The Last Station is a period piece drama aligning itself with the last days of Leo Tolstoy. Writer-director, Michael Hoffman, repeats history with another biographical history drama after Restoration, which also managed to catch the attention of the Academy. However, The Last Station was acknowledged for its performances rather than its art direction and costumes, which are simply beautiful, rather than lavish. The Last Station initially primed Oscar veterans Anthony Hopkins and Meryl Streep to take the roles of Leo and Sofya, however it was Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren, who eventually settled into the roles, doing enough to warrant Oscar nominations.

The Last Station is told from the perspective of Valentin, played by James McAvoy. He joins the Tolstoyan commune as something of a student, eager to meet Tolstoy and glean as much as he can from the grand master of Russian ideology and literature. Valentin is the audience’s inside man, who becomes something of an in-betweener… caught between the wishes of Leo, Sofya and Chertkov. Tolstoy is a ripe old age and the ownership of his works are in question. Will he bequeath his life works to his family or the state? Sofya’s take on Ophelia and Leo’s distant Hamlet create a frenzy of emotions as Tolstoy is whisked away to wait on his final words.

The plot could have easily been twisted to make The Last Station a thriller. However, it’s laden in drama – from Mirren’s drama queen theatrics to Plummer’s impatient tirades. James McAvoy and Kerry Condon form a secondary couple, who keep the romance rumbling along, counterbalancing the fragile state of affairs between Leo and Sofya. The commune environment is medieval-Amish for lack of a better description, as people ride horses and make use of their natural surroundings to forge ahead. The costumes are authentic and possibly too Russian and simple to draw much attention. This is one of the more pastoral period pieces to have come out of Hollywood in quite some time and it’s interesting to see how the ensemble deal with the accents.

The ensemble’s performances turn a fairly drab biographical drama into a spellbinding torrid of emotions. It has the sway of melodrama associated with Hoffman’s previous works and soaks up any excess with the story’s earthiness. This is not for everyone and you could even say its niche is only made accessible by the collective talent of its cast. Without Mirren, Plummer, McAvoy, Giamatti and Condon, The Last Station would be more of a last resort – digging up figures and literature associated with in-depth University level reading.

The Last Station gives its audience a taste of classic Russia and judging from the actual 1910 footage during the credits, the film succeeded in translating its characters onto film for a modern audience. It’s definitely one of the more ambitious period pieces out there, since its only real historical foothold for perceived entertainment value is its conclusion. The build-up establishes some truths about the time, the man and his colleagues… but its strictly art house.

The bottom line: Involving.

Screenplay with Spling
Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling
www.spling.co.za

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