Anna Karenina (1997)

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

Director:

Bernard Rose

Writers:

Leo Tolstoy (novel), Bernard Rose (screenplay)

Stars:

Sophie Marceau, Sean Bean, Alfred Molina

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Anna is a young and elegant wife of Mr. Karenin, who is wealthy and old. She meets the handsome Count Vronsky. Anna and Vronsky fall in love with each other, and he comes to be with her in St. Petersburg. They are very happy together and make a great looking couple, but soon their happiness gets under social pressures. Anna is hopelessly begging Mr. Karenin for a divorce, but he wants to keep the mother of their child. She has another baby born from her lover Vronsky. Conflict between her untamed desires and painful reality causes her a depression and suicidal thoughts.

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Plot Keywords:

count | divorce | love | madness | imperial russia | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina

Filming Locations:

Menshikov Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$75,268, 6 April 1997, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$791,830, 1 June 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Icon Entertainment International,Icon Productions,Studio Trite

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the 70's, producer Carlo Ponti had also wanted to make a Russian co-production starring his wife Sophia Loren to be directed by George Cukor.

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Goofs

In the pivotal ballroom sequence early in the film, the room is lit with what appears to be entirely electric lighting. The bulbs visible, meant to resemble candle flames, are highly unlikely to have been used in a Russian palace in the early 1880s.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Version of Love (1927)

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Soundtracks

Vespers, Op. 37/2
Written by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Performed by St. Petersburg Chamber Choir
Conducted by Nikolai Kornev (as Nikolai Korniev)
Courtesy of Icon Records and London Records

User Reviews

Imperfect, but beautiful nonetheless

Now, perhaps I'm out of my element writing a review for "Anna Karenina" without having read the book, but I shall do so regardless. Many criticised this film because it did not follow the book, or omitted one thing or another. That is all well and good, but what feature-length film *can* capture the entire scope of a novel the size of "Anna Karenina"? I watched the older version with Greta Garbo and--though I cannot imagine why--it never truly caught my attention. This version, however, captured me from the start. And I am usually the first one to complain about what is wrong with a remake in comparison to the old version. A paradox, indeed.

This film first caught my eye because of Sophie Marceau. I admire her immensely as an actress, having seen her in several films, both French and English. Then, I recognised Bernard Rose as the director of "Immortal Beloved", a film I had enjoyed some months before, mostly due to a magnificent performance by Gary Oldman, some of the most glorious music caught on film.

The music, I can probably cite as one of the main reasons I loved this film. I can think of no better love theme for a doomed romance like that of Anna and Vronsky, than the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony. The use of "Swan Lake" at various points was also wonderful, and the interplay during the scene at the ballet held me mesmerised. Vronsky speaks of Anna being trapped in her marriage as the Prince seeks to capture the Swan Queen. Perhaps I'm just rambling, but somehow that connected.

On the whole, the performances were good. Sophie Marceau was perfectly believable as Anna, and some of her scenes sent chills down my spine, though my favourite performance of hers still has to be "Firelight". Sean Bean had me worried for a few seconds, with a mannered reading or two, but improved quickly as the film progressed. Another reviewer pointed out that Vronsky was meant to be a shallower character than Anna, and now that I think back on it, I believe that is very true, and that Sean Bean's performance reflected this superficiality. Mia Kirshner was adequate--I didn't particularly care for her--but Alfred Molina and James Fox both gave fine performances (a standout for me was when Anna wrote Karenin from Italy and Karenin wavered before refusing to let her see Sergei).

However, equally on par with the actors, was the setting. Very few films, I have to admit, can look *so* beautiful. Especially the ballroom scene, with the seemingly neverending hallway of gilded doors, the location photography was spectacular. The costumes were stunning, and the cinematography made even snow seem alive. Even if you do not care for the story or the acting, this is a film to watch for visuals.

Thus, I believe that this film deserves far more credit than it received. I, personally, loved it for varied reasons, but I have to admit that what truly captured me was the way Bernard Rose can take an average script and transform it into a beautiful film using visuals and music. Very few directors take the time to put music and image together if they use classical scores (my favourites would be David Lean and John Boorman), and I believe Bernard Rose should be watched in the future. I should love to see what he would do with a film set in late 19th century Italy, when opera was at its height!

***1/2 out of ****