Vanya on 42nd Street -- What Makes This Movie Great? (Episode 45)

It's a play within a movie! Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" comes alive and dazzles in this movie, directed by Louis Malle, with the play adapted by David Mamet and directed by Andre Gregory.

This is one of the greatest filmed plays ever. It's in fact a dress rehearsal of Uncle Vanya, performed in a rundown theater in New York City. The play stars Wallace Shawn, Julienne Moore, Larry Pine, and many others, all great.

What's this movie about? This video analyzes it, suggesting that it's partly about the play itself, partly about what the performance of the play is saying about Theatre in general, and partly about how movies interact with plays.

I can't recommend Vanya on 42nd Street enough, one of the most outstanding films I have ever seen, thanks to a host of greats involved: Chekhov, Mamet, Malle, and Gregory and Shawn.

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