The personal stories of many characters, love affairs and philosophies are woven throughout this massive and intricate tapestry of Russia during Napoleon's invasion at the turn of the 19th century. With great attention to detail and historical accuracy, this epic film becomes an unforgettable document as well as a highly involving drama.
War and Peace
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Description
War and Peace is a commendable attempt to boil down Tolstoy's long, difficult novel into 208 minutes' screen time. In recreating the the social and personal upheavals attending Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia, $6 million was shelled out by coproducers Carlo Ponti, Dino de Laurentiis and Paramount Pictures. Some of the panoramic battle sequences are so expertly handled by second-unit director Mario Soldati that they appear to be Technicolor-and-Vistavision newsreel footage of the actual events. Still, the film falters dramatically, principally because of a lumpy script and King Vidor's surprisingly lustreless direction. In addition, the casting is wildly consistent: for example, while Audrey Hepburn is flawless as Natasha, Henry Fonda is far too "Yankeefied" as the introspective Pierre. Proving too long and unwieldy for most audiences, War and Peace died at the box office; far more successful was the epic, scrupulously faithful 1968 version, filmed in the Soviet Union.
Cast and crew
-
King Vidor
Director -
Audrey Hepburn
Natasha Rostova -
Henry Fonda
Pierre Bezukhov -
Mel Ferrer
Prince Andrei Bolkonsky -
Vittorio Gassman
Anatol Kuragin -
Herbert Lom
Napoleon -
Oscar Homolka
Field Marshal Kutuzov -
Anita Ekberg
Helene Kuragina -
Helmut Dantine
Dolokhov -
Tullio Carminati
Prince Vasili Kuragin -
Barry Jones
Prince Mikhail Andreevich Rostov -
Milly Vitale
Lisa Bolkonskaya -
Lea Seidl
Countess Rostov -
Anna Maria Ferrero
Maria Bolkonskaya -
Wilfrid Lawson
Prince Bolkonsky -
May Britt
Sonia Rostova -
Jeremy Brett
Nikolai Rostov -
Patrick Crean
Denisov -
Sean Barrett
Petya Rostov -
Gertrude Flynn
Mariya Peronskaya -
John Mills
Platon Karataev -
Lev Tolstoy
Writer -
Bridget Boland
Writer -
ROBERT WESTERBY
Writer
Additional information
Directors
King VidorDirectors
Studio
ParamountStudio
Subtitles
English (CC)Subtitles
Released year
1956Released year
Duration
3 h 28 minDuration
Genres
DramaRomance
Genres
Romance
Writers
Lev TolstoyBridget Boland
ROBERT WESTERBY
Writers
Bridget Boland
ROBERT WESTERBY
Size
12.12 GB (1080p HD)5.58 GB (720p HD)
4.12 GB (SD)
Size
5.58 GB (720p HD)
4.12 GB (SD)
Additional terms
Terms of transactionWindows | Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 or later |
---|---|
Xbox | Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X |
Mobile | Windows Phone 8, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows 10 or later |