if the actor drew attention to himself with a monologue, the director allowed him to change his viewpoints often. In static settings, it was a salvation.
They made their contribution and small appearances of celebrities. Oleg Borisov was a fiery orator in the image of Robespierre. It is a pity that this work has not been further developed. Well, the appearance of the late Kennedy, who died less than a decade ago, was quite bold.
Tovstonogov was a true demiurge. He built both the plot and the form for his own perception of the world. The laws of time, the biological foundations of being, everything faded into the background.
7 out of 10