Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story

Compressed from six hours long TV miniseries into a few more than two hours the mixing a famous Liev Tolstói's novel Anna Karenina and the writings of Vronsky's tale at Manchurian war between Russia and Japan thirty years later of Karenina's affair, his son Sergey Karenin a doctor of Imperial Russian Army randomly meets her mother's lover Alexsey Vronsky severely wounded at small Chinese village nearby Mukden, in the twilight of war when Russian Army has to fall back to the advance of the powerful Imperial Japanese Army from 7 miles back.

During the sojourn of recovering process Sergey asking for Alexsey about her Mother death at station and why he didn't attend his sister funeral, then since the beginning Alexsey re-telling all happenings by countless flashbacks his affair with Anna Karenina, halted by some occurrences in the village as the little orphan Chinese girl always side by side Alexsey on closest respect, after several small talking at little shack Sergey hears from the man that supposedly disgraced his beloved mother, however the truth comes to surface in every single detail over this incredible tragic romance.

I'd confess stayed baffled with so few reviews posted here, I'd expected at least fifty or something in this fine adaptation, according the own director Karin Shakhnazarov decided put the Manchurian war on the plot due it took place in a open area, whereof Anna Karenina story often were developed in enclosed places, became it boring and dull, instead on improvised army camp should be more reliable to re-telling a long and complex story, fine wardrobe and war garments, lavish interior sets allowed to us a gorgeous backdrop of the famous novel, highly underrated.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.

Flawlessly produced and meticulously authentic, this production deserves more enthusiasm than it has evidently created. This version is worth checking out not merely because of the breathtaking visuals, authentic costumes and perfectly re-created historical ballroom dances (with actual orchestras playing live music on the set), but also for the compelling character development. The original miniseries takes six hours, but finally we get a compelling glimpse of what might have been going on in the mind and soul of a tormented and spirited woman in a rigid society. The beautiful Elizaveta Boyarskaya creates a high-strung, intense Anna, whose love develops into obsession and spirals down a maelstrom of unstoppable self-destruction. She gives us a mentally unstable, bipolar heroine who is as irritating as she is lovable. Her high octane performance is well balanced by the stoic but eventually deep and touching performances by the handsome Maksim Matveev (Vronski), Boyarskaya's real life husband, and the spooky Vitaliy Kishchenko (Karenin), both unable to provide her with what she needs and yet unable to let her go. The story is presented as a series of flashbacks, told thirty years later by the aged Vronski to Anna's son - not necessarily a very important narrative device, but - why not. One should definitely give this atmospheric version a chance.

It's a bit groggy at times but a solid adaptation which adds to the novel. Set pieces are magnificent. Probably a lost in translation situation with foreign critics. Also I watched the 8 part, 6 hour version.

Lavishly staged feature version of the team's TV series. Costumes, imposing interior settings and performances are impressive and carry the piece about as far as it's Imperial horse race but Anna's declining relationship with Vronsky is dragged out interminably and the Manchurian framing story with the Chinese singing girl serves no purpose beyond further vindicating the poor chap.

Elizaveta Boyarskaya is authoritative and great looking but we loose sympathy with her mood shifts rapidly. The actress has been around for a while. She has a small part in the Oliver Hirschbiegel Der UNTERGANG / Downfall. For all her valiant efforts here she becomes the woman with those great changes of wardrobe. The new twists - minimising Vronsky's moving on Anna, a more sympathetic Karenin, giving Vronsky an extended story just weaken the adaptation.

It's doing festivals in an draggy 138 minute version.

Director Karen Shakhnazarov has put on screen Tolstoy's Anna Karenina = AK as a TV miniseries in eight episodes (2017) and one may assume that this movie, also released in 2017 has been culled from the series. It does not present Tolstoy's work in its entirety (which would have been difficult anyway). It excludes some key characters (e. G. Kitty and Levin) and gives little play to others such as Dolly and her husband Oblonsky, Anna's brother.

The key to the movie is, the tale is being told by Vronsky, Anna's lover twenty years after the facts. To give him the opportunity to speak up, the script adds an initial sequence where Vronsky is a staff officer in he Tsar's army facing the Japanese in Manchuria in 1904. He has been wounded and is being attended to by Sergey Karenin, Anna's son, now a military doctor. Sergey knew the outlines of the affair between his mother and Vronsky but only through the vengeful filter of his father. The middle aged Vronsky seems to have matured; he befriends and probably saves a shell shocked orphaned Chinese girl but some of his early flaws remain; he is wounded in a meaningless daredevil exploit (or, perhaps, he is courting death).

The new point of view changes the tale. In AK Vronsky came out as somewhat of a cad and we were not privy to his thoughts; here Vronsky remembers himself as thoughtful, loving and patient with Anna, and is haunted by her memory, On the other hand, Anna's husband and even Anna herself are seen in a less favorable light.than in AK. Characters are missing or minimized because, although important for Anna they were not of particular concern to Vronsky.

I found this experiment in reinterpretation of a classic fascinating. Direction is fluid and dynamic, acting and cinematography outstanding and the reconstruction of time and place perfect. A quality movie.