By: debbie lynn elias
There is no question that Leo Tolstoy admired women. His works are not only replete with a multiplicity of discussions about women, but are often structured with the main characters being women who are not only embroiled in typically male-dominated situations, but expand the viewpoints on the female psyche in a more forward-thinking fashion. Currently in its 26th adaptation for film, this time directed by Joe Wright, written by Tom Stoppard and starring Keira Knightley, ANNA KARENINA, showcases just that.
While the primary focus of both the book and the film is on male-driven dynamics and Anna and her relationships with Vronsky and Karenin, the female characters of Dolly, Kitty and Betsy and their respective dynamics with Anna are a driving force of the story and the main character. On close examination, each is a slice of Anna herself and thanks to director Joe Wright’s visual design and story structure, we get to see each piece of the pie so to speak, go toe-to-toe with the sum of all the parts. Part of the unsung beauty and depth of the film, I had a chance to talk to Kiera Knightley on the subject and how she and actresses, Kelly MacDonald [Dolly], Alicia Vikander [Kitty] and Ruth Wilson [Princess Betsy], worked to achieve the emotional construct.
“Nobody else has picked up on that! I think the one with Kitty, I think [Anna] ends up despising her because of the purity and because of the possibility and because she was ‘that’ and she could have been ‘that’ and she wasn’t given the opportunities. I think there’s a part in the book, I’m sure you’ll remember, which isn’t in the film but I thought was a massive part of the character, the first and only time she actually meets Levin [Vronsky] in the film, she thinks ‘This is Kitty’s husband and I hate Kitty because Kitty detests me and I’m going to make that man fall in love with me.’ And she does. That’s a fucking terrifying thing, that’s a fucked up thing for somebody to do. So you have to look at that as being part of the character.
“Within how we work together, they’re wonderful girls. Kelly MacDonald is one of my favorite actresses of all time and I think her performances are just divine. So working with her was just a total dream come true. I’d watch anything that she does. I think she’s sensational. Ruth Wilson is a phenomenal actress and that was fun because it’s that bitchy relationship everybody I think has had, men and women. Those strange friendships that are kind of competitive and odd. That was fun doing that.
“[But] the Kitty one I think we softened a lot because it was very difficult. If you put that scene in, you never get sympathy for Anna back – I think in film. I think it would be really difficult. So we did play – there was an original scene version between [Anna] and Kitty at the beginning where you see her look at Kitty and see the younger woman and detest her for being the younger woman. We did actually all go, ‘I think we can’t quite take it that far.’ But I think that was definitely underneath everything.”
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