Oblomov and Oblomovism



Oblomov (1981)
Starring: Oleg Tabakov, Yuri Bogatyrev
Director: Nikita Mikhalkov
Synopsis: Straightforward adaptation of Russian classic about notoriously lazy 19th-century aristocrat artfully examines time and memory. Characters' considerable charm appeals to fans of novelistic storytelling prepared for a deliberate pace.
Runtime: 145 minutes
Genres: Drama, Foreign

Cinema-4, IRIB-4, every Friday evening selects a classic movie and almost a good and of different famous directors which are from intellectual Genre.
The movie of yesterday was Oblomov based on the novel by Ivan Goncharov(1858).
It was something about 20 years ago and there was a cinema in Tehran named Shahr e Farang. There were some young students, fun of cinema, who were looking for different movies, meaningful and critical to drive you to a better world where humanity is the value. I was one of them.
The name seems strange to me and I was almost sure that due to effect of revolution they don’t want us to watch latest international movies, especially when everybody used to speak about Spielberg and E.T. or some other well known American actors and directors. I knew some good directors like Arthur Penn or F, F, Coppola, or…who were different movie makers but we had a certain limit for the movies on screen.
So, in that situation I was almost suspected to the right intention of the cinema policy makers and correspondingly I had been upset with such an unknown movie, although the name of Russian director, Nikita Mikhalkovwas familiar to me. But there was no way, no other solution It was my only interesting hobby of that afternoon.



I came out of the cinema completely different and really impressed, at the same time astonished of my first judgment. After some while I watch it second time. I could find the book and read the novel to go deeply in the meaning of Oblomovism, which was coming of Oblomov’s character. Later on, I watch the original copy of the movie from Moscow T.V., when I was in Caspian Sea area. I remember that I have seen it again, couple of years after. I introduce him by giving the book to whomever that I believe might be interesting to discover Oblomovism inside her/himself.



I became against Oblomovism and whenever I was getting tired and nearly stressed or depressed I could imagine Oblomov and his destiny to pulling me up and recharging me to go ahead instead of giving up or ling down. I didn’t let myself to lie down when I knew that I should try harder. I didn’t want to be a lazy guy like Oblomov to loose everything and convince myself by ordinary items. I learnt to look for something better and sometimes further.
Yesterday night he came back to me. Oblomov an old lazy friend took me back to the years ago. I watch the movie again and carefully. It was still nice, interesting and impressing, although had been censored more, but you could follow the story.
Yesterday the movie was the same; I was with the same feeling of years ago but where was Oblomovism? Won’t it be inside me? For sure there are, somewhere inside me. It's not difficult to find it.