The Last Station gives an intimate portrayal of the last
days of Leo Tolstoy. Brilliant acting brings together a chaotic symphony of
competing human relational forces that strive to have their way with us all.
Leo Tolstoy was a man committed to ideas and to ideals. His wife of some 48
years is deeply attached to him and he to her but she does not share his same
commitment to his ideals. And indeed, he does not even share the same
commitment to his own ideals that many of his followers have. Ironically, some
of his followers believe that because the ideals that they subscribe to were
given to them by Tolstoy, that this somehow gives them ownership of Tolstoy.
For many people who, like myself, often find themselves loving ideas and liking people, Tolstoy suffers from the need to be loved more than his own ideas. And this is the central conflict of the film I think. There is a battle for Tolstoy’s deepest affections being waged between those that love HIM and those that love his IDEAS. Between the principle promoter of “Tolstoyan” ideology and Tolstoy’s own wife. Both, at times, feel betrayed. Both, at times, feel threatened.
As Leo Tolstoy’s life comes to end, there are those who seek primarily to protect the ideas. Who “love Tolstoy” by wanting to see him die uncompromised – an icon to his own ideals if you will. While Tolstoy himself admits that he is not the best Tolstoyan, these supporters would have him be an icon. There are also those, his wife primarily, who simply loves the man. Who love him even though they deeply and profoundly disagree with his ideas. And in the middle, a central character, who finds himself caught in the riptide of love for both the man and his ideas.
Question for Comment: Have you ever given up a cause or a dream or an ideal for the love of a person? Or a person for the love of a cause, a dream, or an ideal? Which do you think the greater sin? Or is neither?
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