National Theatre Live: Vanya (2024)

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Have some tea, Michael.

I don't really feel like tea,

Maureen.

Or maybe

you should have a 'drink' drink.

No.

No.

I don't drink every day, you know, Maureen.

I don't drink, like, all the time.

This weather, it feels close.

Feels like it's gonna break.

How long have we known each other,

Maureen?

Oh, my God! Jesus!

Uh...

Let me think.

You came here for the first time...

When was it?

...when Anna,

Sonia's mother, was sick.

And then you had to come again

the next year.

It was two visits in two years before...

...before she died.

So...

Eleven years, is it?

Have I changed, do you think?

Oh, God, yeah. You have.

You used to be so handsome.

And you were so young then,

Michael.

And now you're old.

And of course you drink more

than you used to, Michael. Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, well, I'm on my feet all day.

I never rest.

I work myself to the bone.

And then you get home, and you pray to God

a patient isn't gonna call you out again,

but they do.

They always do.

So, in all the time that I've known you,

Maureen, in the last decade,

I've not had a single day off.

What do you expect me to do

but get old?

And then you look around you,

and all you see are lunatics.

The people here are lunatics, Maureen.

Every single one of them.

And when you surround yourself

with lunatics,

after a while,

you become a lunatic, too.

I've started growing my own carrots.

Little, tiny carrots.

How did that happen?

See, I've become a lunatic, too.

It's not that I'm stupid.

I'm not stupid, thank you very much.

My brain is still largely

in the right place, but my...

My feelings are dull. Dead.

I don't want anything.

I don't... need anything.

I don't love anybody.

Except you.

I love you, Maureen.

Are you sure

you don't want a drink?

I am.

I'm quite sure.

Quite sure, Maureen.

Maureen!

Oh, Dr Michael, you're back!

Yes, Ivan, I'm back.

Did you get a...

Did you get a nap in?

I did.

Thank you, Dr Michael.

Ever since Alexander the Great

and his good lady wife got here...

They've knocked our lives

completely out of kilter.

I'm sleeping really deeply

at absolutely the wrong times of day.

I'm eating all this weird food

from, like, Kabul,

drinking wine in the day...

It's not good for me, Doctor.

It's not good for me at all.

Before they got here, I didn't have

a moment to spare, did I, Maureen?

I was working all the time.

Me and Sonia were preparing the harvest,

managing the boxes, ordering the deliveries...

...managing the orders.

And that was just Sonia!

She did everything,

because all I do is eat, sleep,

drink, repeat!

Eat, sleep, drink, repeat!

It's ridiculous, Ivan.

Alexander keeps giving me

all these instructions

about the food that he can eat

when he's working.

He wants me to make him soup

every day!

He insists that I make him fresh soup

every day, which makes no sense

because soup isn't exactly difficult to keep,

but oh, no, he wants it fresh.

So, I do.

I make him fresh soup every day.

He gets up at midday.

He works all through the afternoon,

and the soup gets cold.

And then he complains

about it being reheated.

Before they got here,

we had lunch every day at one o'clock,

like normal people do.

Now we're waiting for the Maestro

to give the word.

With these two,

lunch is at six o'clock some days!

And then, in the evening,

all he does is read and write.

And at one o'clock in the morning,

he calls me.

"Maureen!"

"Wha... What do you want?"

"Mineral water!"

I'm dragged out of bed

to get him iced mineral water.

Honestly!

I have no words!

It's like now!

Now, the soup was ready

for when he asked for it,

and he's gone for a walk!

A walk!

"My name's The Maestro,

and I'm going for a walk!"

Jesus, they're coming! They're coming!

Shut up! Shh! Shh! Shh! Shh!

Alexander! Helena!

Welcome back from your...

from your perambulations!

There's some soup there for you,

if you want it, Alexander.

Oh...!

Uh, ooh...!

Ah!

Well, not if it's been sitting.

Oh, Doctor,

I hope you're not here to see me.

I've got a... a scene that I urgently need

to finish by the end of the day.

Helena! Helena, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...!

I need your help with the stairs.

My leg is absolute m*rder.

It's boiling hot.

It's stuffy, right?

Stuffy!

Stuffy is the precise word for it.

But, oh, no,

Alexander's got his coat on,

and his gloves, and his scarf,

and his wee mittens.

But oh, my God, Helena!

She's amazing,

Michael, isn't she?

I think she might be the most beautiful woman

I have ever seen in my life.

There's something quite exceptional

about life in the countryside.

Who said that?

Me, Liam!

- Where do you come from?

- Oh, I've been here the whole time.

Oh...! Oh! Oh, sorry!

Wherever I'm in the countryside,

whether that's...

that's striding through the fields,

or walking through the garden, or...

or even just sitting here now on this...

on this... on this... this little chair.

I feel such bliss.

This weather's so lovely, the little...

What are they?

The little birds are singing.

The way we live here -

so simply, happily, peacefully.

What more could anybody want

out of life, huh, Ivan?

Um... Hmm...

I could think of a couple of things.

- So what's been going on, Ivan?

- Nothing's been going on, Doctor.

Nothing's been going on at all.

Everything's still the same

as it always was.

My mother's still a mad old crow.

She's in a state of complete denial now,

Michael.

She's got one eye on the grave

and the other eye

reading all these magazines

about how at her age

life is just beginning.

Alexander sits at his desk all day

and writes and writes and writes

and writes and writes,

scratching, scraping, crossing out,

and writing some more.

It's the paper I feel sorry for.

He's not made a single film

in seventeen years, Michael.

He's dry as a bone.

And this old f*ck's now living

on his first wife's money,

my sister's money, Anna,

may she rest in peace.

The Maestro himself

is now living on her potato farm,

not because he wants to,

but because he can't afford to live in the city,

even though he is a...

uh... what do they call him?

A generational defining filmmaker.

Do you know, he's been given

three honorary doctorates.

Three! Doctor, Doctor, Doctor!

And what for? For what?

Nothing, Michael.

Nothing at all.

He's never had an original idea

in his life.

His only successful films

were adaptations.

And even they were...

...well, adequate. I wouldn't call 'em

'generational defining', for f*ck's sake!

And he's so pompous, Michael.

And he never f*cking shuts up.

And the luck that f*ck has

with women!

Not even Don Juan de Marco has the luck

that that old f*ck has.

Anna! You met Anna?

Of course I did, Ivan.

How beautiful was Anna?

She was, Ivan,

she was very beautiful.

Really, though, Michael, she was.

She was... She was...

She was lovely.

She was so full of love!

The amount of men

that fell in love with my sister!

And she chose him...

out of all of them!

My mother worships him.

- Elizabeth does?

- Yes!

Her voice goes all weird

every time she talks to him.

She looks at him like...

like he's some kind of prophet.

And now Helena! I mean,

he's about 128 times older than she is.

And look at her, Michael.

The things that she's throwing away

just to be with him.

Her youth. Her beauty.

Her, her... her lustre.

Why? Why? Why?

Why would she do that, Michael?

Why?

Is she, uh...

Is she what?

Well, is she, uh...

Is she faithful to him?

Yes! Yes, even though he's so old

and frail and decrepit and broken

that every time he looks at her,

she brings up a bit of sick.

The idea of a woman

betraying a man like that,

that would be awful, clearly.

But for a woman to sacrifice her whole life

for a dead fish like that, that's perfectly fine.

Oh, that's...

That's absolutely acceptable.

No, no, no, no, Ivan!

I don't like it!

Will you stop speaking like this?

You can't go round saying

that anyone who betrays their... their...

their husband or their... their wife isn't awful.

It is! They are!

You betray your husband,

you betray your country.

That's what I say.

Sorry, Ivan, but my...

my wife betrayed me, you know?

Ran off with another man.

Just because she loved him...

is what she said.

The day after we got married!

She said looking at him made her realise

how ugly my skin was.

But, and this is the important thing,

ever since she left me, I've stayed true to her.

I still love her,

and I'm completely faithful to her.

I help her in whatever way I can.

I give her money whenever I can do it,

to help her raise her children, their children.

She had children with this man.

You... You... You do...?

What? What?

Yeah, I may not have my happiness,

Ivan, but I've got my pride.

Oh, Miss Helena.

I didn't see you there.

Sorry.

Can I offer you a... a little chair?

No.

I'm sorry, no. Thank you very much.

That's very kind of you.

I'm confused, Helena.

You told me that your husband was very sick.

I've been waiting here for hours.

You said he had rheumatism, but he seems...

seems a picture of health to me today.

Well, he wasn't last night.

He had pains all down his legs.

He was depressed.

But yeah, he does seem

a lot better today. Sorry.

Well, I raced to get the train,

you know?

I came... came hundreds and hundreds

of miles to be here.

Oh, gosh, you didn't, did you?

No.

No.

Ah, huh-huh...

No, don't worry!

It's not the first time it's happened,

it won't be the last.

Uh...

Maybe I'll... I'll... I'll...

I'll just have to stay here tonight.

At least I'll get a good night's sleep.

I hope so.

I mean, if that's all right.

Do you think that's all right?

Is it all right if I stay here tonight,

Sonia?

Sonia?

- Sonia?

- Of course it is, Michael.

You never stay with us anymore.

Have you eaten?

Eat with us.

We have lunch at 11pm.

Oh, my gosh, this tea is cold.

Oh, that'll be the pot, Sonia.

That'll be that pot.

That particular pot gets hot really quickly.

I've noticed it.

The pot gets hot,

but the tea gets cold.

Don't worry,

we'll just have to have cold tea, Ian.

I beg your pardon, Miss Helena,

but it's not Ian. It's Liam.

Liam.

Or Crater.

Some people call me Crater

on account of the... the marks on my face.

I had acne when I was twelve.

And not just spots.

Really, really horrible acne.

I think there's photos of it...

somewhere.

And they left these... these marks on my face,

and they look a bit like craters on the...

On, uh...

Ugh! The moon.

The moon, yeah.

Your husband knows me very well.

I live here now.

You probably noticed me

eating with you.

Every day.

Liam is our right hand man, Helena.

He's our second in command.

He's our... He's our life saver.

That's what he is.

Ah, stop it! Stop it, Sonia!

Oh, my God!

I said, "Oh, my God!"

Yes! Yes, Mother!

What? What is...?

Well, Ivan,

I have just read James Hayden's article.

Right, Mother,

and is it fascinating?

Well. It's strange, Ivan.

He's arguing against his own ideas.

He writes about ideas

that he had several years ago,

how wrong-headed they are now,

how dated they are now.

And the things that he says

about Alexander's work,

it's awful, really.

That's not awful, Mother.

Changing your mind

is a sign of thought.

Nothing wrong with a spot of thought

every now and then. Drink your tea.

No, no, no, Ivan,

I'm talking.

Yes, yes, yes, we noticed.

Oh, does it irritate you

to listen to me talk now?

Ivan, does it?

To hear me think?

You've changed, Ivan.

Sorry, but it's true.

You've become cynical.

I barely recognise you these days.

You had a good soul.

You used to be so clear

in your convictions.

Oh, I know that, Mother!

My convictions used to positively radiate!

Yeah, I remember that so well!

My convictions, yes!

They used to shine

all over the f*cking place.

What's odd, Ivan, is that you seem

to blame your misery on your convictions.

Your convictions aren't the problem.

You're the problem!

You never put your convictions

into practise.

You should've gone out and done something.

You never did.

Done something!

Do you have any idea, Mother,

how difficult it is

to go out and 'do something'

these days?

We're not all, uh...

"generational defining artists"

like your beloved f*cking Alexander.

We don't all have you at our...

our beck and call, bringing us drinks,

making us f*cking salads.

What exactly are you implying

by that, Ivan?

Grandma. Uncle Ivan. Thank you!

Thank you, that's enough!

Sorry, Sonia. Sorry. Sorry.

Not a word more from me.

Put some music on!

- What?

- Put some music on!

Oh, sorry!

Oh, Jesus f*cking Christ!

I do like this weather.

It's not too hot.

It's what I like about it.

Yeah, it's the perfect weather

to hang yourself in, I think.

To be hung.

Not to be "hung". Not to be "hung"...

To be "hanged"!

Yeah...

If ever you get a chance, uh...

you should come around

to where I live, Helena.

Mm-mmh!

Shut up, Ivan!

I mean, come with Sonia.

I'd enjoy that.

My place isn't... isn't as big as this,

but just beside it

there's a beautiful reserve,

a beautiful public forestry reserve

that I, uh... that I tend to.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I heard about that.

Did you?

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Michael's forests

are amazing, Helena.

He plants new trees every year,

and the work that he does to preserve

the old trees, it's... it's... it's wonderful.

If you'd heard some of the things he's...

he's said to me.

He told me once that trees teach humans

what it is to be beautiful.

Do you remember?

In countries where there are more trees,

people don't fight against nature.

They're more sensitive.

Their language is softer.

They treat women...

They treat everybody more gently.

So...

Yeah, well, our whole world is...

is burning up.

It'll be gone, you know, forever.

And we know that.

We've known it for some time.

We just, uh...

We just don't seem to do

anything about it.

Only human beings

have the capacity to create

and to imagine things that aren't there.

Maybe it's just me, but when I plant,

say, a birch tree and watch it grow

and... and sway in the wind,

turn green...

...my soul is filled with... a kind of pride.

Aren't you a bit young...

to be bothered by a load of old trees?

I'm gonna go, Sonia.

- What?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Already, Michael?

Yeah! I mean, if I... if I...

If I go now, I can...

I can get the last train.

Oh, but...

When will we see you again, Michael?

I don't know, it depends...

Depends on... on your dad.

Yeah, sorry. Sorry.

- Well, at least let me see you out.

- OK.

His new pills are... are there.

Bye, Ivan.

Bye, folks.

His face.

The doctor.

He looks so tired, doesn't he?

His face is, uh...

It's an interesting face.

Since I've been here,

he's visited three times,

but the thing about me is I'm so shy.

I only managed

to speak to him properly just there.

He probably thought I was so rude.

Don't look at me like that, Ivan.

I don't like it.

Wh...? What? Wha...?

How am I supposed to look at you,

Helena?

I wish I had the slightest idea

what it is that you want from me, Ivan.

Ooh... Uh...

What does that mean?

Look, I just want to look at you.

And you not send me away.

Shh! Stop! They'll hear you!

That's what I want, though.

That's... That's what I need.

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

Ivan! Ivan! Ivan! Ivan!

This is t*rture to me.

Shh!

Oh! Uh! Who's that?

Anna?

No! Alexander, it's Helena.

Who?

Helena! Your wife!

Oh, yeah.

I fell asleep.

I was trying to write.

I dreamt that my leg

didn't belong to me anymore.

My left leg.

Why can't I breathe properly?

Because you're tired, Alexander.

Because you should be in bed.

I can't go to bed!

I've got to write!

Fallen asleep! I'm so old now.

I hate getting old.

I'm so old now,

I've started to disgust myself.

My God, you lot can barely even manage

to look at me.

I can see it in your faces.

I can see it in your face

more than anybody else's,

how repellent I am to you.

Must be a miracle to you

that I'm still alive, Helena.

I know you hate f*cking me.

That's not true, actually.

I want my old life back.

The...

The success.

The fame and the...

...attention and the money.

Money!

I'm scared I'm going to die.

I'm not strong enough to die, Helena.

I'm not strong enough!

It's OK.

You're all right.

It's OK.

- Daddy!

- Oh, Jesus Christ!

Daddy, you ordered us

to send for Michael.

You insisted, and he came again.

And now you refuse to see him again.

Sonia, what on earth

would I want to see Michael for?

He knows about as much about medicine

as I do about f*cking knitting.

OK, Daddy, it makes

absolutely no difference to me.

Pass me those pills on the table.

No, on the table!

Did I ask you for these ones?

No, I didn't, Sonia.

So, don't give me those ones.

Daddy, are you having

one of your tantrums?

Well, that's all really sweet,

but there's no point having one with me.

Some people might enjoy it...

...but I've got to get up early

in the morning.

I'm not having a tantrum.

I'm the only happy one

in this whole bloody house.

Daddy, come on.

You should be in bed.

He should be in bed, Helena!

Come on, Daddy.

Argh! Argh! Daddy, I have you!

I have you. Come on.

I have you.

It's OK.

I'll see to him, Helena.

Don't worry. You just sit there.

Ugh!

I said he should be in bed.

Oh, my...! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God, Ivan,

what do you want?

The rain has stopped.

I thought you should know.

And all the fields and everything in nature

will start breathing again now.

But I won't, Helena.

I'll be the only thing for miles

that's not refreshed by the storm.

Ivan, whenever you start to speak,

I drift off.

Is there anything else

that you want to say to me, Ivan?

Good night...

...Ivan.

Can you move your arm,

please, Ivan?

No, can you move your arm,

please, Ivan?

Oh, Ivan, just move your arm,

please!

Ivan! Just get out of my...! Ivan!

Ow!

This is getting really horrible now.

It is.

She's gone.

I used to see her around...

...back in the day.

Why didn't I do anything about it then?

She'd be my wife now!

How could she resist me?

I've been tricked is the thing.

I used to worship that man.

The Maestro.

I did.

The things that I did for him.

I worked like a horse on this farm,

and I saved every penny,

and I sent it to him, to keep him going.

It was because...

And I don't say this to many people.

It was because I was so proud of him.

And his creative life.

And the work that he created.

I lived for it.

Everything he made

seemed like it was... blessed.

Like it was graced

by some kind of... genius.

Jesus! It's true.

And now he's here.

Rotting away in obscurity,

and what has his life amounted to?

Huh?

What does it sum up to in the end?

This?

Or this?

He tricked me...

...all along.

I can see that now.

I've been so stupid.

Shh!

Shh! Michael!

Michael! Michael! Shh!

Play us a song, Crater.

Shh, Michael, I'd love to,

but everybody's fast asleep.

Come on, play me a tune,

you little f*cking prick!

Come on!

Come on, Michael, please!

I'm in my pyjamas!

Off you go, then,

you little pock-marked f*cking prick.

What time is it, Ivan?

Did I hear Helena?

She is just...

...f*cking gorgeous.

Oh!

The way she f*cking moves.

What's his pills doing on the floor?

Not even f*cking touched them!

Do you think he's really ill, Ivan,

or is he just pretending to be?

Ivan!

What's the matter with you today?

Are you... Are you worried

about Alexander's health, is it, now?

Or are you sad because you just really want

to f*ck his wife?

Sorry.

I'm a bit drunk.

When I get this drunk...

...I'm just horrible.

When I get like this,

I don't care about anything.

I'll take on any job.

I don't care.

I don't give a f*ck!

Come on, Ivan,

let's have a drink.

Come on, I could m*rder a f*cking drink.

There must be some brandy in here.

We'll give it a couple...

We'll give it a couple of hours,

and we'll go to the Stationer's Arms.

All right?

All right? I used to work

with a medical student.

Always used to say 'all wight'!

Pronounced it like that.

'All... All wight'?

'All wight? All...'

He was a f*cking prick.

'All wight.'

Oh, sorry, Sonia.

Sorry, Sonia. Shh! Sorry!

Sorry! Sorry, Sonia.

Shh! Liam!

Shh! Shh!

'All wight?'

Sorry. Sorry.

I'm g... I'm gonna...

I'm just gonna go this way.

OK. All right.

Uncle Ivan,

the potatoes have been harvested,

but there's no space

to store them properly,

and this rain could ruin everything.

It'll rot.

Everything's just gonna rot.

You haven't even noticed.

You've just completely stopped working,

Uncle Ivan.

I'm doing everything on my own.

Uncle Ivan, are you crying?

It's the way you look there.

You look just like your mum.

My beautiful sister.

Where's she gone?

If only she knew.

If she knew.

If she knew what?

How much.

It's very hard.

It's not good.

It's not good.

Any of this. Any of this...

Anyway, anyway, anyway...

I'm, uh... sorry, love.

Talk to you later.

Michael!

Michael! Michael,

can you come in here please?

Come in here, please!

Thank you.

Michael, I don't care how much you drink,

as long as you don't make yourself sick,

but please don't let Uncle Ivan drink.

It is not good for him.

Sorry, Sonia.

I didn't even...

I didn't even know he was drinking.

Sorry... Sorry.

I will go home now.

No, no, no, wait until morning.

No, no! I'll go home now.

Do you need something to eat,

Michael?

Yeah.

Yeah, I thought you might.

We'll have a midnight snack.

I love a midnight snack, me.

Come on, sit down.

Let's see what we have.

Right.

Here.

Have some cheese.

I've not actually...

eaten anything all day. I've only drunk.

I've only drunk. I've only drank.

Sonia?

Sonia?

There's only the two of us here.

Can I tell you something?

Yeah.

Helena...

What about Helena?

I'm not saying...

...that she's not beautiful.

She is.

She's the fairest of them all.

But all she ever does is eat and drink

and go for little walks.

She's idle, Sonia.

No one who's idle can be truly beautiful.

Are you unhappy

with your life, Michael?

What? Yeah!

I mean, no.

I mean, yeah.

I mean, no.

Yeah! I love life. I love...

...being alive.

As for my... my... my... my personal life,

I mean, there is absolutely nothing in it

that is in the slightest bit good.

You know, when you walk

through the woods at night

and you see a light...

...like a small light in the distance,

and you don't notice

the darkness anymore,

or the sharp branches in your face,

or your tiredness.

Sorry, I do get quite depressed.

And the thing is...

...there's no light in the trees for me.

It's been a long, long time...

...since I cared for anybody.

What, nobody?

I quite like Maureen.

No, no, no, no, no! No, Michael,

no, don't... don't... don't drink any more.

- Why not?

- Because it doesn't suit you, Michael.

You're so elegant.

You got the gentlest voice.

I think you're wonderful.

I don't know anybody like you.

So, stop it.

Stop, Michael.

Michael!

Michael!

Stop it! Stop!

All right, all right,

I've stopped! I've stopped!

I've sobered up now.

I'm gonna stay like this

for the rest of my life.

- Do you promise?

- I do promise.

Good!

Good.

Could I ask...

Could I ask you something?

If I had a friend...

...or a, uh...

...a younger sister,

and you found out that...

Well, say you found out that...

...she was in love with you.

What would you do?

I don't know.

I don't think I'd do anything.

OK, I'm gonna go now, Sonia.

Otherwise, we're gonna end up

talking all morning.

Good night, Sonia.

Which way is it?

- It's that way.

- OK.

- Which way?

- That way, that way!

Yeah! That...!

He didn't say anything.

He didn't say a word to me

about any feelings that he might have.

So, why do I feel so happy?

I sort of might think he's wonderful.

That he has a gentle voice.

Is that a bit much?

His voice, though.

It sings.

I can still... hear it now.

And then I said the thing

about a younger sister,

and he didn't really get it.

Oh, my God!

Oh...!

I hate that I'm so ordinary-looking.

I'm so dull-looking.

It's true. Last Sunday,

I was in the... (Sniffs) village,

and I heard these two women talking.

And I heard one of them say to the other,

"She is such a good person, that one,

"and she's so kind,

and she's so clever,

"but it is a pity

because she just looks so ordinary."

Ordinary!

Sonia!

Oh! Helena.

Oh!

The rain has stopped.

I can breathe at last.

Yeah.

Sonia?

Yes, Helena?

How long are you gonna be

like this with me?

I'm tired of it, Sonia.

I don't understand.

Don't you think it's time that we were...

we were friends?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Sorry.

Yeah! Let's not be cross

with each other anymore.

- No, exactly! Let's not!

- OK.

OK.

Has Daddy gone to bed?

No, no, no. No, no.

He's upstairs, pacing about,

trying to write.

Ah!

Who's been here?

Oh! Um...

Uh... Uh...

Michael.

He was just having some cheese.

Huh!

You're angry with me because

you think I married your father for his fame.

Or his money.

If I swore to you, Sonia,

would you believe me?

I swear, I married your father

because I loved him,

because I love him.

I was attracted to him

because he's so brilliant.

Sonia...

If I asked you a question,

would you...

Would you promise to tell me the truth?

Are you happy?

Oh, uh...

No.

I knew you weren't.

Can I ask you another one?

Do you sometimes wish

that your husband was younger?

Of course, I do, Sonia! Of course, I do!

Ask me another one.

Do you like...

Do you like the doctor?

What?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Very much.

Do you like the doctor?

Sonia?

I've gone red.

I have, haven't I?

I just... I just...

I just think he's amazing.

I think he can do anything.

He saves lives.

He plants forests.

Yeah, yeah,

but it's not about the forests,

and it's not about

him being a doctor either.

It's his soul.

When he plants a tree,

he tries to imagine what it's gonna be like

in a hundred years.

There's not a lot of people like that.

He drinks too much.

And he can be a bit...

...vulgar.

But what's the matter with that?

Anyway, with all my heart,

I hope that works out for you, Sonia.

You deserve to be happy.

The thing about me is I'm so boring.

I'm just... I'm just...

...just an extra in other people's lives.

Could I play something for you?

I'm gonna play something for you

right now.

- On my mother's piano?

- Yes!

Huh!

Well, your father's still awake.

Ask him.

If he says yes,

then I'd like to play something for you.

Go on, Sonia!

Yes, Miss!

It's been so long

since I played anything.

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

What's that?

Oh, my God!

I hate the countryside.

Well, what did he say?

Um...

He said you can't.

He said you're not allowed

to touch it.

The glorious Maestro himself

has blessed us all,

his humble servants,

with the request to gather

at the hour of one.

- What time is it, Sonia?

- It's a quarter to, Uncle Ivan.

We're early!

I can barely contain excitement.

Do you think there's something remarkable

he wants to tell us?

Is there something terribly, terribly, terribly,

terribly important he wants to...

to... to what... to impart to us?

Oh, shut up, Ivan!

Shut up!

Don't you ever get sick

of the sound of your own voice?

Oh, my God!

Oh, my God,

this is k*lling me.

Shut up!

I just... I don't... I just don't know

what to do with myself anymore.

Well, I'm sure I could find you

something to do, Helena, on the farm.

Yeah,

because she would be so expert at that.

- Ivan!

- Sorry! Forgive me, Helena. Sorry!

Sorry!

I'm... I'm being a prick.

I'm gonna pick you some flowers,

some beautiful country flowers,

as a... as a... as a peace offering.

Wait there! Wait there!

Helena!

Helena!

Could I talk to you?

What?

What...? What is it?

Um...

What is it?

I hate the way I look.

Do you know how I look?

I look ugly.

- It's how I look.

- Don't...!

Sonia, do not say that.

You've got beautiful hair.

Don't say that!

Don't say that! Whenever anybody's, like,

really plain-looking,

somebody says, "Oh, you've got

beautiful ski... You've got beautiful hair!"

It's unbearable.

I love Michael so much.

I've loved him for years.

I love him more

than I loved my own mother.

He comes here every day now, Helena.

He doesn't even notice me.

I try to find excuses to talk to him.

I look into his eyes.

It's like I... I...

...I gaze into them. I can't help myself.

I've got no pride left.

Even the dogs know I love him.

I keep telling them.

OK. OK. OK.

OK... well, does Michael know?

No, Helena, he doesn't...

He doesn't even see me!

Yeah, yeah.

He's such a strange man.

Well, there is something that we could do.

I could talk to him.

Well, I'd do it very delicately.

We've gotta find out if he likes you back.

Yes or no.

And if it's a no, then he should

stop coming here, shouldn't he?

Shouldn't he, Sonia?

Yeah.

Yeah!

It's easier when you don't see them.

Let's do it now!

He wanted to show me a map

or some chart about the trees.

Go and find him and tell him that I want to...

I want to talk to him.

OK, but do you promise

you'll tell me the truth?

Of course I'll tell you the truth.

The truth is always better than uncertainty,

even if it's a difficult truth.

Uncertainty is just...

It's terrifying.

Yeah, it is.

OK.

OK. I'll say that you want

to look at his maps?

Ye... OK.

Um... yeah.

OK.

No! No! Uncertainty's better.

At least then there's hope.

- What?

- No, no, no, I will go.

OK.

He's not in love with her.

It's obvious.

But just because

he's not in love with her

doesn't mean

that he shouldn't be with her.

She's fairly bland-looking,

but he's not exactly...

She'd make an excellent wife.

She's kind. She's clever.

She's...

You know.

I do see what she means, though.

He is handsome.

He's intelligent. He's interesting.

He's extremely... Oh, my God!

He comes here every day now.

I know why he comes.

It's because of me.

Oh, my God!

Helena!

Yes?

Yes, Michael?

You wanted to see my maps?

Yeah, yeah... Yeah, well,

you told me you'd show them to me.

- Are you free now?

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Of course I am.

Did you go to university?

Well, I studied

at the Royal Academy of Music.

OK.

I'm not sure you're gonna find this

particularly interesting, you know?

Why not?

OK.

Uh, this is a map...

...of this district

as it was fifty years ago.

The dark and the light green

is the forests.

It's more than half the whole area.

That's the flora and the fauna.

There was an expression,

"a power of birds".

Birds of all different kinds,

more than the eye could see.

There were sand plovers,

there were bitterns,

there were Vega gulls,

there were blue-winged warblers.

This is a map of the area

twenty-five years ago.

Even then, only maybe a third

of the place is in forest.

And the blue and the green colours are paler,

and so on, and so on.

Uh, the birds started to disappear.

The blue-winged warblers

completely disappeared.

Uh, this is the map of the area now.

There's green.

But it's patches.

The whole thing is a...

a picture of decay.

In fifteen years, maybe less,

they'll be gone, the forests will be gone.

Forever.

And you will say... People will say,

"Oh, the world changes. Culture changes.

"Old ways of life give in to new.

It's what happens."

And I understand that. I do.

And these forests

will be replaced by roads.

There'll be industry, schools,

and people will be better off

and healthier and better educated,

but that's not happening.

It's not.

Everything is just being destroyed.

Nothing is being created.

I can tell by your face this is...

this is just boring you.

No, no, no, no! No, no!

No, no, um...

My mind's just somewhere else.

I'll tell you the truth. I've got to put you

through a minor interrogation.

And I don't know where to begin,

and it's making me embarrassed.

- An interrogation?

- Yeah.

But a fairly minor one.

Can we, um...

Can we sit down?

Yeah.

Yeah.

OK.

OK.

Uh...

It concerns a certain young person.

It's Sonia.

Do you like Sonia?

Yeah.

Yeah. Very much.

But do you like her as a...

as a woman?

Um...

No.

No.

OK, just two or three more words,

and then we're done.

And you haven't noticed

any change in her recently?

No.

No.

None at all.

Well, she's in pain...

...Michael.

She's suffering.

And you need to understand that.

You need to stop coming here.

This is, um...

This is...

I'm too old for this.

And anyway,

I wouldn't have the time!

OK.

OK, we're done.

I've gone red now.

I mean, if she's suffering...

I don't want her to suffer.

There's just one thing

I don't understand.

Why did you need to put me

through this interrogation?

- What do you mean?

- Come on!

Come on!

You know perfectly well

I've been coming here every day.

You know perfectly well... why.

You know perfectly well...

...who I've been coming for.

I'm... I'm sorry,

I'm... I'm confused.

OK.

Well, uh...

What more can I say?

You have me.

And you knew that without this...

pretence of an interrogation.

I surrender to you.

Take me.

Have me.

I think there's been

a terrible misunderstanding.

OK. I leave here.

And I'll never come back...

ever again.

Like you said.

But we can have one time.

Hel...

Oh, no, no, no, no...

No, no! No, no!

OK, OK, OK.

No, don't go!

Ivan. Jesus! Uh...

Jesus! Uh...

Uh... Uh...

Sorry! Just...

Just, uh... I was just...

I was just showing her my maps.

Uh, yeah, I'll just, uh...

Yeah, I'm gonna... I'm gonna...

Nice flowers.

Ivan? Ivan?

You've got to help me now.

You've got to persuade my husband

that we've got to leave here now.

We've got to leave here today. Now!

Ivan, we've got... You've got to help me.

Ivan, do you hear me?

- Helena!

- Oh, my God!

Helena! Where's my wife?

I'm down here, Alexander!

Where is she?

I can't find anybody in this enormous maze!

I'm down... down here,

Alexander.

What...

What did he say, Helena?

Oh, Sonia!

I'll... I'll... No. I'll tell you later.

You're shaking.

Helena...

Oh, I understand.

He won't be coming back here,

will he?

He won't, will he?

No.

No, he won't.

OK.

OK.

Oh, my God!

Oh...

Ugh!

Oh, Jesus!

Sonia!

Yeah?

Yeah?

Sonia, sit down.

Sorry.

You too, Liam.

You too, Maureen.

And you too, Elizabeth.

Completely forgot about you.

And Ivan, yes...

You don't need me for this,

do you, Alexander?

I do need you!

Ivan, I need you!

You, especially.

Why me, especially?

You seem very irritated today, Ivan.

Even more so than usual.

If I've done anything to annoy you,

all I can do is beg for your complete

and immediate forgiveness.

Oh, f*ck off, Alexander!

What do you want?

Let's crack on!

OK! All right.

Everybody here? OK!

Friends, Romans, Countrymen,

lend me your ears!

And, no, no, no, no...

In all seriousness!

Argh! Ah...

This is actually rather a serious matter.

I've gathered you all here, my friends,

to ask for your help...

...and your advice.

Uh...

I am an artist.

A man of film.

Of idea.

Of image.

Of feeling.

I've always been something of a stranger

to the more... more practical side of life,

but I'm old and I'm sick,

so it makes sense

that I make some attempt to, uh, what...

to put my affairs in order, as it were.

The truth is that there's only one certainty

in all of our lives.

I'm not thinking of myself now,

but I have a young wife,

and I have an unmarried daughter.

OK.

I cannot live in the countryside anymore.

Uh, it's impossible for me.

Uh, human beings weren't designed

to live in the countryside.

Uh, but to live in the city on the income

from this estate is also impossible,

so we need to find a way

to establish a constant, guaranteed,

almost fixed-figure income,

and I think, I think, I have found one,

and I would like to take this opportunity

to submit a proposal for your attention.

If we set aside the nitty-gritty details

for a moment,

I'll lay out a general outline,

as it were.

Our estate has an annual interest revenue

of just under two per cent.

My proposal is that we sell it.

Uh, if we invest the money

that we get from the sale of the estate

into stocks and shares,

then our annual interest revenue

increases to somewhere

between five and seven per cent.

We may even have an excess profit...

...that we could use to invest

in a modest property

in, say, the Isle of Man.

OK, sorry, sorry, sorry.

Sorry!

Uh...

I think I'm going deaf.

Could... Could you say that again, please,

Alexander?

Certainly, Ivan. Uh...

The bit about the Isle of Man?

No, not about the Isle of Man.

You said something else.

I'm going to sell the estate, Ivan.

Yeah! Yeah!

That was it!

Well, that's a relief.

Not going deaf!

Brilliant. Brilliant idea.

Uh, can I ask you - if you did that,

what would me and Sonia and my mother do?

Well, we'll have that discussion

when the time comes, Ivan.

Uh, something has just

occurred to me.

Just now! Just now!

Just this very second!

Up until just this very second,

I had been thinking, like an absolute idiot,

up until just this minute,

I had been labouring under the delusion...

the delusion that this estate

belongs to Sonia.

My father bought this estate

as a dowry for Anna.

And up until just this second,

I've been nave enough to think that the estate

would pass from Anna to her daughter, Sonia.

Of course

the estate belongs to Sonia!

Nobody's disputing that, Ivan.

In fact, I would go so far as to say

that this whole venture that I'm proposing

is for Sonia's benefit.

Oh! Oh, my God!

This is f*cking nonsense!

This is... This is nonsense.

This is just nonsense.

Sorry, finish

what you were going to say.

I don't understand

why you're getting so upset, Ivan.

I'm not saying that this proposal

is perfect.

If everybody objects to it,

I'm not going to insist.

My father bought this estate

at three quarters of its value, Alexander.

He was only able to do that because

I renounced my share of it for Anna.

Because I loved her.

I loved her so much.

And then I worked.

I worked like an ox for years,

and I re-paid all the debt that my father

accrued when he bought the estate.

The only reason that this estate is debt-free

is because I worked so hard.

I've managed this place

for twenty-five years,

and all that time...

...I paid you rent.

Like some kind of steward.

And in that time...

...you have never once thanked me.

No matter how tight our margins were,

and they were tight,

I have never failed to send you the rent.

Ivan, how was I supposed to know

anything about anything like rents or leases?

I'm not a particularly practical man.

I've just... I've just... I've just told you...

I've just said that.

You could've knocked some of the rent off.

You could've given yourself

anything you wanted.

I wouldn't have even noticed.

Oh! So, you're saying

I should've stolen from you?

Is that what you're saying?

"Oh! Oh! Poor, stupid Ivan!

"If only he'd stolen a bit more from me,

"he wouldn't be the...

the decrepit, f*cking beggar that he is today!"

Ivan! No!

For twenty-five years,

I have been stuck inside this place,

like a f*cking mole,

with my deranged mother.

All I ever thought about was you.

All day, every day,

all I ever talked about was you!

And at night, every night,

I watched your films.

My God, how I f*cking hate your films!

To me, honestly, you were God.

Like a... a...

Like a creature from a higher order.

I knew your films by heart.

I knew every scene.

I knew every line.

I still know every f*cking line.

But now, I see the truth.

You call yourself an artist, Alexander!

Your work is worth

abso-f*cking-lutely nothing!

Nothing! It's over! You're a fraud!

You've always been a fraud,

and you will always be a fraud.

No! Don't you f*cking move!

I haven't finished.

You ruined my life.

I haven't lived.

I haven't.

I wasted my life.

I wasted... I wasted it!

I wasted away.

The things that I could've done...

And I just didn't!

I'm talented.

I'm talented.

I'm intelligent.

I'm, I'm, I'm... I'm... brave!

If I'd lived the life I could've lived,

I could've been a... a... a... a Bresson!

I could've been...

...a, a, a... Sorry!

Oh! An Ozu!

Oh, sh*t!

I don't know what I'm saying, Mum!

Mum!

Mum, what should I do?

What you should do, young man,

is listen to Alexander. Shut up!

No, I know what I'm gonna do.

You won't forget me.

He is deranged.

He is deranged.

He is out of his mind.

He needs to leave here,

and he needs to leave here now!

He is a nothing.

That boy is a f*cking nothing!

Daddy, no!

Daddy, you just need to be kind.

You just need to explain to him...

Oh, God! Ivan!

Ivan, no, no! Ivan!

Ivan, put the g*n down.

Shut up, Helena. Shut up!

Where is he?

There he is. There he is.

There he is.

There he is.

Oh, Jesus!

Oh, Jesus! f*ck!

Oh, f*ck!

Oh, Jesus! f*ck!

Oh, f*ck!

Oh, my! f*ck!

Oh, Jesus! f*ck!

Oh, f*ck!

Oh, Jesus! f*ck!

You stupid f*ck! You stupid f*ck!

f*ck! f*ck! f*ck!

f*ck!

I f*cking missed!

If you go away

On this summer's day

Then you might as well

Take the sun away

All the birds that flew

In the summer sky

When our love was new

And our hearts were high

And the days were young

And the nights were long

And the moon stood still

For the night birds' song

If you go away

If you go away

If you

Go away

But if you stay

I'll make you a day

Like no day's been

Or will be again

We'll sail on the sun

We'll ride on the rain

We'll talk to the trees

And worship the wind

And if you go

I'll understand

Leave me just enough love

To hold in my hand

If you go away

As I know you must

There'll be nothing left

in this world to trust

Just an empty room

You wanna hurry up, Maureen!

They'll be giving us a shout

to say goodbye any minute.

I'm nearly done, Liam.

I'm nearly done.

Just need to get some air in here.

Throw some light on the situation.

Jesus!

They're going to Lille, Maureen.

They're going to live in Lille.

They got themselves into a right pickle.

Helena said, "I will not live here

a second longer.

"We're going to Lille.

"We're going to live in Lille."

I've no idea why she was

so insistent on Lille.

Well, it's for the best.

Anyway, Liam...

It's a disgrace is what it is.

Absolute disgrace! g*ns!

Now, g*ns!

Awful!

It's ironic, really,

when you think about it, Maureen,

cos it was like something out of a film.

Well, not a film I'd like to watch.

Well, things will go back to normal

now anyway.

Lunch is at one.

Breakfast is at eight.

And you'll get your dinner

at six o'clock, Liam.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah.

Maureen...

I was walking

through the village this morning.

And the fella from the newsagent

was outside his shop, and he saw me,

and he shouted after me,

"Is that you on your way

to your Sonia's, is it, Crater?

"You've got yourself your own personal

little food bank there, haven't you?"

It was extremely hurtful.

Come on!

Come on!

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!

OK!

Where have you been all this time, huh?

Michael, can you just leave me...

Oh, my God!

Liam. Maureen.

Can everybody just leave me alone

for a little while?

I can't stand all this being...

this being watched over!

Sorry, Ivan. Sorry! Right you are!

We're on our way.

Thank you.

You, Ivan,

are a silly little sausage!

Did you hear me, Vanya?

You're a silly little sausage.

Michael, I told you to go, too,

and I meant it.

I'm not going anywhere, Ivan,

until you give me back what you took from me.

I haven't taken anything from you.

OK. I'm just gonna be patient

for two more minutes,

and then I'm just gonna use violence.

- Fine.

- Fine.

- Good.

- Good.

I made such an idiot

out of myself.

I shot him.

Twice.

And I missed him.

Twice.

I am never gonna be able

to forgive myself for that.

It's funny when you think about it.

I'm an attempted m*rder*r.

But nobody seems to be doing

anything about it.

They've not called the police,

they've not had me arrested,

which means that they must think

that I'm mad!

Ha! I'm the mad one!

I'm the mad one!

And I saw what you did with her,

Michael.

I know what you did, Ivan.

I'm so ashamed.

If you had the slightest idea...

...how ashamed I feel.

Could you imagine if it was possible...

...to completely change

the way you live your life?

To look at your life and ask yourself

what you would do if it had ended?

Your old life, it's over!

And then take what's left

of your real life...

...and live it properly.

How do I do that?

Where do I start?

This is distraction, Ivan.

You're just distracting me.

Give me back what you took.

I haven't taken

anything from you, Michael.

You took a bottle

of morphine from my case.

Look, Ivan...

If you're determined to k*ll yourself,

then go out into the forest

and sh**t yourself in the face.

But give me back the morphine,

or they'll say I gave it to you.

I don't need those rumours.

Sonia.

Your Uncle Ivan has taken a bottle

of morphine from my medicine case,

and he won't give it back.

That's not true.

Is it?

That's not true.

You've got to stop doing this to us now,

Uncle Ivan.

Give it back.

You are such a good person.

Don't do this to me, Uncle Ivan.

Oh, my God!

OK, Sonia, Sonia, OK, OK! Sonia!

Sonia! There. Sonia, there!

Oh, my God! I can't believe it!

I just got to go back to work now,

Sonia.

Soon.

Or I don't know... I don't know...

I don't know...

I don't know what I'm gonna do.

Ivan!

Oh, no, no, no, no, no!

No, no, no!

No, Helena, not now! Not now!

No, Ivan, Alexander wants

to speak with you before we leave.

He wants to talk with you, he does!

No, no, no, no, no!

Come on, Uncle Ivan.

I'll go with you! I'll go with you!

No!

Come on, you and Daddy

have to make friends in the end.

Come on, I have you.

Come on!

Oh, my God!

I'm leaving, Michael.

Already?

Yeah.

All packed.

Right.

Right.

Goodbye, Helena.

Bye-bye!

Did you get scared, did you?

I want to say something to you

before I leave.

I want you to respect me.

I want you to respect me

more than you do.

I want you to respect who I am

and what I want

and the decision that I've made.

Just stay with me.

Please.

No.

Just stay.

Please.

- I'm tired.

- Stay!

- Just stay.

- No, no, no...

Just stay!

Oh! Oh!

Oh, no, no, no, no! No!

I wish you so much luck.

OK.

Oh, for once in my life!

Someone's coming.

Someone's coming.

Someone's coming.

And so it ends.

All right!

I want to make a film

about all this!

A film about how one should live a life!

Ivan, thank you for your apology!

I can only hope you can find it in your heart

to accept mine.

Don't worry, Alexander,

everything will go back to the way it was.

I'll keep sending you the rent.

Well, thank you, Ivan.

Well, goodbye, Elizabeth.

Alexander,

do you remember the photographs

I took of you and Anna at her piano?

Could you send them back to me, please?

Certainly, Elizabeth.

Thank you.

Goodbye, Alexander The Great!

Please don't forget us!

Goodbye, Liam.

Of course not.

And goodbye, Elizabeth.

And... And...

And goodbye, everyone.

Thank you all so much

for your company.

I admire you all so much.

But before I go,

let me say one thing.

Do the things

you most urgently need to get done.

People should always do the things

they most urgently need...

...to get done.

What the f*ck does it even mean?

Goodbye, Ivan.

Oh, goodbye, Helena.

What, you're not gonna come out

and wave me off?

No.

No, I can't.

The others will.

Uh, I just... I can't.

OK.

Goodbye, Ivan.

Bye, Helena.

She's gone!

They're gone!

Thank...

...God.

They're gone.

I hope their journey's OK.

Come on, Uncle Ivan,

let's get some of this done now, shall we?

Back to work.

You OK, Michael?

Yeah, I should get going, too.

The sound here...

Silence.

I don't want to go.

Well, when will we see you again,

Michael?

I don't know, Sonia.

You've not had your tea,

Michael.

I don't really feel like tea,

Maureen.

Well, maybe you could have

a 'drink' drink?

Yeah.

Yeah, maybe just the one.

Well, uh... thank you all so much

for looking after me and being so lovely to me.

Um...

I wish you all so much love.

And luck and, uh...

And all... all good things.

Don't see me out.

He's gone.

Oh, Jesus!

Oh, Jesus!

What can we do?

We've got to live.

We've got to keep on living,

Uncle Ivan.

We'll live through these endless,

endless days.

And these endless, endless nights.

We'll take whatever life throws at us.

We'll work.

We'll do what needs to be done,

and we'll do it for ourselves

and for other people,

and we'll do that now,

and we'll keep on doing it until we're old.

And when it's our time...

...we'll die.

And then...

...only then,

in those last minutes...

...we'll see our lives,

and we'll see what they were for.

We'll see that our lives hurt

and that we cried and that it was so hard.

But it was in our nature.

Everything has its nature.

And our nature...

...is to try...

...and to never stop trying.

And in those last minutes,

we'll see that our lives are beautiful...

...and dignified.

And it will fill our hearts.

And we'll look back

at how unhappy we are now.

We'll smile, we'll laugh...

I believe that.

I believe that with all my heart.

We'll understand.

We'll see the whole sky full of diamonds.

And we'll see all our pain

and all the horrors of this world

just dissolving...

...in the grace of the Universe.

And we'll understand

that our lives are quiet...

...and gentle...

...sweet as a touch.

I believe that.

I bel... I believe it.

So much, I believe it.

You're crying... you're crying.

You've not had a happy life.

But just wait, just wait!

Just hold on!

Hold on for a little while longer.

Just wait!

We'll understand.

We'll understand.