"War and Peace" DVD

Guide Rating -

Tolstoy's lengthy novel has hundreds of characters and spans 15 years, centering around Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia. But the film focuses on the intertwined stories of three Russian aristocrats, first in 1805, then in 1807, and finally in 1812. Despite these simplifications, the movie still clocks in at three-and-a-half hours.

I like the sets, costumes, and battle sequences in the film, and there's excellent color cinematography by Jack Cardiff. There are some memorable lines, but much of the dialogue is typical of old-fashioned costume drama. Also, I have to admit the movie doesn't have a compelling narrative drive, but I still enjoyed it as historical spectacle. I believe if you can watch this film in the same mindset required by silent movies or grand opera, you'll probably find it a rewarding experience.

"War and Peace" opens in 1805 Moscow, where at the lavish home of the wealthy Rostovs, we meet the high-spirited young Natasha Rostov (Audrey Hepburn), as well as goodhearted, peace-loving family friend Pierre Bezukhov (Henry Fonda). Later, we meet Pierre's friend Prince Andrei Bolkonsky (Mel Ferrer), a military officer. Andrei and many other Russians soon go to Austria to fight the army of Napoleon Bonaparte (Herbert Lom) at the Battle of Austerlitz.

Natasha is attracted to Pierre, but he enters into a loveless marriage with his voluptuous cousin (Anita Ekberg). When his wife becomes involved with another man, Pierre ends up in a pistol duel. Pierre survives the duel, but his wife leaves him anyway.

Natasha meets the handsome Andrei at a fox hunt, and when they later dance at an elaborate ball, it's clear they've fallen in love. But while Andrei is away in Poland on a diplomatic mission for the tsar, Natasha attends an opera, where she meets a rake (Vittorio Gassman). She is swept off her feet, but her romantic involvement with the rake ends badly. Then Andrei finds out, and her chances of marrying him are spoiled. However, it becomes obvious in the aftermath that Natasha and Pierre have feelings for each other.

The story then jumps ahead five years to 1812 when Napoleon leads a vast army into Russia. At the Battle of Borodino, Andrei is badly wounded. The Russian army chooses not to defend Moscow, and Natasha and her family flee, leaving their furniture behind so they can transport the wounded. Meanwhile, Pierre sets out to assassinate Napoleon, but ends up being taken prisoner by French soldiers. For me, it's this last hour and a half of the film, where the political, the social, and the personal finally all come together, that makes the movie worth watching.

The writing and acting in "War and Peace" are broad, and I had to adjust my movie-watching sensibilities accordingly. Audrey Hepburn fares reasonably well with this as Natasha, and she certainly looks smashing in the Empire-style clothing. Mel Ferrer looks dashing in period military uniforms and seems more or less right as Andrei. The supporting cast is exceptionally strong, including Herbert Lom as Napoleon and Oskar Homulka as General Kutuzov. It seems to me that Henry Fonda looks and sounds out of place in the film, but this isn't enough to ruin it for me.

I admit that the 1956 "War and Peace" is flawed, but I found it worthwhile for the visuals and the historical importance of the story. I think if you're patient and willing to cut the film some slack, its power will gradually steal over you. The DVD version of the movie looks great and the sound quality is OK, but the only bonus materials provided are two theatrical trailers.