Moscow Times EO Article

June 4, 1999

Pushkin's Romantic Cynic Charms Russophile Fiennes
By Yulia Solovyova

With a reputation as a converted Russophile and an actor interested in psychologically complex roles, it was perhaps no surprise that British actor Ralph Fiennes should have taken to the demanding role of Eugene Onegin, romantic hero and cynical, contemptuous playboy.

Six months before "Onegin's" opening worldwide, Fiennes flew to Moscow from St. Petersburg together with Martha, his sister and director of the film, for the premiere Thursday at the Pushkinsky Movie Theater.

"Six or seven years ago I became very attached to the character of Onegin and the idea of playing him, maybe in a theater piece, maybe in film," Fiennes said in an interview at a reception in honor of the film's creators given at the British Embassy on Wednesday. "This particular kind of jaded, disaffected, cynical person still exists." The oldest of six children in an extraordinarily talented artistic family, Fiennes read "Eugene Onegin" in drama school and fell in love with the romantic story of a man who realizes his mistakes too late. He showed the book to Martha, who before "Onegin" worked mainly in the advertising and music video business. He also invited his brother Magnus, a composer and producer who has worked with pop groups such as All Saints, Spice Girls and Pulp, to create the soundtrack for the film.

"I could see (Martha's) cinematic eye, very unusual, very strong and intelligent," he said. "So we worked on it for three years and luckily got some financing from America in order to make it." The actor said the moral and psychological issues Pushkin touches upon in his story aren't outdated and are strong enough to thrill contemporary people.

"Relationships between people and good pieces of drama are always appropriate, there is always a time for them," he said. "There is a dichotomy between the pure, innocent spirit and the cynical spirit - the two sides of Pushkin, possibly." "Onegin" was not the first Russian classic Fiennes became attracted to. In April 1997, he came to Moscow for the premiere of the Oscar-winning film "The English Patient." In London in the same year he starred in the title role of the Almeida theater's sell-out production of Anton Chekhov's "Ivanov," which also toured in Russia.

Critics in Russia have suggested Fiennes would be perfect as Prince Myshkin in a staging of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Idiot," but the actor is unperturbed by their notorious touchiness regarding attempts by foreign directors to stage their national classics.

"We always knew that we would be criticized. Apart from the critics, the response from the people that I met seemed very sincere and genuine," he said.

"We've tried very hard to be true to the spirit of Pushkin's story, and tried to treat it in cinematic terms."