Onegin

In the opulent St. Petersburg of the Empire period, Eugene Onegin is a jaded but dashing aristocrat - a man often lacking in empathy, who suffers from restlessness, melancholy and, finally, regret. Through his best friend Lensky, Onegin is introduced to the young Tatiana. A passionate and virtuous girl, she soon falls hopelessly under the spell of the aloof newcomer and professes her love for him. His refusal of her (in addition to his other amorous intrigues) sets in motion a series of events which culminate in tragedy and thwarted love. (Synopsis provided by IMBD.)

Director: Martha Fiennes
Writers: Michael Ignatieff, Peter Ettedgui. Based on the narrative poem by Alexander Pushkin
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Martin Donovan
Running time: 106 mins

Awards

Martha Fiennes won win the Best Director Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Reviews

Kevin Mayard, Mr. Showbiz
"You should seek out Onegin- it's a riveting, unsentimental tragedy of unrequited love. "

Brit Movie
"This film is also uniformly well acted, with Liv Tyler compelling as the brooding Tatyana, her still demeanor somehow suggestive of the dark passions swirling beneath the surface."

Rich Cline, Cinezine
"A romantic tragedy, adapted from Russian poet Alexander Pushkin's century verse novel. Set in Russia, Onegin is the powerful story of a jaded aristocrat whose life is dramatically changed he inherits a country estate from his wealthy uncle. Moving from Petersburg to the countryside, Onegin (Ralph Fiennes) soon becomes embroiled in the life of a neighboring family and finds himself as the object of the affections of Tatyana (Liv Tyler), a beautiful young girl."

Inside Out Film
"As an adaptation of Pushkin's narrative poem, Michael Ignatieff and Peter Ettedgui have delivered a modern screenplay that rips through convention to the pulsing heart of a country passion for a sophisticated urban aristocrat."

More

Unofficial Onegin Site
A thorough site that includes a fine list of Pushkin links.

Ralph Fiennes
An excellent starting place to learn everything about this British actor with links to articles, interviews, filmography.

Shooting Pushkin
This article, written by Ralph Fiennes himself, was originally published in The New Yorker.

Onegin's Family Line
Ralph Fiennes has a sister, Martha, the director. Learn more about these spectacular siblings.