The Last Station (2009)

Director:

Michael Hoffman

Writers (WGA):

Michael Hoffman (screenplay)
Jay Parini (based on the novel by)

Release Date:

15 January 2010 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Intoxicating. Infuriating. Impossible. Love.

Plot:

A historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things.

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Countess | Leo Tolstoy | Writing | Wealth

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	Sofya
Christopher Plummer	...	Tolstoy
Paul Giamatti	...	Chertkov
James McAvoy	...	Valentin
John Sessions	...	Dushan
Patrick Kennedy	...	Sergeyenko
Kerry Condon	...	Masha
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Sasha
Tomas Spencer	...	Andrey
Christian Gaul	...	Ivan
Wolfgang Häntsch	...	Priest
David Masterson	...	Reporter
Anastasia Tolstoy	...	Mourning Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maximilian Gärtner	...	Kind (uncredited)
Nenad Lucic	...	Vanja (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Hoffman

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael Hoffman		(screenplay)
Jay Parini		(based on the novel by)

Produced by
Bonnie Arnold	....	producer
Luke Carey	....	junior producer
Chris Curling	....	producer
Andrey Deryabin	....	associate producer: Russia
Brian Donovan	....	line producer
Undine Filter	....	junior producer
Regina Frankenberger	....	junior producer
Marc Hansell	....	associate producer
Yvonne Hüttig	....	assistant producer
Ewa Karlström	....	co-producer
Andrey Konchalovskiy	....	executive producer (as Andrei Konchalovsky)
Frank Lehmann	....	associate producer
Robert Little	....	executive producer (as Robbie Little)
Jens Meurer	....	producer
Jean-Luc Ormières	....	associate producer
Phil Robertson	....	executive producer
Judy Tossell	....	executive producer
Andreas Ulmke-Smeaton	....	co-producer
Jona Wirbeleit	....	assistant producer: Egoli Tossell Films
Marc Wächter	....	production executive

Original Music by
Sergei Yevtushenko		(as Sergey Yevtushenko)

Cinematography by
Sebastian Edschmid		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Patricia Rommel		(edited by)

Casting by
Leo Davis
Lissy Holm

Production Design by
Patrizia von Brandenstein		(as Patrizia Von Brandenstein)

Art Direction by
Andreas Olshausen		(supervising art director) (as Andreas 'Ebbi' Olshausen)
Erwin Prib		(as Erwin W. Prib)

Set Decoration by
Mark Rosinski

Costume Design by
Monika Jacobs		(as Monica Jacobs)

Makeup Department
Anna Sophie Evenkamp	....	assistant makeup (as Anna Evenkamp)
Manuela Franke	....	additional makeup
Juliane Hübner	....	makeup: extras, Astapovo
Beatrix John	....	additional makeup: Astapovo
Ragna Jornitz	....	additional makeup: Astapovo
Lena Lazzarotto	....	makeup artist
Jekaterina Oertel	....	makeup designer
Paul Schmidt	....	makeup artist
Anett Weber	....	additional makeup: Astapovo
Kathrin Westerhausen	....	makeup: extras, Astapovo (as Katrin Westerhausen)
Ariane Wisniewski	....	makeup: extras, Astapovo

Production Management
Tina Mersmann	....	post-production supervisor
Niko Remus	....	post-production supervisor
Klaus Spinnler	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Natalie Beer	....	second assistant director
Lisa Hauss	....	second second assistant director
Barrie McCulloch	....	first assistant director (as Barrie Mcculloch)
Oneil Sharma	....	third assistant director
Samuel Tauber	....	assistant director: second unit
Jonny Benson	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Will Cummins	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Sabrina Barteleit	....	standby painter
Hubert Bock	....	set dresser (as Hubert Böck)
Sabine Engelberg	....	assistant art director
Ulrike Eversmeier	....	set dresser
Manuel Hess	....	set dresser
Andreas Huschke	....	standby prop
Ulli Isfort	....	prop buyer
Roxy Konrad	....	art department coordinator
Harald Kögler	....	storyboard artist
Anna-Giulietta May	....	art department production assistant
Roman Peisger	....	standby construction
Mark Rosinski	....	set designer
Jan Rott	....	prop master
Silvia Sachseneder	....	assistant standby prop
Susanna Schnibbe	....	painter (as Susanne Schnibbe)
Leon Schulz	....	painter
Vladimir Vilanov	....	calligrapher
Johanna Wimmer	....	standby painter
Heike Wolf	....	assistant set decorator (as Heike A. Wolf)
Enzo Enzel	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Rainer Kaufmann	....	greens person (uncredited)

Sound Department
Christian Bornkessel	....	second boom
Florian Fricke	....	boom operator
Peggy Fröschke	....	mixed at: MMZ Halle
Achim Gerber	....	foley recordist: Metrix Media, Halle
Lars Ginzel	....	mix: M & E
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Rick Gould	....	adr recordist
Katerina Hagen	....	mixed at: MMZ Halle
Michael Howells	....	adr recordist: Sound One, New York
Daniel Iribarren	....	adr editor
Dirk Jacob	....	sound designer
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer: Sound One, New York
Peter Klinkenberg	....	foley artist
Olaf Mehl	....	foley recordist: Metrix Media, Halle
Susanne Olsson	....	adr recordist: London, De Lane Lea
Jon Russell	....	adr recordist: Presence Studios, Connecticut
Alexander Schaefer	....	mixed at: MMZ Halle
Dominik Schleier	....	dialogue editor
Sebastian Schmidt	....	foley editor
Martin Steyer	....	re-recording mixer
Martin Trevis	....	sound recordist
Christoph Wieczorek	....	foley editor
Christoph Wieczorek	....	foley recordist
Ian Wright	....	boom operator
Nick Würpel	....	mix: M & E
Eric Horstmann	....	post-production sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Bouterweck	....	special effects: Pyrotechnik Gmbh

Visual Effects by
Markus Degen	....	visual effects artist: Rise Fx
Markus Degen	....	visual effects supervisor: Rise Fx
Claudia Gittel	....	flame artist: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Thomas Lehmann	....	flame artist: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Sven Pannicke	....	visual effects producer: Rise Fx
Christian Pundschus	....	visual effects artist: Rise Fx
Kariem Saleh	....	visual effects artist: Rise Fx
Jonathan Weber	....	visual effects artist: Rise Fx

Stunts
Volkhard Buff	....	stunts: Buff Connections Gmbh (as Volkhart Buff)

Camera and Electrical Department
Philipp Dönch	....	assistant b-camera
Johnny Feurer	....	first assistant camera
Sandro Große	....	assistant grip (as Sandro Grosse)
Daniel Jopp	....	additional electrician
Denny Jost	....	dolly grip
Patrick Kaethner	....	b-camera operator (as Patrick D. Kaethner)
Patrick Kaethner	....	steadicam operator (as Patrick D. Kaethner)
Bernd Kaser	....	electrician
Sophie Kirchberg	....	video operator
Patrick Kohlmeier	....	electrician
Bjorn Korner	....	electrician (as Björn Körner)
Daniel Krause	....	assistant grip
Karsten Kube	....	assistant grip
Heiko Lange	....	assistant grip
Ludwig Linnekogel	....	clapper loader: second unit
Marc Lubosch	....	b-camera operator
Marc Lubosch	....	gaffer
Moritz Martin	....	best boy
Detlef Overmann	....	photography: special stills
Won-suk Park	....	second assistant camera
Thorsten Querner	....	key grip
Stephan Rabold	....	stills photographer
Kaja Styczynska	....	clapper loader
Elmar Suska	....	dolly grip: second unit
Robert Walther	....	additional electrician
Klaus Witt	....	assistant grip
James Wright	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Daniel Erb	....	assistant camera: day player (uncredited)

Casting Department
Brendan Donnison	....	voice casting: Lyps Inc.
Johanna Ragwitz	....	extras casting: Agentur Filmgesichter

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anke Baier	....	wardrobe
Luise Ebersbach	....	additional wardrobe: Astapovo
Natascha Gotowtschikow	....	wardrobe
Nora Kiessling	....	wardrobe: extras, Astapovo
Bettina Köhler	....	wardrobe production assistant
Kati Lafin	....	wardrobe
Maja Meschede	....	wardrobe
Richard Olaf Zintel	....	assistant costume designer
Patricia Puisy	....	wardrobe: extras, Astapovo
Camila Schwarz	....	wardrobe: extras, Astapovo
Linn Selter	....	wardrobe production assistant: fittings
Susanne Vierkötter	....	additional wardrobe: Astapovo

Editorial Department
Matthias Albrecht	....	on-line conforming: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Cory Augustyn	....	assistant editor
Ivar Beer	....	digital lab manager: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Xavier Box	....	associate editor
Markus Bäuerle	....	digital lab manager: CinePostProductiion Geyer Berlin
Luke Carey	....	postproduction coordinator
Richard Curling	....	assistant editor
Andrea Jacob	....	film scanning: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Antje Lass	....	assistant editor
Ute Lingner	....	film lab manager: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Stefan Müller	....	general manager: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Sandor Nagy	....	digital color grading: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Sandra Neundorf	....	digital lab manager: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Gabriela Schultze	....	sales manager: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Kenneth Stiller	....	lab coordinator: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Maik Strauch	....	color timer: CinePostProduction Geyer Berlin
Tina Stuth	....	colorist/rushes
Brian Welsh	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Sergei Beck	....	music production manager: The Hermitage Bridge Studio (as Sergey Beck)
Andrey Deryabin	....	music producer: The Hermitage Bridge Studio
Peter Fuchs	....	music mixing engineer
Peter Fuchs	....	music recording engineer
Artem Gridney	....	assistant to composer
The Hermitage Music Academy Orchestra	....	music performer
Matilda Moreton	....	assistant to composer
Ian Neil	....	music clearances
Maggie Rodford	....	music producer: Air-Edel
Anatoly Rybalko	....	conductor
Vadim Shahov	....	music supervisor: St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studios
Sergey Sokolov	....	music manager: St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studios
Ilya Talochkin	....	second music sound assistant: St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studios
Andrev Titov	....	junior music sound assistant: St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studios
Kirill Yevtushenko	....	soloist: cello
Sergei Yevtushenko	....	head of music academy: The Hermitage Music Academy (as Sergey Yevtushenko)
Sergei Yevtushenko	....	music orchestration (as Sergey Yevtushenko)
Danil Zosin	....	first music sound assistant: St. Petersburg Documentary Film Studios
Samuel Karl Bohn	....	technical assistant to composer (uncredited)
John Riley	....	music consultant (uncredited)
Paul Thomson	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Teodor Ardeleanu	....	driver: Helen Mirren
Kai Bublitz	....	driver
Sven-Uwe Dassler	....	driver
Heiko Daugau	....	unit trailers: Translux Germany
Sascha Graetz	....	driver
Frank Gust	....	driver
Florian Haeger	....	driver
Gregor Hoppe	....	driver
Kerstin Jeschke	....	unit trailers: Translux Germany
Mike-Paul Müller	....	driver: props
Christian Nagel	....	driver: props
Marco 'Otti' Otta	....	driver
Ralf Pitzius	....	driver
Andreas Rose	....	unit trailers: Translux Germany
Matthias Schnedler	....	driver
Sebastian Von Merveldt	....	driver: James McAvoy
Miklas Wittmann	....	driver: Christopher Plummer
René Zeuner	....	driver

Other crew
Monic Aust	....	production intern: Egoli Tossell Films
Dorothe Beinemeier	....	junior producer assistant: Judy Tossell, Egoli Tossell Films
Yves Boczek	....	representative: Egoli Tossell Films, Halle
Benedikt Bothe	....	set manager
Hans-Jürgen Bubser	....	supervising accountant
Janina Bukowski	....	accountant
Mel Churcher	....	dialogue coach (as Ann Churcher)
Rocco Coufin	....	set-runner
Timur Cutkov	....	stand-in
Ola Czarniecka	....	assistant to: Michael Hoffman
Erik Damm	....	location department assistant
Asal Dardan	....	assistant: Christopher Plummer
Mags Dowling	....	accountant: UK
Moritz Draheim	....	production assistant: cast
Franca Drewes	....	script supervisor
Martin Eichhorn	....	title designer
Melanie Faul	....	assistant press: Egoli Tossell Films
Adam Finch	....	representative: Avid Rental, The Offlibe Editing Company, London
Uta Freitag	....	assistant accountant
Rebekka Garrido	....	representative: Avid Rental, Halle, The Post Republic
Uwe Geissler	....	representative: DREFA
Gabriella Gobber	....	script supervisor
Olaf Godoba	....	catering: Götterspeisen
Thorsten Gottschalk	....	production secretary: Egoli Tossell Films
Renate Graichen	....	accountant: Egoli Tossell Film
Willi Grimm	....	stand-in
Kay Hahnefeldt	....	unit medic: Medical Movie Service
Berit Harksen	....	accountant: Egoli Tossell Film
Bernd Hausler	....	representative: camera rental, Panther Gmbh
Melanie Heise	....	assistant accountant
Franziska Heller	....	representative: film stock, Kodak Gmbh
Chris Hill	....	script consultant: Zephyr Films
Eric Horstmann	....	technical support: avid rental, Halle, The Post Republic
Jennifer L. Hoskin	....	assistant: Bonnie Arnold
Raidar Huber	....	location scout
Nicole Jäniche	....	catering: Götterspeisen
Christian Kaiserberger	....	production intern: Egoli Tossell Films
Anja Karg	....	production intern
Anja Karg	....	production intern: Egoli Tossell Films
Heiderose Kewitsch	....	banker: Bayerische HypoVereinsbank Ag
Andreas Kobs	....	banker: Bayerische HypoVereinsbank Ag
Bernhard Koellisch	....	electronic press kit
Jana Kohlmann	....	assistant press: Egoli Tossell Films
Lena Kopsch	....	production secretary
Thomas Kropatschek	....	film insurance agent: Canineberg & Schouten
Sören Lang	....	location scout
Benjamin Lange	....	set-runner
Tobias Lauterberg	....	assistant accountant
Felix Leitermann	....	location manager
Robin Maas	....	set manager: second unit
Emma Mager	....	completion bond: International Film Guarantors
Maxime Mardoukhaev	....	historical and family advisor
Frank Mathwig	....	unit medic: Medical Movie Service
Galina Meyer	....	stand-in
Tony Moewes	....	head of accounting: Egoli Tossell Film
Thomas Mohr	....	film insurance agent: Canineberg & Schouten
Konstantin Ness	....	train coordinator
Olga Ogurtsova	....	representative: Konchalovsky Production Center
Natalie Pauls	....	representative: lights/grip rental, Media City Atelier Gmbh
Gregor Pfüller	....	technical support: Avid Rental, Halle, The Post Republic
Luke Randolph	....	completion bond: International Film Guarantors
Albert Rath	....	representative: camera rental, Panther Gmbh
Petra Ringleb	....	location scout: Berlin/Brandenburg
Jenny Rinn	....	assistant accountant
Sybille Rohde	....	production coordinator
Ina Rossow	....	representative: Egoli Tossell Films, Leipzig
Karen Rudolph	....	press agent: Bosfish Films
Simon Rühlemann	....	set-runner
Philip Scaife	....	technical support: Avid Rental, The Offline Editing Company, London (as Phil Scaife)
Ingo Schlösser	....	train coordinator
Uli Schneider	....	catering: Götterspeisen
Michael Schweuneke	....	animals: Filmtierschule
Roland Schütz	....	location scout: Berlin/Brandenburg
Martin Sell	....	unit medic: Medical Movie Service
Benjamin Siemens	....	catering: Götterspeisen
Shellie Smith	....	completion bond: International Film Guarantors
Gabriele Spilles	....	catering: Götterspeisen
Evgeny Stepanov	....	representative: Konchalovsky Production Center
Nicola Stephenson	....	public relations: Mission Media, UK
Thomas Strohbach	....	representative: lights/grip rental, Media City Atelier Gmbh
Franziska Strutz	....	assistant location manager (as Franziska Strutz-Zander)
Zara Swift	....	unit publicist
Achim Thielmann	....	banker: Commerzbank
Sofie Thörner	....	accountant: Egoli Tossell Film
Vladimir Tolstoy	....	made in collaboration with
Claudia Trost	....	script supervisor
Daphne Tsaliki	....	assistant: Helen Mirren
Lisa Täter	....	production intern: Egoli Tossell Film
Jürgen Vogel-Jahn	....	representative: DREFA
Sören von der Heyde	....	location scout: MDM (as Sören Von Der Heyde)
Gregor Wille	....	technical support: Avid Rental, Halle, The Post Republic
Hans-Georg Witthohn	....	representative: MCA
Hans-Georg Witthohn	....	representative: lights/grip rental, Media City Atelier Gmbh
Martina Wittkopf	....	production secretary
Reinhard Zölle	....	accountant
Gero Brugmann	....	legal advisor: financing (uncredited)
Thomas Duchnicki	....	location scout (uncredited)
Louise Thörner-Anderson	....	accountant: Egoli Tossell Film (uncredited)

Thanks
Ami Armstrong	....	special thanks (as Amy Armstrong)
Dieter Ulrich Aselmann	....	special thanks (as Uli Aselmann)
Christophe Audeguis	....	special thanks
Nadezhda Bekeneva	....	special thanks
Christian Berg	....	special thanks
Christine Berg	....	special thanks
Boaty Boatwright	....	special thanks
Rüdiger Braun	....	special thanks
Aleksandr Buravskiy	....	special thanks
Philippe Carcassonne	....	special thanks
Stephen Dalziel	....	special thanks
Peter Dinges	....	special thanks
Mario Fischer	....	special thanks
Willi Geike	....	special thanks
Aleksandr Golutva	....	special thanks (as Alexander Golutva)
Ira Gotovseva	....	special thanks
Natalia Grigorova	....	special thanks
Vladimir A. Gusev	....	special thanks
Markus Görsch	....	special thanks (as Dr. Markus Görsch)
Olivia Hetreed	....	special thanks
Ian Hutchinson	....	special thanks
Jaqueline Jagow	....	special thanks
Peter Kaiser	....	special thanks: Naturpark Dübener Heide
Jerry Kalajian	....	special thanks
David Kelly	....	special thanks (as David P. Kelly)
Lora Kennedy	....	special thanks
Linda Lichter	....	special thanks
Christoph Liedke	....	special thanks
Tony Loeser	....	special thanks
Marina Lyubimova	....	special thanks
Maxime Mardoukhaev	....	special thanks
Martin McCourt	....	special thanks (as Martin Mccourt)
Oliver Meurer	....	special thanks
David Milner	....	special thanks
Audrey Mitroshin	....	special thanks
Charles Moore	....	special thanks
Laurence Mutkin	....	special thanks
Kirsten Niehuus	....	special thanks
Christoph Ott	....	special thanks
Andrew Paterson	....	special thanks
Andreas Pense	....	special thanks
Anthony Quinn	....	in memory of: with gratitude
Katherine Quinn	....	special thanks
David Quli	....	special thanks
Udo Reiter	....	special thanks
Vitalij Remizov	....	special thanks
Valentin A. Rodionov	....	special thanks
Manfred Schmidt	....	special thanks
Guy Sheppard	....	special thanks
Jeff Shumway	....	special thanks
Jeff Springer	....	special thanks
Alexander Thies	....	special thanks
Vladimir Tolstoy	....	special thanks
Valentina Ukhanova	....	special thanks
Rupert Walters	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Egoli Tossell Film (presents)
• Zephyr Films (presents)
• Egoli Tossell Film Halle (as An Egoli Tossell Film Halle Production)
• Production Center of Andrei Konchalovsky (as The Andrei Konchalovsky Production Center) (in coproduction with)
• SamFilm Produktion (as Samfilm) (in coproduction with)

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2010) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Applause Entertainment (2010) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Filmopolis (2010) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2010) (Non-USA) (theatrical) (South America)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Alambique Destilaria de Ideias Unipessoal (2010) (Portugal) (all media)
• Audio Visual Entertainment (2010) (Greece) (DVD)
• Condor Entertainment (2012) (France) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainment Benelux (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2010) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• KinoVista (2010) (France) (all media)
• Métropole Films Distribution (2010) (Canada) (all media) (Québec)
• Production Center of Andrei Konchalovsky (2010) (Russia) (all media) (CIS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Argentina) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Television (2010) (USA) (TV)
• Television (2009) (Romania) (TV)
• Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Finland (2010) (Finland) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Pyrotechnik (special effects) (as Pyrotechnik Gmbh)
• RISE Visual Effects Studios (as Rise Fx)

Other Companies

• Agentur Filmgesichter  extras casting
• Air-Edel Associates  music production (uncredited)
• Air-Edel Associates  music services
• Anlagen- & Formstückbau Pretsch  special thanks (as Anlagen- & Formstückbau Pretsch Gmbh)
• Ateliers du Cinéma Européen (ACE)  special thanks (as Faberge Ateliers du Cinéma Européen)
• Barbara Rupilius & Family  special thanks
• Bayerische HypoVereinsbank AG München  bank (as Bayerisch Hypo-und Vereinsbanl)
• BoxFish Films  press agency (as Boxfish Films)
• Buff Connection  stunts (as Buff Connection Gmbh)
• Caninenberg & Schouten GmbH  film insurance agency (as Caninenberg & Schouten Gmbh)
• CinePostproduction  film lab (as Cinepostproduction Geyer Berlin)
• Commerzbank  bank (as Commerzbank Ag)
• Company 'Royal' - St. Petersburg, Russia  special thanks: for providing the Yamaha C2 Grand Piano for the music recording
• DREFA  co-financing
• De Lane Lea  adr recording: London
• Delikatessen Requisiten Fundus  props
• Deutsche Bahn  special thanks (as Deutsche Bahn Ag)
• Deutsche Filmförderfonds (DFFF)  supported by (as Deutscher Filmförderfonds)
• Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn  special thanks (as Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn Gmbh)
• Documentary Film Studios St. Petersburg  music recorded at (as St. Petersbirg Documentary Film Studios)
• Estate of Tolstoy, Yasnaya Polyana, The  made in collaboration with
• Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA)  supported by
• Filmtierschule Michael Schweuneke  animals (as Filmtioerschule)
• Fintage Collection Account Management B.V.  collection account management (as Fintage Cam B.V.)
• Forstamt Stadtroda  special thanks
• Götterspeisen Filmcatering  catering (as Götterspeisen)
• Hermitage Bridge Studio, The  recording: arranged in St. Petersburg by
• Hermitage Music Academy Orchestra, The  music performed by
• Hermitage Music Academy, The  recording: arranged in St. Petersburg by
• International Film Guarantors  completion bond
• Kodak GmbH  film stock (as Kodak Gmbh)
• Kodak  logo: motion picture film
• Lyps Inc.  voice casting
• MMZ Halle  mixed at (as Mmz, Halle)
• Mecon Media Concept  accounts extras (as Mecon Media Concept Ltd.)
• Media City Atelier  lights/grip rental (as Media City Atelier Gmbh)
• Medical Movie Service  unit medics
• Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg  supported by
• Metrix Halle  foley recording (as Metrix Media, Halle)
• Metrix Halle  music mixed at (as Metrix Media, Halle)
• Michael Schmetz Mediaconsult  financial consultant
• Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation  supported by (as The Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation)
• Mission Media  public relations: UK
• Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM)  supported by
• Moscow State Tretyakov Gallery  provided by: portraits, photographs and Russian icons (as The State Tretyakov Gallery - Moscow)
• National Library of Russia, The - St. Petersburg  provided by: portraits, photographs and Russian icons
• Naturpark Dübener Heide  special thanks
• Offline Editing Company, The  avid rental: London
• Panther  camera rental (as Panther Gmbh)
• Post Republic, The  avid rental: Halle
• Post Republic, The  post-production services (uncredited)
• Presence Studio  adr recording: Connecticut (as Presence Studios)
• Reisebüro Reuter  travel agent (as Reisebüro Reuter, Lufthansa City Center, Halle)
• Rgm Gebäudemenagement  special thanks (as Rgm Gebäudemenagement Gmbh)
• Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive at Krasnogarsk (RGAKFD)  archive footage provided by (as The Russian State Documentary Film & Photo Archive at Krasnogorsk {RGAKFD})
• Sound One  adr recording: New York
• State L.N. Tolstoy Museum, The - Moscow  provided by: portraits, photographs and Russian icons
• State Russian Museum, The - St. Petersburg  provided by: portraits, photographs and Russian icons
• Stefan Reiß Filmproduktion GmbH  avid rental: Berlin (as Stefan Reiss Film)
• Technicolor  release printing (uncredited)
• Tolstoy Estate, Yasnaya Polyana, The  provided by: portraits, photographs and Russian icons
• Translux  unit trailers (as Translux Germany Gmbh)
• Tröber Casting  casting: Germany
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack (uncredited)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality/nudity

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Germany | Russia | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | USA:R (certificate #45766) | UK:15 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Germany:6 (f) (bw) | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:M18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:PG12 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Brazil:14 | Sweden:7

Filming Locations:

Duebener Heide, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Company:

Egoli Tossell Film

Trivia:

Helen Mirren actually is descended from Russian aristocracy. Her great-great-grandmother was a countess.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Sofya is looking into Leo Tolstoy's diary it is written in modern Russian orthography which was not used at that time.

Quotes:

Leo Tolstoy:"Your youth and your desire for happiness reminds me cruelly of my age and the impossibility of happiness for me." When I was courting Sofya, she was so young and pure, it seemed impossible that I'd ever have her. I didn't want to tell her how I felt and I wanted to tell her nothing else. So I wrote down a string of letters and asked her if she could decipher them. She looked completely confused, thinking it was a game or...

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Hour: Episode #7.82" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Gente, gente, all'armi, all'armi

Like Reading People Magazine Instead of War and Peace

Silly, shallow, sleepy and slow, this sumptuous costume drama about the aging Leo Tolstoy and his long-suffering wife Sophy fails to do several things well.

It fails to give you any insight into why Tolstoy was one of the greatest writers who ever lived. Or why he wanted to give all his money to the poor. Or why he was so desperate to renounce sex. Or how any of this connected to what was actually happening in Russia at the time.

The movie spends hours and hours tittering and giggling over Tolstoy's earthy appetites -- as though it's so extraordinary that older people still enjoy having sex. But we don't get even five minutes of time with the people Tolstoy wants to help -- the Russian peasants. If we can't see them suffering, then Tolstoy's ideas just seem like charming whimsicality. Which is just what this movie wants -- to keep things shallow, so we can celebrate the joys of casual sex (and the gossip and glamor surrounding celebrity couples) and not get all hung up on heavy things like poverty, justice, and human suffering.

One moment sums up the whole problem. Early in the movie, Tolstoy and his wife actually have a rather interesting conversation about the people. Tolstoy says that if they give all their wealth to the peasants the peasants will embrace them as family and they'll all live peacefully in a world without hunger or injustice. Countess Sophy replies tartly that if the peasants ever got their hands on that much money they'd just spend it on whores and drink.

Neither of them brings up a third possibility -- that the peasants HATE them and do not WANT to live in brotherhood. The truth the movie ignores is that sooner or later the peasants will make the beautiful people pay for three hundred years of stealing their food, women, and land. The laziness, corruption, greed, and callousness of the Russian aristocracy -- which the real Count Leo Tolstoy knew only too well -- is entirely absent from this film.

As a result, we entirely miss the real tragedy of a flawed but courageous nobleman trying (too late) to make amends. Instead we get melodrama, sentimentality, and a lot of schoolgirl giggling about sex.

It's like reading PEOPLE magazine instead of War and Peace.