Much has been written about the apple scene between Goncharov and Andrey in Scorsese’s seminal Goncharov (1973); essays dive into the tension between the two men, the symbolism of the forbidden fruit, the flashes of vulnerability expertly displayed by both actors.
I cannot claim the same scholarly CV as my fellow film enthusiasts, but I still believe it’s worth noting here that: the knife that Andrey uses to split the apple and share it with Goncharov is the same knife he uses in their final confrontation.
The foreshadowing! Andrey carves the flesh of the apple with love, out of love for Goncharov. At the end, Goncharov says that he’s glad it was Andrey! What is love if not a knife between the ribs of the person you care about the most. If someone had to do it--and they did, Goncharov ensured that through his actions--it was going to be Andrey.
This film, y’all.