Still Life by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Still Life

Page 105

great disarray. Everything they believed in was collapsing." Gregor was an actress from the Viennese Burgtheater and had appeared in some films, including Carl Theodor Dreyer's ‘Michael.’ Gregor's first husband had been the concert pianist Mitja Nikisch, son of the renowned conductor Arthur Nikisch of the Leipzig Opera and according to film theorist Charles Drazin, a possible inspiration for some characteristics of Octave.

Despite objections from his NEF colleagues, Renoir hired Gregor for the role of Christine. She was older than the original character, and he made changes to the character based on Gregor's personality and on their dinner conversations, such as making Christine the daughter of an Austrian conductor. Many of Renoir's friends believed he fell in love with Gregor shortly after casting her. Zwoboda said Gregor had ‘that which Renoir loved above all; an incontestable class, a style, the gestures and bearing of a great distinction.’ Renoir said he cast Gregor because of her Austrian accent, which he believed would create ‘a little barrier ....... between her and her surroundings.’ and because of her appearance, which he considered ‘bird-like’ and ‘sincere.’

Renoir finished casting the remaining roles by late January 1939. When asked who the main character of the film was, Renoir answered; ‘There isn't any! My conception at the beginning and