BBC Play of the Month (1965–1983): Season 6, Episode 3 - Uncle Vanya - full transcript

Here. Drink It, my dear.

I don't mud! feel llke It.

Perhaps you'd “kc a drop of vodka.

NO.

- I don't drink vodka every day.
- Oh.

It's too dose, anyway.

By the way, Nanny,
how many years have we known each other?

How many? Oh, Lord, help my memory.

You came to llve round here...
Now, when was It?

Sonldlka's mother was still living then.

It was two winters before she dled.



That means
that at least 11 years must have gone by.

Oh, maybe more.

- Have I changed a lot?
- Yes, a lot.

You were young and handsome then.
Now you look so mud! older.

And there's another thlng, too.
You take a drop of vodka new and agaln.

Yes.

In ten years I've become a different man,
and why?

I've been working too hard, Nanny.

I'm on my feet from momlng tlll night.
I don't have any peace.

At nights, as I lle under my blankets,
I am afraid of belng dragged out to a patient.

All. the tlme we've known each other, I've never
had a free day. How could I help looking older?

And besides, the llfe Itself ls tedious, stupid.

And squalid. It drags you down.

What a huge moustache I've grown!



A sllly moustadue.

I've become an eccentric, Nanny.

I haven't grown stupid yet, thank God.
My brains are still. functioning.

But my feelings are dulL I don't wish
for anything, I don't need anything.

I don't love anybody.

Except you, perhaps. Yes, I am fond of you.

I used to have a nanny llke you
when I was a dllld.

Would you llke something to eat?

NO.

In the first week of Lent I went to Malltskol
because of the epidemic.

SW59'! typhus.

In the houses, you couldn't move
for slck people. Dlrt, stendl, smoke everywhere.

And calves mlxed up with the slck on the floor.
Young plgs, as well.

Huh! I struggled with It all day,
not a moment to slt down and eat.

Would they let me rest when I came home? No.

They brought me a signalman
from the ralllvay.

I lald hlm out on the table to operate and
he went and dled on me under the dflomfonn.

Just when I least wanted It,
my feelings seemed to wake up agaln.

My consdenoe began to trouble me
as though I'd killed hlm deliberately.

I sat down and I dosed my eyes.

Llke this.

I began to thlnk whether the people
who come after us In a hundred years' tlme,

the people for whom we are new
blazing a trall,

will. they remember us,
will. they speak klndLy of us?

No, Nanny, they won't.

If people won't remember, God wllL

Yes. Thank you.

You put It well.

Yes.

Yes.

(Clears throat)

- (Yawns)
- Had a good sleep?

Yes.

Very.

Slnce the Pmfessor and hls consort
came to llve here,

our routine has been turned upside down.

I sleep at the wrong time.

I eat the wrong klnds of food for lundl and
dinner, I drink wlne. It's all bad for my health.

Before, I never had a moment.
Sonla and I used to work llke Trojans.

Now, only Sonla works,
and I do nothing but eat, sleep and drink.

It's a bad business.

Such goings-on!

The Professor gets up at midday,
but the samovar ls kept bolUng all. momlng.

We used to have dinner soon after twelve,
llke everybody else.

New that they are here,
we have It after slx In the evening.

The Pmfessor spends the night
reading and writing,

and then suddenly, after one o'clock,
the bell rlngs. My goodness, what ls It?

He wants some tea. Sud! goings-on!

Are they going to stay here mud! longer?

(Whistles)

A hundred years.

The Professor's dedded to settle here.

It's the same now. The samovar's been bolUng
for two hours and they've gone for a walk.

They're coming, they're coming. Don't fuss.

BeauHfuL Beautiful, wonderful scenery.

Yes, yes, the vlews are remarkable.

Tomorrow we'll. go to the plantation, Papa.
Would you Uke to?

(Vanya) Tea's ready.

Now, my friends, would you be good enough
to send my tea to my study?

I have something more I must do today.

I am sure you will. Uke It at the plantation.

It ls hot. Stlfllng.

But our great man of leamlng
ls wearing hls overcoat and galoshes,

and carrying hls umbrella and gloves.

He's obviously taking good care of himself.

But how lovely she ls.

Lovely!

I've never seen a more beautiful woman.

You know, Marina Tlmofeevna,

whether I'm driving through the fields
or taking a walk In the shady garden,

or even just looking at this table,

I feel inexpressibly happy.

Weather's marvelous, blrds are singing,

and we all. Uve here In peace and harmony.

What more could we need?

Thank you kindly.

Her eyes.

Exquisite woman.

Tell me something, Ivan Petrovldu.

What do you want me to tell you?

Uh...

Isn't there anything new?

Nothing at alL Everything3 old.

I'm just the same as I was.
A little worse, perhaps, because I've gmwn lazy.

I don't do anything. I just grumble.

As for Maman, she still babbles on
about the emandpaflon of women.

Wlth one eye she looks Into her grave,

and with the other she searches
her learned books for the dawn of a new llfe.

And the Professor?

And the Professor! Slts In hls study,
writing from momlng tlll. dead of nlght.

Wlth furmwed brows and thought Intense,

we write and write our works Immense.

But no praise ever comes our way,

for what we are or what we say.

Poor paper. It would be better
If he wrote hls autobiography.

What a superb subject!

A retired professor, don't you know?
A sort of scholarly drled fish!

Afflicted with gout, rheumatism, migraine.

Hls llver swollen with jealousy and envy.

Thls drled fish
Uves on hls first wife's country estate.

Llves there against hls will,
because he can't afford to llve In town.

He is constantly complaining
about his misfortunes,

although, as a matter of fact,
he has been extraordinarily lucky.

Just thlnk how lucky.

The son of a common sexton,

he somehow manages to get university
quaUflcatlons, and a professorship.

Later, he becomes... 'Your Excellency'.

And the son-In-law of a senator,
and so on and so forth.

However, that ls not the maln polnt.
just consider this.

The man has been writing and lecturing
about art for exactly 25 years,

and yet he understands
nothing whatever about It

For 25 years
he has been dlewlng over other men's Ideas

on realism, naturalism,
and all that sort of nonsense.

For Z years he has been writing on things
which Intelligent people knew all the tlme

and stupid people weren't Interested In.

So In fact,
for 25 years he's just been wasting time.

And yet, what an opinion he has of himself.
And what pretensions!

New he's retired,
and not a living soul knows anything about hlm.

He ls absolutely unknown.

So for 25 years, all that he has done
ls to keep a better man out of a job.

But just look at hlm.
He struts about llke a little tln god.

Come, new. I believe you envy hlm.

Yes. I do envy hlm.

And what a success with women.

No Don juan ever had success
so complete as hls.

My sister, hls first wife,

a beautiful, gentle creature,

as pure as that blue sky,

generous and noble-hearted,

with more admirers than he's ever had pupils,

loved hlm as only pure-hearted angels
can love those who are...

pure and beautiful as themselves.

My mother still adores hlm.
He still inspires In her a feeling of reverent awe.

Hls second wife, you've just seen her,
Intelligent, beautiful,

she married hlm
when he was already an old man.

She gave hlm her youth, beauty, freedom.
Whatever for? Why?

- Is she faithful to the Pmfessor?
- She ls, I am sorry to say.

- Why should you be sorry?
- Because loyalty of that sort ls false.

There's plenty of rhetoric In It, but no loglc.

To be unfalthfulto an old husband
whom she couldn't bear would be lmmoraL

But to bottle up all that youth and vltallty,

her capacity h feeL

That, I suppose, would not be lmmoraL

Vanya, I don't llke It
when you say things llke that.

Come, really, anyone who would betray
a wife or a husband ls an unreliable person,

- who mlght betray thelr own country, too.
- Oh, dry up, Waffles!

Forgive me, Vanya, but my wife
ran away from me with a man that she loved,

the day after our wedding,
on account of my unprepossessing appearance.

But I've never failed In my duty towards her.

I still love her. I am falthfulto her.

I help her as mud! as I can,
and I've glven all I possess

to educating the children she had
by the man that she loved.

I have lost my happiness,
but I have still kept my pride.

And she, her youth has gone, her beauty
has faded, as nature ordains that It must,

and the man that she loved has dled.

What has she got um

Nanny? Some peasants have come.
Please go and talk to them.

I'll look after the tea.

You know I have come to see your husband.

You wrote and told me that he was very IU.
Rheumatism or something.

I find he ls perfectly well.

Last night, he was depressed
and complained of palns In hls legs.

But today he's all right

And I've galloped 20 mlles
at breakneck speed.

Well, never mlnd. It's not the first tlme.

At least I can stay the nlght and sleep.
Quantum satls.

That's splendid.
It's so rare for you to stay the nlght.

- I don't suppose you've had dinner.
- I haven't.

Then you'll dlne with us.
We have dinner soon after slx nowadays.

The tea's cold.

Oh, the temperature In the samovar
has Indeed perueptlbly fallen.

Never mlnd, Ivan lvanovldl,
we'll drink It cold.

Excuse me, but my name ls not Ivan lvanovldu.
It's llya ll.yldl.

Il.ya ll.yldl Telyeghln,

Or as some people call. me,
on account of my pockmarked face...

Waffles.

I am Sonldlka's godfather.

And Hls Excellency, your husband,
knows me very well.

I am new living here on your estate.

You may have been so klnd as to remember
that I have dinner with you every day.

Ilya llyld! ls our helper, our right-hand man.

Let me glve you some more tea,
godfather, dear.

- Oh!
- What's the matter, Grandmama?

I forgot to tell Alexandr.
I'm losing my memory.

I had a letter today from Pavel Alexevld!
from Kharkoff. He sent us hls new pamphlets.

- Interesting?
- It's Interesting, but somehow strange.

He's attacking the very thlng he was maintaining
seven years ago. It's dreadful

There's nothing dreadful In that.
Drink your tea, Maman.

- But I want to talk.
- We've been talking.

And talking and reading pamphlets for 50 years.

It's time to stop.

For some reason,
you don't llke listening when I talk.

Forgive my saying so, jean,

but you have changed so much this last year
or so, I positively don't recognize you.

You used to be a man of pflndples,
a man of elevating Ideas.

Oh, yes. I used to be a man of elevating Ideas,
who never elevated anyone.

You could hardly have made
a more wounding joke. I am 47 now.

Up to a year ago,
I tried to pull the wool over my eyes,

just as you do with all that pedantic rubbish,
so that I shouldn't see the realities of llfe.

And I thought I was dolng the right thlng.

Now I lle awake at nlght
In sheer vexation and anger,

so stupidly wasting the time not doing
the things for whid! I am now too old.

Uncle Vanya, this ls boring.

You seem to be blaming
your former prlndples.

It ls not they, but you who are to blame.

Pflndples are nothing In themselves.
just empty phrases.

You ought to have been working.

Working?

It Isn't everyone who's capable of belng
a writing machine Uke your Herr Professor.

- What do you mean by that?
- Grandmama, Uncle Vanya, please!

I'll be qulet. I'll hold my tongue.

And apologize.

What a lovely day.

Not too hot, either.

Lovely day...to hang oneself.

Chock, chock, chock, chock'.!

Nanny, what did the peasants want?

The same as before.
They're still going on about the waste plan.

- Chock, dlook, dlook!
- Whld! ls It you're calling?

The speckled one. She's gone off somewhere
with her dllcks. The crows may get them.

(Polka on guitar)

- ls the Doctor here?
- Yes.

- They've come for you, please.
- Where from?

From the sawmllL

Oh, many thanks.

Well, I'd better be going.

- Oh, hang It, what a nuisance.
- It really ls annoying.

- Come back to dinner afterwards.
- No, It will. be too late. Would that I could!

"Y 900d fellow!

You mlght get me a glass of vodka
or something.

Yes, Doctor.

Would that I could. Would that I could.

Hmm.

In a play by Ostrovsky, there's a man
with a blg moustadue but very little braln.

That's me.

If you ever cared to look me up,
with Sonla here, I'd be so pleased.

I have a small estate,
about 9O acres altogether.

But If you're Interested,
there's an orchard and nursery gardens,

such as you won't find
for hundreds of mlles around.

Next to my place
there's a government plantation,

and the forester there ls old and ls often ll],
so In fact, I'm In drarge of everything.

Yes, I've been told
you're very fond of forestry.

One can do a lot of good that way,

but doesn't It Interfere with your real vocation?
You're a doctor.

- Only God knows what our real vocation ls.
- Is It Interesting?

- Yes, It ls Interesting work.
- It must be.

You're still a young man.
You don't look more than 36...or 37.

Why, you cannot find It
as Interesting as you say.

Nothing but trees and trees.

- I should thlnk It must be monotonous.
- No, It's extremely Interesting.

The Doctor plants new trees every year.
And he's already been awarded a bronze medaL

And a diploma. He does hls best
to stop the old forests belng lald waste.

If you listen to hlm,
you'll agree with hlm entirely.

He says that forests
add beauty to the countryside,

and make a harsh dlmate milder.

In countries with a mlld dlmate, people
are less exhausted by the struggle with nature.

And so man ls gentler,
and more capable of tender feeling.

In sud! countries,
people are beautiful and sensitive.

Thelr speed! ls elegant,
thelr movements graceful

Sdence and the arts flourish among them.

Thelr philosophy ls cheerful,

and there ls refinement and courtesy
In thelr attitude towards women.

(Clapping) Bravo! Bravo!

All this ls very drannlng. However,
It doesn't convince me, so, my friend,

you must permit me to go on bumlng logs
In my stove and bulldlng my barns with wood.

You couldn't burn turf In your stove
and bulld your barns of stone?

Well? I would let you cut wood when
you really needed It Why destroy the forest?

The Russian forests are groaning under the ax,
and mlll.lons of trees are belng destroyed.

The homes of blrds and animals
are belng lald waste.

Rivers are drying,
wonderful scenery is disappearing,

and all this just because people
are too lazy and stupid

to stoop and plck fuel from the ground.

Isn't that so, madam?

Anyone who can burn up all that beauty
In a stove,

and destroy something that we cannot create,
must be a thoughtless barbarian.

Man ls endowed with reason and creative power
to Increase what has been glven hlm,

but so far, he's been a destroyer,
not a creator.

I can see your ironic expression, and I expect
what I say doesn't seem at all serious,

but to you, justmcranklness.

But all. the same, when I walk by the peasants'
wood, which I saved from belng cut down,

or when I hear the rustling of young trees
whld! I planted with my own hands,

I know that the d.lmate ls,
to some extent, In my power too,

and that If mankind ls happy
In a thousand years' time,

I'll have been responsible for a little of It.

And when I plant a young blnch tree and I watch
it gmwlng green and swaying In the wlnd,

my heart fllls with pride and I...

Ah, well, It ls time for me to go.

After all, I probably am just a crank.

Allow me to take my leave.

When are you coming to see us, then?

- Oh, I don't know.
- Not for a month, agaln?

You have been behaving impossibly agaln,
Vanya.

Did you have to irritate your mother
with your talk about writing madflnes?

Today at lunch,
you argued with Alexandr agaln.

- Oh, how petty It ls.
- But If I detest hlm...

There's nothing you can detest Alexandr for.
He's just llke anyone else.

He's no worse than you are.

No, If only you could see yourself.

As though Uvlng were such an effort for you.
Oh, such an effort!

Oh, sud! an effort! I'm sud! a bore.

Everybody blames my husband.
They all look at me with...compassion.

An unfortunate woman.
She's got an old husband.

Thls sympathy for me,
don't thlnk I don't understand It.

As Astmv sald just now,

you senselessly destroy the forests
and soon there'll be nothing left on earth.

In the same way,
you senselessly ruln human beings,

and soon, thanks to you,

there'll. be no loyalty,

no Integrity,
no capadty for self-sacrifice left.

Why can't you look at a woman with Indifference
unless she's yours?

Because that doctor ls right

There's a devll of destruction
In every one of you.

You'll spare neither wood nor blrds
nor women.

Nor one another.

I don't llke this moralizing.

That doctor has a tired, sensitive face.

An Interesting face.

Sonla ls obviously attracted by hlm.

She's In love with hlm.

I can understand her feelings.

He's visited this house
three tlmes slnoe I've been here.

But I'm shy.
I've never once had a proper talk with hlm.

Or been nlce to hlm.

He must have thought me bad tempered.

Perhaps, Vanya, you and I are sud! good friends

because we're both
sud! tiresome and boring people.

Tiresome.

Don't look at me llke that. I don't llke It

How else can I look at you, If I love you?

You are my happiness, my Ufe, my Youth-

Oh, I know the duances of you
retumlng my feelings are negllglble, nlL

But... I don't want anything.

Only let me look at you and hear your voloe.

Hush, they might hear you.

Don't drive me away.
Let me talk of my love for you.

That In Itself
would glve me sud! great happiness.

Thls ls torture.

(Thunderclap)

Who's that? Sonla, Is that you?

- It's me.
- Oh, you, Nanoshka. Thls paln ls unbearable.

Your rug's fallen on the floor.

- Oh, I'll shut the window, Alexandr.
- No, no, no, I'm suffocated.

I dropped off just now and I dreamt
my left leg didn't belong to me,

and I was woken up
by the most agonizing paln.

No, It's not gout.

It's more llke rheumatism.

What time ls It now?

It's twenty minutes past twelve.

You mlght look up Batlushkov In the library
In the momlng.

- I believe we have hls works.
- What?

Look up Batlushkov In the momlng.
I seem to remember we had hlm.

Oh, why ls It so dlfflcult for me to breathe?

You're tlred.
Thls ls the second nlght you haven't slept.

They say Turgenev got angina pectofls
from gout I'm afraid I mlght get It

Oh, this damnable, disgusting old age,
devil take it!

Slnce I've got old,
I've become repulsive even to myself.

You must find It repulsive to look at me.
Every one of you.

You talk of your old age
as though we're all to blame for It.

You are the first to find me repulsive.

(Chuckles) You're right, of course.
I'm not a fool, I understand.

You're young, healthy, good-looking.
You want to llve.

Whereas I'm an old man,
almost a corpse.

Do you thlnk I don't understand?

Well, of course It's stupid of me
to go on living.

But Walt a little, I'll soon set you free.
I won't linger on mud! longer.

- I'm worn out. For God's sake, be qulet.
- Of course. Everyone's worn out. Bored.

Wasting thelr youth, thanks to me.

I'm the only one
that's content and enjoying llfe, yes.

Oh, do be qulet. You're exhausting me.

- Everyone's exhausted. Of course.
- Thls ls Intolerable!

What ls It that you want from me?

Nothing at alL

Be qulet, then. Please.

It's a strange business.

Whenever Ivan Petrovld! starts talking, or that
old ldlot, Maryla Vaslllevna, everyone listens.

I only have to say a single word
and everyone begins to feel miserable.

Even my volce disgusts them.

Well, I suppose I am disgusting.

An egoist, a despot.

But haven't I a right to be selflsh
In my old age? Haven't I deserved It?

I ask you, haven't I a right to a qulet old age?
To a little personal attention?

No one ls disputing your rights.

Oh, the wind's got up.

I'll shut the window, Alexandr.

It's going to raln presently.

No one ls disputing your rights.

(Watchmafis rattle dacklng)

(Thunderclap)

(Vanya) My dear Astmv, please forgive me,
you are qulte wrong.

(Astrov) The polnt ls academic and fruitless.

(Alexandr) After devoting all my llfe
to leamlng, having gmwn used to my study,

my lecture room, to esteemed colleagues,

to flnd myself suddenly,
for no reason at all, In this crypt,

having to meet stupid people every day,
having to listen to thelr tflvlal conversation.

I want Ufe, success, fame, controversy.

Here I feel llke an exlle.

Spending every minute regretting the past,
watching others succeed.

Fearing death. It's more than I can bear.

Have patience.
In flve or slx years, I shall be old too.

Papa, you told us to send for Dr. Astmv,
and new he's come, you refuse to see hlm.

It's discourteous.
We've troubled hlm for nothing.

What do I need your Astmv for?

He knows as mud! about medldne
as astronomy.

We can't send for the whole medical faculty
to attend to your gout.

- Well, I won't even speak to that crank.
- just as you please.

It's all the same to me.

(Thunderclap)

(Yawns) What time ls It now?

Nearb/ one o'clock.

As I'm suffocating, Sonla,
hand me my drops from the table.

Just a moment.

No, no, no, no, not those.

- Oh, It's no use asking for anything.
- Please don't be peevish.

Some people may llke It, but do spare me,
for goodness' sake. I don't llke It.

And I haven't the time.

I must get up early tomormw
to see to the hay making.

There's a stonn coming.

There. Dld you see?

Sonla and Helena, go to bed.

I have come to take your place.

Oh, no. No, no, no, don't leave me with him.
He'll kill me with his talking.

But they need the rest.
They haven't slept for two nights.

Then let them go to bed. You go, too.
I'd be so grateful, I beseech you.

For the sake of our past friendship, don't argue.
We'lL.. We'll talk later on.

- Friendship! Past!
- Be qulet, Uncle Vanya.

My dear, don't leave me with hlm.

He'll klll me with hls talking.

Thls ls becoming ridiculous.

You ought to go to bed, Nanny. It's late.

The samovar hasn't been cleared away.
I can't very well go to bed.

Of course, everyone': awake,
everyone's worn out.

I'm the only one enjoying myself.

(Thunderclap)

What ls It, my dear? Your paln agaln?

I've got a grumbling paln In my legs, too.

Sud! a paln.

Oh, It's that old trouble of yours.

Vera Vltrovna, Sonldlka's mother
used to get so worried about It,

she couldn't sleep of nights.

So fond of you, she was.

The old are just the same as the little ones.
They llke someone to plty them.

But nobody pities the old.

Come to bed, my dear.
Come, my darflng.

I'll glve you some llme flower tea
and wann your feet and say a prayer for you.

Let's go, Marina.

I've got a grumbling paln In my legs myself.

Sud! a grumble.

Vera Vltrovna used to get so worried.
She used to cry over you.

You were little then, Sonlduka.

You didn't understand.

Come along, slr.

Come along.

I'm qulte worn out with hlm.

I can hardly keep on my feet.

You with hlm, and I with myself.

I haven't slept for three nights.

There's something the matter
with this house.

Your mother hates everything
except her pamphlets and the Professor.

The Professor ls bad tempered.
He doesn't trust me and he's afraid of you.

Sonla ls Irritable with her father
and she's angry with me.

She hasn't spoken to me for a fortnight

You detest my husband
and you openly despise your mother.

I'm...on edge.

Well, I've been on the polnt of crying
20 tlmes today.

Oh, what ls the matter with this house?

Let's...stop this moralizing.

Oh, Vanya, you are Intelligent and cultured.

Surely you ought to realize
the worid ls belng destroyed,

not by fire and by pillage,

but by hatred. Envy.

Oh, and all this petty quanellng.

Now, your task should be to reoondle people,
not to complain.

Recondle me to myself first.

- Dearest
- Don't.

Go away.

(Thunderclap)

In a minute or two,

the raln will. be over,

and everything In nature refreshed and content.

Only I shall. not be refreshed by the storm.

Day and nlght, I am suffocated by the thought
that my llfe has been lrretflevably wasted.

I have no...past.

It has been stupidly flitted away on trifles.

And the present ls awful
In Its pointlessness.

What am I to do with my llfe?

My love for you?

Where do they belong?

My llfe has been wasted...

...llke a ray of sunlight falling down a well.

I am wasted, too.

When you speak to me of your love, I feel
qulte stupid and I don't know what to say.

Forgive me.

There ls nothing I can say to you.

- Good nlght.
- If only you knew...

"how I suffer when I thlnk that near to me,
In the same house, another llfe ls belng wasted.

Yours! What are you waiting for?

What damned philosophy ls holding you badCP

Understand. Do understand.

Ivan Petrovldl, you're drunk.

- Maybe, maybe.
- Where's the Doctor?

He ls...In there.
He ls staying the nlght with me.

- I may be. I may be.
- You've been drinking agaln today. What for?

It glves the llluslon of llfe.
Don't stop me, Helena.

You never used to drink.

You never used to talk so mud...

Oh, go to bed. You bore me.

- Dearest! You wonderful creature!
- Leave me alone!

Oh! Oh, this ls really hateful

Ten years ago,

I used to meet her at my sister's house.

She was...17.

And I was 37.

Why didn't I fall In love with her then
and ask her to many me?

I could have, so easily.

She'd have been my wife new.

(Thunderclap)

Yes.

And perhaps
we would have been awakened by the storm.

She would have been frightened.

I'd have held her In my arms,

and whispered, 'Don't be afraid.

'I am here.'

What a wonderful thought!

How enchanting!

It actually makes me laugh with happiness.

Oh, but my thoughts are In a tangle.

Why am I so old?
Why won't she understand me?

Her fine phrases, her sllly, fadle theories about
the ruln of the world. How hateful they are.

And how I've been cheated.

I used to love the Professor.

Crafty old lnvalld!

I worked llke an ox for hlm.

He was the breath of my llfe.

Everything he wrote or uttered
seemed to me inspired.

And now what?

Good God, he's settled down here and at last
you can see what hls Ufe really amounts to.

Not a page of hls writing will. survive hlm.
He ls unknown, a nonentity, a soap bubble.

And I've been cheated.

I see It now.

Stupidly cheated.

- Play.
- Everyone In the house has gone to bed.

_ Play!
- (Slghs) oh' fine

Are you alone here?

No ladies?

# Dance, my heart

# And dance, my fire

# The master's nowhere to retire

The storm woke me.

It was a nlce drop of raln.

- What time ls It?
- The devll knows.

I thought I heard Yellena's voloe.

She was In here a moment ago.

An exceptionally attractive woman.

# La loo, lee da

Ha, what a collection!

From Kharkoff,

Moscow.

From Tula.

He must have plagued every town In Russia
with hls gout.

Is he really Ill? Or just shamming?

He ls llL

Why are you so melandloly today?
Are you feeling sorry for the Professor'!

Leave me alone.

Maybe you're In love with the Professor's wife.

- She ls a friend.
- Already?

What do you mean by 'already'?

Well, a woman only becomes a man's friend
In three stages.

Flrst, she's an agreeable acquaintance.

Then she's a mistress,
and then only after that a friend.

That ls a vulgar theory.

What? Well, yes, I know.

I must confess I am becoming pretty vulgar,
you see.

I am drunk, too.

As a rule,
I only get drunk llke this once a month.

When I'm In this state,
I become extremely provocative and audadous.

Then there ls nothing I don't feel equal to.

I undertake the most dtfflcult operations
and I perform them beautifully.

I draw up the most far-reaching plans
for the future.

And at sud! tlmes,
I no longer thlnk of myself as a crank,

but I believe
I am dolng a tremendous job for mankind.

Tremendous.

And on these occasions too,
I have my own system of philosophy,

aooordlng to which, all. of you, my friends,

appear as lnslgnlflcant as Insects or microbes.

- Go on, Waffles.
- My dear friend, I'd do anything for you.

But do remember,
everyone In the house has gone to bed.

(Shouts) play!

- (Subdued tune)
- I tell you.

A drink would be nlce, eh?

Come along, eh?
I believe there's some brandy left.

Shall we go to my place when It's llghl?

Oh, excuse me. I haven't got my tle on.

Uncle Vanya,

you've been drinking agaln with the Doctor.

You're a fine pa“:.

It's not becoming at your age.

It has nothing to do with age.

When people have no real llfe,
they llve on llluslon.

Anyway, It's better than nothing.

The hay has been cut.

It ralns every day. Everything ls mttlng
and you are living on llluslons.

You've been utterly neglecting the estate.

I've had to work alone.
I'm qulte worn out.

Uncle, you have tears In your eyes.

Tears? Nonsense, It's nothing.

You looked at me then
just as your dear mother used to.

My dear dllld.

My sister.

My dear sister.

Where Is she new, I wonder?

If she knew. If only she knew.

What, Uncle? Knew what?

Useless.

PalnfuL

Enn... Nothing later. I...

I'll go.

(Thunderclap)

Doctor? You're not asleep, are you?

- No.
- One minute.

1115! coming.

What can I do for you?

Drink yourself, if you don't flnd it disgusting,
but don't let my uncle drink, I implore you.

It's bad for hlm.

Very well, we won't drink any more.

That's settled. I'll go home now.

It'll. be Ught by the time the horses are ready.

- It's still. raining. Walt tlll. momlng.
- The storm ls passing.

We'll only have a few drops.

Please don't ask me to see your father agaln.

I tell hlm he has gout.
He tells me It's rheumatism.

Itellhlmtostayln bed
and he slts up In a dualr.

- Today he wouldn't even speak to me.
- Ssh!

Would you llke something to eat?

Well, Perhaps, yes.

I llke eating at night.

I believe there's something here.

They say he's had a great success
with women.

- Oh?
- He's been spoilt by them.

Have some cheese.

Ah! I haven't eaten anything all day.

Just drink.

Oh, your father ls dlfflcult.

May I?

There's no one here,
so I can speak frankly.

You know, I...
I don't thlnk I could last In this house a month.

The atmosphere would suffocate me. Your father
completely absorbed In hls gout and hls books,

and your Uncle Vanya with hls depression.

Your grandmother and your stepmother, too.

What about my stepmother'!

Well, everything about a human belng
ought to be beautlfuL

Soul, face, dnthes, thought.

She ls beautiful, there's no denying that,
but she does nothing.

She only eats, sleeps, goes for walks
and bewltdues us all with her beauty.

She has no responslbllltles.
Other people work for her.

Isn't that so?

An Idle llfe cannot be virtuous, hmm?

Well, perhaps I'm belng too severe.

I'm dlssatlsfled with llfe, llke your Uncle Vanya,
and so we are both tumlng Into old grumblers.

You're dlssatlsfled with llfe, then?

No, I love Ufe, as such, but...

"but our llfe, our everyday provlndal llfe
In Russia, I just can't endure.

I despise It with all my heart

As for my own Ufe,
God knows I can find nothing good In It at alL

You know, when you walk through a forest
on a dark nlght,

you see a small IJght gleaming In the distance.

You don't notice your tiredness nor the darkness
nor the brandies lashing you In the face.

I work harder than anyone In the district.
You know that.

Fate betters me continuously.
At times, I suffer unbearably.

For me, there ls no light In the distance.

I'm not expecting anything
for myself any more.

I don't love my fellow creatures.
I... I haven't cared for anyone for years.

- Not for anyone?
- No one.

I have a sort of fondness for your nurse,
for the sake of old tlmes.

But the peasants are all too allke,
undeveloped, living In squalor.

As for the educated people,
I can't get on with them. They the me.

Our good friends are shallow In thought,
shallow In feeling,

unable to see beyond their noses.
To put It bluntly, stupid.

The ones who are a bit more Intelligent are
hysterical, positively rotten with introspection.

They whine, they are full. of hatreds
and morbidly maUdous.

They sldle up to a man, stare at hlm
out of the corner of thelr eyes

and they pass thelr judgment.

'Oh, he's a gasbag,'
or 'Oh, he's not qulte right In the head.'

And they don't knew hew to label me.
They say, 'Oh, he's odd. He's very odd.'

I love forests. That's odd.
I don't eat meat. That's odd.

There's no direct, unprejudiced,
objective attitude In people or nature left.

No, there ls not.

No, I beg you, don't drink any more.

Why not?

It's so unlike you.

You have sud! dignity.

Your volce ls so soft.

More than that, you are beautiful
as no one else I know ls beautlfuL

So why do you want to be llke ordinary men
who drink and play cards?

Don't do It!

You always say that people don't create, but
merely destroy what nature has glven them.

They why? Why are you destroying yourself?

You mustn't. You mustn't.

I beseech you, I implore you.

- I won't drink any more.
- Glve me your word.

My word of honor.

Thank you.

Enough.
My head's dear, I am perfectly sober new.

And I shall remain sober
to the end of my days.

Ah.

Well, one must go on.

As I sald, my time ls over.
It's too late for me now.

I've worked myself to a standstlU.
I... I've aged.

I don't love anyone. I don't... I never shall new.

The only thlng that still affects me ls...beauty.

I can't remain Indifferent to that.

I believe that If Yellena Andreyevna wanted to,
she could turn my head In a day.

That's not love. That's not affection.

- What ls It?
- Nothing.

In the first day of Lent,
one of my patients dled under dflomfonn.

- Oh, you must forget about that.
- Yes.

Tell me, Mlduall Lvovldu,

If I had a friend, or a younger sister,

and If you got to know that she...

Well, suppose that she loved you.

What would you do?

I don't know.

Oh, probably nothing.

I'd tell her that I couldn't love her.

Besides, I've got too many other things
on my mlnd.

Well, If I'm going, I ought to start

Well, I'll say goodbye, my dear glrl,
or we'll be here unl-ll momlng.

I'll go through the drawing room, If I may.

Otherwise I'm afraid
your Uncle Vanya may keep me all night.

Good night.

(Dog barks

He sald nothing to me.

Hls soul and hls heart
are still shut off from me.

Then why do I feel so happy?

I told hlm,
'You have dignity and noblllty of mlnd.

'And sud! a soft voloe.'

Dld It sound out of place?

Hls volce vibrates and caresses.

I can almost feel It In the alr now.

When I sald that to hlm about a younger sister,
he didn't understand.

Oh, how dreadful It ls I'm not pretty.

I know I'm not. I know. I know.

Last Sunday, as people were coming
out of dlllfdl, I heard them talking about me.

And a woman sald...

'She's klnd and generous.

'But what a plty she ls so plaln.'

So plaln.

The stonn's over.

Mmm. Oh, the alr ls so fresh.

- Where's the Doctor?
- He's gone.

- Sonla.
- What?

How long are you going to go on
belng sulky with me?

We've done each other no harm,
so why should we be enemies?

Oh, let's make It up.

I've wanted to myself.
Oh, don't let's be cross any more.

Oh, no. No, that's better.

- Has Papa gone to bed?
- Oh, no.

He's In the drawing room.

- What's this?
- The Doctor's been having supper.

Oh, there's wlne, too!

- Oh, let's drink to our friendship.
- Yes, let's.

Out of the same glass, shall we?
Oh, It's better llke that.

There.

NO.

Ah, new we're real friends.

Friends.

I wanted to make It up for ever so long,
but I felt so ashamed.

Why if! you crying?

Never mlnd. There's no reason.

Oh, don't cry. No, there. No.

Oh, I'm a queer creature.

I'm crying, too.

You're angry with me because you thlnk
I married your father for the wrong reasons.

If It helps you, I'll swear.
I married hlm for love.

I was attracted to hlm as a learned man.

A celebrity. It wasn't real love.

But It did seem real to me at that moment.

I'm not to blame.

Ever slnoe our marriage,
you've been punishing me

with those shrewd, suspldous eyes of yours.

- Please, let's forget about It
- You mustn't look at people llke that

It doesn't sult you.
You should have trust In everyone.

Or your llfe becomes impossible.

Tell me, frankly.

As a friend.

Are you happy?

- No.
- I knew that.

One more quest-Jon.

Tell me, honestly,

wouldn't you have llked your husband
to be young?

God! What a dulld you are still!

Of course I should.

Oh, ask me some more questions.

Go on. Oh, do.

Do you llke the Doctor?

Yes. Yes, very mud...

He's gone, but I can still hear hls voloe.

And when I look at the dark window,
I can see hls face.

Do let me tell you.

But I mustn't speak so loudly.
I should feel ashamed.

We'll go to my room. We'll talk there.

Do I seem obsessed to you?

Oh, no.

- Tell me something about hlm.
- Oh, what shall I tell you?

He's so clever. He knows how to do things.
He can do anything.

He cures the slck and he plants forests, too.

It Isn't a quest-Jon of forests or medldne.
Oh, my dear, don't you understand?

He has a spark of genius.

Oh, and you know what that means.
Courage, freedom of mlnd, breadth of outlook.

He plants a tree,

and pictures what will. come of It
In a thousand years' time.

And he speculates
on the future happiness of mankind.

Oh, sud! people are rare,
and we must love them.

He... drinks. Sometimes he seems
a little coarse.

But what does that matter? A talented man
cannot stay unblemished In Russia.

Oh, just thlnk of the llfe
that this doctor leads.

The impassable mud on the roads.
Frosts, snow storms.

Vast distances.

Crude, pflmltlve people.

Poverty and disease all round hlm.

Oh! It's hard for a man
to keep pure and sober tlll. he's 40.

I wlsh you happiness with all my heart

You deserve It.

I am just a tiresome person
of no Importance.

In my music studies, in my home life
and all my romantic affairs.

In fact, In everything, I've always been
just a person of no Importance.

Really, Sonla, when you come to thlnk of It,

I'm a very, very unfortunate woman.

There's no happiness for me,

here on this earth.

_ (SOME laughs)
' whY do you laugh?

Oh, I am so happy. So happy!

I should llke to play something.
Oh, I should llke to play something now.

Do. Do play. I can't sleep.

Oh, no. No, In a minute.

Your father Isn't asleep.
When he's unwell, muslc irritates hlm.

Go and ask hlm.
If he doesn't mlnd, I'll play.

' We". go!
' I'm going.

It's a long time slnoe I've played the plano.

I shall play...

...and cry.

Cry llke a foolish glfl.

(Watchmafis rattle claps)

Is that you tapping, Ephlm?

- Yes, It's me.
- Don't tap. The master's not well.

Oh, I'm just going. Heel-a! Good dog.

Come, boy. Good dog.

(Hums)

We mustn't.

The Herr Professor
has gradously expressed the wlsh

that we should all assemble here
at one o'clock.

It ls now...a quarter to.

He desires to make some communication
with the world.

- It's probably some business matter.
- He does no business.

He just writes nonsense, grumbles
and ls jealous.

- Uncle!
- Oh, well. Ah!

I apologize.

Just look at her.

She can't even walk without staggering,
she's so lazy.

Wonderful! Wonderful!

And you drone on all day long.
Aren't you tired of It?

0h!

I'm dylng of boredom.

I don't know what to do.

Isn't there plenty to do If you wanted to?

No. What?

You could help run the estate.

Teach the children, help to look after the sld