alice-imwunderland
War and Peace is one of those detailed and never ending novels I have always postponed to read (and I really was, especially as a young girl, an extreme Reader! To be frank I started it and never went further the 30th page!). Thanks to this mini TV series, I have finally got the story, although the adaptation (according to those who have read the book) is not as detailed and sticking to the original. BUT---THANKS GOD it is not ;-) In fact, this very well built TV adaptation has a very, very good rhythm and you never get bored. Many thanks to the screen writers and to the director (I clap my hands). Very good photography, and very authentic characters (I hardly cry by watching movies and here I did ;-). 4 Russian good/aristocratic Families and their ups and downs through war and peace ages. The second episode is the spring of the series as there, taking advantage of peace, a lot of romances are consumed. Love is in the air! Although someone has criticized this TV version, I really appreciate the international casting and production. The mix is very good and well organized, the costumes and sceneries are nice and cared to detail. There are all the ingredients for a great movie work, because it goes under your skin, and you are still permeated with the atmosphere and the characters (all very fascinating) far beyond the "END". So, what do you expect more?
Matvei Karetnik
Countries of the Europe tried very much to make this movie. Movie is outstanding, but not without remarks. Firstly, Clémence Poésy does not approach for Natasha Rostova at all. There is no that charm which was described by the Leo Tolstoi in the novel. Secondly, in the end of first part of movie was used music by... modern composer Aram Khachaturyan for the Lermontov's drama "Masquerade". Italian actor Alessio Boni is ingenious! I think, that his role the best in this film! Hi is one of the best actors, ever played role of Andrey Bolkonsky. Alexander Beyer's work (Pierre Bezukhov) is very convincing. Noticeably, that this actor really very well knows "War and peace". It has allowed it to represent Pierre Bezukhov very authentically. The image of old prince Bolkonsky (M. McDowell) has turned out very expressive and truthful. Such old Russian prince - the petty tyrant. In common, movie is remarkable!
msbsegal
I just saw the first part and I agree with the other commentator, it is very disappointing. He mentions the Audrey Hepburn version. I would like to mention that as French was the language of the Russian aristocracy, 2/3 of the book was written in French with Russian translation added in the footnotes, funny I think... Therefore, I would like to praise again the Bondartchouk version, I would say it is the ultimate version and nothing can come even close to it: for me, who read the book in the original Russian, this is the true interpretation of what Tolstoy would have wanted. And you ask why ? Because Sergey Bondartchouk followed the book line after line, and included all the most minute details. It was thoroughly researched and everything was absolutely perfect, the dresses, the carriages, the furniture, the sets, etc. If you have not seen, do try to get it, it is a great work of art.In this mini series, most of the details are wrong, but the worst mistake is in the cast : here, Sonia is brunette and Natasha is blonde, in the book it is the reverse, this point is essential. A blonde Natasha is unheard of. I would like to refer your readers to the good old book : Ivanhoe. At one point, Sir Walter Scott, through De Bois Guilbert, makes a comparison between blonde women and brunettes, and he says that women with dark hair have more zest, are more lively, have some inner fire, it is not a sic quotation but I remembered this remark because I thought it was quite to the point. So Natasha, who is the pinnacle of life, if not life itself, cannot be a bland pale blonde, not that I would hurt blonds, but this Natasha lacks some sparks, some shine in her eyes. The rest of course is not important anymore.Sorry, it is not up to par.N.B.: I feel I must add a few lines to explain that the point I have made at Natasha being a blonde instead of a brunette as expressly required by Tolstoy, is not a futile headstrong idea of mine but is quite well based : In Tolstoy's masterpiece, the young Countess Natasha is the epitome of absolute purity and youth, kindness, truthfulness,loyalty to friends, she is like a breath of fresh spring air, so he makes her a blue-eyed brunette. Her blond cousin Sonia is about her age, but she is more of a blur, and though she has many good qualities,she lacks this sparkle spring-like personality which is exemplified by Natasha.At the end of the spectrum, the utmost evil woman is, as required by the author, the EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL BLOND Helene Kuragin, whose family is ruined and poor as a mice, and who manages to grasp the Count Bezukhov, not for love, or so she plays it, but of course for his immense fortune, which should help save hers. She is a real bi---, she is nasty, even before the marriage she gets a lover and gets her naive husband "des cornes" so big that the horns of a full grown-up male deer should seem small compared to what she makes her husband wear. But as there is Justice, she dies of her own infidelities....In any case, if you have this evil Helen as a blond, how can you visualize a blond Natasha as being in a completely different category ? If the Director etc would have given to their Natasha blue lens and a brown or black wig, they might have done the trick, but they did not ask me, did they !!!!! So now I hope IDMB readers will fully understand my point of view.
