Alicia I love this movie so much

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Contentar Best movie of this year hands down!

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

lar_lef Too long and philosophic for the modern movie viewer. Dramatic monologues that try the patience. Maybe great for Russians of Chekhov's day when people had plenty of time to look into their tea leaves. Hard to believe the talented director of the movie came up with this. overstuffed more than the sea gull in the play. I felt like a philistine writing this, but that's my reaction.

dsikula-1 Don't be fooled by the other positive reviews. It's shocking how so many talented people could so egregiously misunderstand Chekhov and his intentions in this play. He wrote a comedy (despite the shocking ending); a satire on artistic pretensions, artists, and those who refuse to take responsibility for their lives and actions. This film succumbs to every cliché about the gloominess and static inertia that Chekhov supposedly deals in. Despite some efforts that aren't half-bad (Mason isn't bad, but is decades too old, and Redgrave tries her best), this film never misses an opportunity to take a misstep and do exactly the wrong thing. In a word, awful.

Ninochka I am Russian and this is almost the best "Seagull" I've ever seen. Period.Everything looks lively and natural. Sometimes Chekhov's plays when staged give you a sense of irreality and feel unnatural, but Lumet's "Seagull" really can make you feel the essence of Chekhov's drama and even explain its popularity if Chekhov is not your favourite writer. Costumes and everything else - houses, furniture etc. - are beautiful and authentic, something you rarely can expect from an American movie about Russia. The only real disadvantage, to my mind, were love scenes in the first part of the movie, - they were absolutely out of place here and presumed a reading of certain scenes the author never thought of.

Wim Vorster (wim-vorster) Why is that art is not appreciated? This film was directed by the very same Sidney Lumet of DOG DAY AFTERNOON, TWELVE ANGRY MAN etc fame, and it gets a 5 from 38 IMDb voters!! Sidney Lumet captured the essence of Chekhov's Russia as no other English speaking director ever has. James Mason, Simone Signoret and David Warner are all superb in their parts, but Vanessa Redgrave as Nina crawls into the skin of the character and delivers (yet another one of her) absolutely brilliant portrayal(s) Her rendition of the play within a play - not particularly well received by her mother (Signoret was truly a diamond) is heartbreaking and the symbolism of the sea gull and Nina herself fuse into an eternal unit. Perhaps Vanessa Redgrave, despite so many accolades, is the most underrated British actress. Her versatility is astounding. [Compare her in this with her portrayal of Andromache in Cacoyannis' WOMEN OF TROY.] But the interplay between all the characters, the subtleties of their longings, passions and disappointments are supremely brought to life albeit on the silver screen by Mr Lumet. Any serious filmgoer/lover should see this beautiful, touching and thought-provoking film. Bravo!