[goldstategop]

The BBC remake has its moment but it will never compare with the Soviet classic. Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Ludmila Savelyeva are household names in Russia. There is a quality no foreign work can capture for the essence of Tolstoy's great novel is not only about grand scenes and romantic interludes - its a philosophy of Russian culture. Indeed, to this very day, every one in Russia is expected to be acquainted with Prince Andrei's three pages of thoughts under an oak tree. If you can't capture that in a film about "War and Peace", don't film it in the first place.

[katana]

The Brits have made a sort of franchise in depicting Roman and Russian imperial epics. There's something about a posh public school accent that fits a bright white purple trimmed toga. Roman slaves and Russian serfs all sound somehow more believable speaking in Cockney or Cornish. Spartacus was a partial exception, with Lord Olivier working around Bernie Schwartz's (I mean Tony Curtis') Bronx grind. The Soviet version of War and Peace mentioned in this article really is a spectacle and well worth watching if for no other reason than this actress.

[Buttons12]

Being homeschooled, I’m familiar with W&P. Version, you name it — book, video, audio book, several films, liquid, gel-cap, and intravenous.
Never could understand one fundamental thing: why should I care about these people?
Loved Dostoyevsky. Bros. K, C&P, wonderful novels. Tolstoy...feh.

[DugwayDuke]

I loved that Russian movie. I went to see it three times. Especially loved the scene where the camera flies across the moonlit country side.

[submarinerswife]

save

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***the Soviet classic.***

Get the Russian Cinema Council release in Widescreen. The Kultur version, of the same movie was chopped up for TV and is not in wide screen, colors on the Kultur version are faded.

While you are at it, get the movie WATERLOO (Rod Steiger, Chrisopher Plumber) with battle scenes filmed by Bondarchuk.

Forget the Henry Fonda version as it is a beautifully filmed version of Cliff’s Notes.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[donozark]

Saw the Anthony Hopkins version. Only War and Peace DVD I can find are English subtitle. I just don’t do that...