Abhiroop Das
Created by Julia May Jonas, Netflix’s ‘Vladimir’ explores life from the perspective of M, an unnamed literature professor with a dwindling career as a novelist. Adding more to the pile is a scandal involving her husband’s alleged inappropriate relationships with his students, which she may or may not be implicated in. As she spends her days navigating this maze of modern complexities, M finds her life completely devoid of the Dionysian passion she once felt. That, however, changes quickly with the arrival of a charming professor by the name Vladimir, who promises to pull all of life’s thrills back in her direction. In a series where sensuality trumps any other indicator of what is real and what isn’t, M is forced to choose between passion over stability and finds her foundational principles eroding one after another.
Vladimir is a Fictional Tale That Started Out as a Play About Desire
‘Vladimir’ is a fictional story penned by Julia May Jonas for her novel of the same name. While Jonas is also the creator of the show, her story is primarily adapted for the screen by Jeanie Bergen, with both writers combining their creative forces to create something new. In a conversation with Interview Magazine, Jonas explained that the idea for her story came from a single, powerful keyword: desire. Specifically, she was, and continues to be, curious about how desire manifests within people, and how it can be expressed, contained, or regulated. Accompanying this thematic backbone was a vivid image in her mind of her protagonist holding her husband’s heart while surrounded by rubble.
The imagery about a heart in one’s hand serves as a major creative impetus for Jonas’ story, and while it does not feature within the plot of her book, much of the narrative is designed to evoke that sensation. In the same vein, she also began looking into Gothic novels and incorporating their aesthetic sense into her work, all of which gives the novel and its television adaptation a very particular style. In an interview with Another Magazine, she revealed that ‘Vladimir’ was originally conceived as a play, in which many characters come together to discuss their individual trysts with the concept of desire. One of the characters in this story is described as a “college professor who was showing around a younger male professor and she was obviously very horny for him.” In ‘Vladimir,’ this character and her world are fully realized, as well as Jonas’ commentary on desire.
Vladimir References Vladimir Nabokov’s Works, But Not Necessarily His Life
A major plot point in Jonas’ story involves the protagonist’s husband, who is accused of sexually abusing many of his students at the university. While a case can be made for this plot thread evoking the MeToo movement on some level, Jonas has confirmed that it was not her intention when conceptualizing her novel. During the interview with Another Magazine, she explained, “I think the idea of saying something is a ‘Me Too’ or even a ‘post-Me Too’ novel suggests there’s some form of advocacy in the work.” Clarifying her idea, she reiterated that ‘Vladimir’ as a narrative is an attempt at breaking down the psychology of desire using fiction. While some of the plot beats may loosely reflect reality, the novel is ultimately constructed from scratch, and the same goes for its Netflix rendition.
Notably, the title ‘Vladimir’ is perhaps most reminiscent of the real-life Russian-American novelist, poet, and professor, Vladimir Nabokov. From the get-go, the similarities between him and the story’s eponymous character are apparent, but from what Jonas has conveyed in her interviews, these overlaps are most likely all superficial in nature. However, she has also added that she was inspired by Nabokov’s writing style and creative sensibilities, many of which center around darker shades of characters playing tricks on the audience, as well as the very fabric of storytelling. In particular, Jonas stated she drew from Nabokov’s novels like ‘Laughter in the Dark,’ ‘Pale Fire,’ ‘Pnin,’ and ‘Lolita.’ However, as far as literary references are considered, she was perhaps most deeply influenced by the works of Iris Murdoch and her unique blend of psychological fantasy and realism.
While campus politics is a major narrative element in ‘Vladimir,’ Jonas has asserted that her work imagines it as a sort of bubble, wherein the story’s real focal points: desire, identity, and romance, find a stage. However, for actor Rachel Weisz, who plays the protagonist, cancel culture, campus gender politics, and power structures are among the most defining attributes of the series. In her conversation with Netflix, Weisz highlighted how the show’s frequent fourth-wall breaks add an extra oomph to the narrative and to the characterization of M, the protagonist. She explained, “You have direct access to what the character is thinking and then also what she wants you to think.” All of these creative touches come together to give the fictional story of ‘Vladimir’ a sense of realism, both in the questions it asks and the answers it crafts in response.
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