The Three Sisters (1970)

At the turn of the 20th century in a small Russian village, three sisters and a brother find themselves stifled by the dreary existence of country life and long to return to Moscow, their birthplace: Olga (Eileen Atkins) is an aging spinster who finds her options dwindling, Masha (Janet Suzman NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA) is married to a man (Richard Pearson) she doesn't love, Irina (Michele Dotrice) dreams that everything will be all right if she could only get to Moscow and Andrei (Anthony Hopkins) has intellectual aspirations. Based on the Anton Chekhov play, it covers five years in their life in which their dreams evaporate. Chekhov can be difficult to pull off because the ennui his characters feel can often infect the audience which is not a good thing. Its playing needs an amplified subtext which can pull its audience in rather than turning them off. Of course, compelling performances can compensate too. Fortunately, this filmed production is blessed with strong performances. The boredom of the privileged class may be hard to relate to but the actors are able to make them sympathetic. Directed by Cedric Messina. With Sarah Badel as the heartless Natasha, Michael Bryant, Ronald Hines, Donald Pickering and Joss Ackland, who overacts appallingly.