War and Peace (1966)

Eight-hour epic based on the book of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. Two main story-lines are complex and intertwined. One is the love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre... See full summary »

Director:

Sergey Bondarchuk

Writers:

Sergey Bondarchuk, Vasiliy Solovyov

Stars:

Lyudmila Saveleva, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergey Bondarchuk

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sergey Bondarchuk	...	Pierre Bezukhov
Lyudmila Saveleva	...	Natasha Rostova
Vyacheslav Tikhonov	...	Prince Andrei Bolkonsky
Boris Zakhava	...	Field Marshal Kutuzov
Anatoli Ktorov	...	Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky
Anastasiya Vertinskaya	...	Pricess Lisa Bolkonskaya
Antonina Shuranova	...	Princess Maria Bolkonskaya
Oleg Tabakov	...	Nikolai Rostov
Viktor Stanitsyn	...	Ilya Andreyevich Rostov
Irina Skobtseva	...	Hélène Bezukhova
Boris Smirnov	...	Prince Vasili Kuragin
Vasiliy Lanovoy	...	Anatol Kuragin
Kira Golovko	...	Countess Rostova
Irina Gubanova	...	Sonia Rostova
Aleksandr Borisov	...	Uncle Rostov

Storyline

Eight-hour epic based on the book of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. Two main story-lines are complex and intertwined. One is the love story of young Countess Natasha Rostova and Count Pierre Bezukhov, who is unhappy in his marriage. Another is the "Great Patriotic War" of 1812 against the invading Napoleon's Armies. The people of Russia from all classes of society stand up united against the enemy. The 500,000 strong Napoleon's army moves through Russia and causes much destruction, culminating in the battle of Borodino. The Russian army has to retreat. Moscow is occupied, looted and burned down, but soon Napoleon loses control and has to flee. Both sides suffer tremendous losses in the war, and Russian society is left irrevocably changed.

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Plot Keywords:

period drama | marriage | battle | russia | epic | 

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Taglines:

The Greatest Motion Picture Ever Made...Has Been Made

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Genres:

Drama | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

GP

Details

Official Sites:

Mosfilm [rus]

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian German French

Release Date:

28 April 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

War and Peace

Filming Locations:

Arkhangelskoe, Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Budget:

$9,213,013 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,976, 17 February 2019

Gross USA:

$148,503

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$148,503

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

401 min (video) 414 min (4 parts) 263 min (2 parts) 453 min (4 parts) 403 min (Québec) 423 min (4 parts)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Mono (RCA Sound System) (35 mm prints) Dolby Digital (restored version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Original location of the historic Battle of Borodino was used for filming.

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Goofs

Towards the end of the Battle of Borodino sequence (Part III - 1812), there are a few seconds where the shadow of the camera can be seen clearly. This is when the camera is moving along a trench, and a cannon falls nearby it.

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Quotes

Narrator: I want only to say that it is always the simplest ideas which lead to the greatest consequences. My idea, in its entirety, is that if vile people unite and constitute a force, then decent people are obliged to do likewise; just that.

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Alternate Versions

There are three different versions: The American release, a 360 minute film in two parts (dubbed in English). The Russian release, a series of four films totaling 403 minutes (see also Vojna i mir I: Andrei Bolkonsky (1965), Vojna i mir II: Natasha Rostova (1966), Vojna i mir III: 1812 god (1967) and Vojna i mir IV: Pierre Bezukhov (1967)). Most reviews (including Leonard Maltin's) list this film's running time as 507 minutes; this is a mistake due to the longer lengths of 70mm prints.

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Connections

Version of War and Peace, Part I: Andrei Bolkonsky (1965)

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Soundtracks

Prologue
(uncredited)
from "L'Incoronazione di Poppea"
Composed by Claudio Monteverdi
Written by Giovanni Francesco Busenello

User Reviews

An incredible film

I have never read Tolstoy's novel, but I have seen several screen adaptations of it. This version far outshined the others, and it stands alone as one of the greatest films I have ever seen. It is filmed with a rich sort of beauty; it is very visually pleasing. Colors are bold and contrast is sometimes sharp. The camera lens sweeps forward, spins on its side, and waltzes along with the path of the characters. It is a very human portrayal. The camera is not a static periscope, but more like spying through the vision of a real person. Although it is quite a long movie, it never fails to keep my attention.