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Awesome... The director plays the lead role as Pierre. He got so much out of his actors. Very classy. Fantastic musical score! The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in USA in 1968, and rightly so. This dvd inspired me to read Leo Tolstoy's book...an epic over a thousand pages. The film is even better than the book, as the director's vision filled out scenes that were sometimes sketched in the book. Don't get me wrong...Tolstoy is, no doubt... of one of the greatest authors who ever lived, and by choosing the one exact word... the reader gets the essence of a scene on a very high frequency... but Sergei Bondarchuk, the visionary director and brilliant actor, went even further in several scenes with amazingly beautiful mystical experiences as some of the characters die... it is a war movie, remember...but also a totally engrossing love story. (also considered to be the best war movie ever made...very human, indescribably great) I just can't get over how much I love this movie... In just a few weeks I have watched it three times... and it is long... three DVDs. It is wonderful to read a section, and then go and see what Bondarchuk has done with it.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
How could a movie with Audrey Hepburn ever get a bad review? She is Natasha here, the adorable daughter of the Rostov family with brothers Nicholas and Ketya. But the main character is Pierre (Henry Fonda), who is the Tolstoy figure in this epic; he despises war but lives to feel guilty about not participating. The third main character is Prince Andre Bolkonsky (Mel Ferrer), who has a super strict father and accepts the call to war because of his duty to country and to his father. So how does this all fit together? Andre and Pierre are best friends. Pierre is illegitimate and poor, but on his deathbed his rich father gives him everything. Pierre is so shocked to be rich that he marries his cousin Helene (Anita Ekberg) and lives to regret it. She has numerous affairs and finally Pierre gets a separation from her. Prince Andre is married to Lise--not too happily he admits to Pierre--but Lise dies in childbirth, leaving a son. Pierre is a treasured friend to the Rostov family and introduces the mourning Andre to the family. Immediately, Andre falls for Natasha, and soon they become engaged. But super strict father Bolkonsky does not like the Rostov family and forces Andre to wait a year before his second marriage. During the year, Helene (remember Pierre's estranged wife) introduces her brother Anatole (Vittorio Gassman) to Natasha. He practically forces himself on her, and our ever sweet Natasha succumbs to his advances. Despite everyone's advice and fears, Natasha tries to run away with Anatole, but Pierre steps in and stops her by telling her the truth: Anatole already has a wife in Poland. Now comes the war part of the movie, which was splendidly done in color. However, it is far too long. We get to see a Napoleon look-a-like triumph all the way to Moscow and then retreat back through the snowy steppes of Russia where Anatole (Helene's no good brother and Natasha's short lived boyfriend) takes no prisoners. I would have preferred to see more character development and less war in this movie. Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer had the best storyline, but the real main character was Russia and Russia's fight for survival against Napoleon. Henry Fonda at age 54 was far too old to play Pierre, but he gets by with dignity. Mel Ferrer got the plum role of Andre because he was married to Audrey Hepburn at the time. This movie was nominated for Best Director (King Vidor) and Best Cinematography. It won neither. However, it is beautifully photographed and the ball scenes are perfectly photographed with elegant costumes and choreographed dancing. Despite what critics say, this movie is very good. However, allow yourself a leisurely, uninterrupted afternoon to watch it because it is 3.5 hours long.Read full review
I found Bondarchuk's 8-hour "War and Peace" at the library. The ca 1968 film has been restored and is available on 4 dvds plus bonus dvd (Ruscico collection). I thought I probably would only make it through the first dvd, but ended up watching it all night long (with a brief nap). Because this is Russia's most cherished novel, it was wonderful to see it translated by Russians into film. But even without Tolstoy's amazing philosophy and story line, the filming was STUNNING - 20,000 extras - that probably topped anything Kurasawa (or anyone else perhaps) ever filmed! There are incredible interviews in the bonus section - especially with the composer/music director (my brain rebels at Russian names), who also worked with Tarkovsky and discusses both directors. I don't think I ever appreciated the war of 1812 until this film - in which 100,000 of Napoleon's army go face-to-face with 100,000 Russians. Real Russian cavalry were used - sprinkled with circus performers and horses that were heading for slaughter. I will never hear Tchai's 21-gun salute in the Overture the same again. Anyway, if you haven't seen it and have a day to yourself, I highly recommend it.Read full review
Awesome, great movie. With stars like Henry Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, Jose Ferrar, how bad could the movie be. This is a classic war movie done during the Napoleon era. All the cast, outdoor views, indoor sets, were outstanding!!! I remember when I first saw it in the 50's when I was still in high school. Now that I am a senior citizen, it still rings true - I loved it from beginning to end.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I grew up on Russian classical literature and this book was a part of the mandatory reading at Soviet school. It was nice to see how it was played but foreigner cast. I got to say it was very accurate to the original. Great addition to my Audrey Hepburn movie collection
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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