What’s Rachel Weisz’s Name in Vladimir? Why is She Called M?

Created by Julia May Jonas, Netflix’s ‘Vladimir’ journeys alongside M, our fourth-wall-breaking protagonist who is presently weathering storms both on the personal and professional front. Following a series of sexual misconduct allegations against her husband by many of his students, M realizes that her own tenure as a literature professor might be in trouble. As if that isn’t enough, she finds herself trapped in writer’s block, not realizing that the creative sparks that once defined her life are long gone. Enter Vladimir, the newest professor on campus, who brings with him waves of passion and charm, all of which take over M’s body and mind. What begins from here is an emotional tug of war, as M nearly loses herself and her identity in pursuit of the man of her dreams.

M Might be a Reference to Writer Julia May Jonas’ Middle Name

One of the many tricks ‘Vladimir’ pulls on its audience throughout its run is never revealing the protagonist’s identity. While she can technically be called the narrator, which is how her book counterpart is most frequently referred to, Netflix officially gives her a single initial: M. Notably, the initial never makes an appearance within the story itself, as most of her conversations skip the naming stage, or use substitutes such as “Professor.” This is one of the many reasons why we never actually see the book she worked on, as the cover is bound to carry her name in fine print. All of these omissions are carefully planned out by the show’s writing team, which itself borrows this narrative characteristic from the source material, that is, Julia May Jonas’ eponymous book.

While the show never provides a clear explanation as to why the protagonist’s name is obscured, the fact that she is listed as M suggests that there might be more to it. To begin with, it is often traditional in other media, notably novels, poetry, and even films, to have unnamed protagonists be referred to as the narrator. In shows such as ‘Fleabag,’ that idea is tweaked a bit further, as while Fleabag is unlikely to be the lead character’s real name, it is the one we go forward with. ‘Vladimir,’ as it turns out, strongly resembles ‘Fleabag’ when it comes to its presentational aesthetics, and a case can be made for M being partially designed in her creator’s image as well. Notably, Jonas’ middle name is May, which hypothetically connects to the M-moniker. While this connection has been speculated online, Jonas has neither confirmed nor denied it as of writing.

Vladimir Obscures its Protagonist’s Name in Line With Gothic Storytelling Tradition

In a conversation with The Maris Review podcast, Jonas revealed her goal with leaving the protagonist unnamed was to blur the line between reader and character. “I wanted us to feel inside of her head,” she added, “I didn’t want us to look at her as if she was an object outside of us.” In the same vein, she also drew references from classic works of Gothic fiction to get the spooky style right, and a part of that was to build on the genre’s tradition of leaving some of its characters unnamed. This makes Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca‘ a close parallel to the show, as it, too, features an unnamed protagonist, draped in gothic aesthetics, who spends much of the story grappling with desire. ‘Rebecca’ is actually taught by M within the show, which adds yet another layer of self-referentiality to the story.

Another major influence on the craft of Jonas is the works of Vladimir Nabokov, the Russian-American writer who is perhaps best known for his novel ‘Lolita.’ Jonas drew inspiration from this novel, as well as Nabokov’s ‘Laughter in the Dark’ and ‘Pale Fire,’ all of which feature an unreliable protagonist who doesn’t shy away from narrative sleight of hand. By referring to the protagonist of ‘Vladimir’ as M, Jonas expands on this literary tradition and keeps the pot stirring about who our main character actually is. For Rachel Weisz, the first-person perspective also ties into this mystery, as by giving us direct access to her inner world, the writing team renders M both personal and distant in one go.

Read More: Is Netflix’s Vladimir Based on a True Story?