Anna Karenina (1997)

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writers (WGA):

Leo Tolstoy (novel)
Bernard Rose (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In a world of power and privilege, one woman dared to obey her heart.

Plot:

Anna (Marceau) is a wife and mother who has an affair with the handsome Count Vronsky (Bean). Based on the novel by Tolstoy.

Plot Keywords:

Lover | Love | Classic Literature | Extramarital Affair | Tragic Events

Cast

Sophie Marceau	...	Anna Karenina
Sean Bean	...	Vronsky
Alfred Molina	...	Levin
Mia Kirshner	...	Kitty
James Fox	...	Karenin
Fiona Shaw	...	Lydia
Danny Huston	...	Stiva
Phyllida Law	...	Vronskaya
David Schofield	...	Nikolai
Saskia Wickham	...	Dolly
Jennifer Hall	...	Betsy
Anna Calder-Marshall	...	Princess Schcherbatksy
Valerie Braddell	...	Ambassador's Wife
Petr Shelokhonov	...	Kapitonich (as Pyotr Sholokhov)
Niall Buggy	...	Doctor

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements and some sensuality/nudity.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:12 (video rating) | UK:15 (original rating) | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Iceland:L | Peru:14 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company:

Icon Entertainment International

Trivia:

This was the first western production of "Anna Karenina" to be filmed in Russia (St. Petersburg).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Vronsky is shown out of Karenin's house after Anna's near death, a Soviet-era lamppost is visible further down the street.

Quotes:

Anna Karenina: What are you doing here?
Vronsky: You know that I have come to be where you are. I cannot help myself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gossip Girl: It's a Wonderful Lie (#2.12)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Trio Elegiaque, No. 1 in G Minor

Lovely.... absolutely lovely.

This was surprisingly good. I'm not that much a fan of the Romance genre, if truth be told, but I'll make an exception for this one. The film is carefully crafted. Every emotion, every dialogue enhanced the overall tone of the film, slowly but surely escalating in its momentum up to its tragic climax.

Sophie Marceau was brilliant. As was Sean Bean. I wasn't quite sure if they would be able to possess the kind of chemistry needed to pull this off, if truth be told, considering how they (in my opinion) seem to be of different temperament artistically (Sophie being more sensitive as seen in Braveheart and Marquis, while Bean is more explosive). Nevertheless, it worked out fine although, ironically, their relationship seem to be more believable whenever they fell out of odds with each other. :)