Still find it particularly funny that Runevsky was turned into a vampire when he was 16 years old.
AND THE FUNNIEST THING IS THAT PHILIPP YANKOVSKY ABSOLUTELY SELLS IT.
Let me tell you why.
So he was a young Polish boy who got fascinated with Napoleon.
He went to war in 1812. Of course, it didn't go well.
He fought against people like him, got disappointed in his idol, had to go through so many horrible things.
The war changes your entire appearance, many young soldiers returned from war looking like they're at least 20 years older than they actually are.
Alexander almost died and he would have died if not for the Svechnikov who found him amongst the dead and rotten soldiers.
And even on the brink of death Runevsky had the energy to say something.
Svechnikov thought that the boy said "Drink, let me drink!"
But as Svechnikov bowed down to him, he realized that the boy said "Live, let me live!"
(this is actually a linguistic genius moment, because russian words for 'drink' (пить) and 'live' (жить) rhyme with each other and are differentiated only by one letter)
Kind Svechnikov turned the boy into a vampire. And since then they were like father and son.
So besides me knowing how the war changes you completely, how does exactly Philipp makes me believe that his character is actually still a young man despite looking way older?
Well, thanks to his expressions, of course! The phenomenal acting, the way he says things despite being 111 years old, the way he actually understands what Alina went through because HE WAS JUST LIKE HER, the way he takes some things way too seriously because he was taught like that back then.
All of it has it's own part and I am so glad Philipp plays Runevsky because of it!
