June 14, 2007
Christopher Plummer as Nabokov lecturing on Kafka
Via ghostman at Microscopically Fictitious:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Posted by Abbas Raza at 11:30 AM | Permalink
June 14, 2007Christopher Plummer as Nabokov lecturing on KafkaVia ghostman at Microscopically Fictitious:
Posted by Abbas Raza at 11:30 AM | Permalink |
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Comments
this seems to have derived from the earlier play put on in which the arguments between Edmund Wilson and Nabakov were dramatized by using their extensive correspondence. In he earliest productions of the play, Nabokov's son Dmitri play his father's part. Nabokov's lectureds are available in book form. Wilson, by contrast, a remarkable critic and writer was a terrible teacher in the classroom.
Posted by: fred lapides | Jun 14, 2007 12:26:17 PM
These are actually from a television special that aired in 1989, called either Nabokov on Kafka or Understanding the Metamorphosis, depending on whether you saw it on television or VHS.
Here's the IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192347/
I never saw Nabokov teach, of course, but Christopher Plummer plays him pretty convincingly in my book, although since Nabokov taught his classes nearly verbatim from the notes that would later become his published lectures (or so the story goes), Plummer's spontaneity is probably more artistic flair than true interpretation. But then a Nabokov look-alike reading from a notebook wouldn't be nearly as entertaining, now would it?
Posted by: ghostman | Jun 14, 2007 4:04:39 PM
Pretty entertaining I admit. Did Nabakov sound like Peter Sellers? Sorry--but doesn't he kinda sound like Inspector Clouseau in this?
Posted by: maniza | Jun 15, 2007 1:16:08 PM
Here's audio of Nabokov himself, being interviewed by the BBC in 1969.
Posted by: ghostman | Jun 15, 2007 4:25:00 PM
Wow! That was entertaining. Thanks.
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Jul 4, 2007 1:34:16 PM
Fine piece. Plummer is still sharp as a knife. I hope that one and all will forgive me if I point out the one thing that disturbed me about this. it was THAT BRIEFCASE. (!!!) That was a mistake of the set dresser. All the same, its incongruity stood out so much I had to look away and listen only, which is a fine way to absorb text-heavy or text-exclusive performances.
Hats off to Mr. Plummer!
Posted by: V.N. | Jul 5, 2007 11:56:25 PM
Nabokov would only respond to written questions from interviewers, and then only with his own written responses. Mossman must have convinced him to read those answers aloud...I bet it's inthe Bryan Boyd book.
But super cool link! 'War and Peace, a little long.' LMAO!
Posted by: cgb | Jul 6, 2007 3:07:47 AM
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