Anna Karenina (TV 1985)

Tragic Anna leaves her cold husband for dashing Count Vronsky in 19th-century Russia.

Director:

Simon Langton

Writers:

James Goldman, Leo Tolstoy (novel)

Stars:

Jacqueline Bisset, Christopher Reeve, Paul Scofield

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Anna Karenina
Christopher Reeve	...	Count Vronsky
Paul Scofield	...	Karenin
Ian Ogilvy	...	Stiva
Anna Massey	...	Betsy
Joanna David	...	Dolly
Judi Bowker	...	Kitty
Valerie Lush	...	Annushka
Judy Campbell	...	Countess Vronsky
Paul Geoffrey	...	Petritsky
Neil Amswych	...	Seryozha
Nicholas Selby	...	Doctor
Philip Bowen	...	Mikhail
Oscar Quitak	...	Volodya
Ralph Nossek	...	Grisha

Storyline

A brief meeting at the Moscow train station and the dashing officer in the Russian Army is captivated by the beautiful woman who has been his mother's companion on the trip from St. Petersburg. Back in St. Petersburg, they seem to be on the same social circuit. People are talking even before there is anything to talk about. When Vronsky falls from his horse one afternoon and Anna Karenina and her husband are among the spectators, she rushes to Vronsky's side. What will happen now that their secret love is no secret any more?

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Plot Keywords:

train | russia | 19th century | love | self sacrifice | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 1985 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Company Credits

Production Co:

Colgems Productions Ltd., Restar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Reeve, in his autobiography "Still Me", claimed that in this movie he learned how to ride a horse and fell in love with them, which eventually led him to his tragic accident falling from a horse in 1995.

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Connections

Version of Anna Karenina (2012)

User Reviews

Back when TV movies were events

Jacqueline Bisset gives a heartfelt reading of the great Russian heroine and is at perhaps the peak of her beauty having past her girlish prettiness and entered into an exquisite loveliness. The awesome Paul Scofield commands the screen every second he is present and makes the cuckolded husband's anguish and sense of betrayal and the cruelty that is the result understandable. Christopher Reeve cuts a dashing figure and gives it his best shot but his costars simply act rings around him. This was Jackie's TV bow and reminds you of a time when movie stars moving to television were afforded the opportunity to do something special because there were fewer networks and larger audiences willing to give quality work a chance.