If King Vidor's version of
War and Peace suffered from its Hollywood-style simplification of Tolstoy's tale, Soviet director Sergei Bondarchuk's WAR AND PEACE may be
too painstakingly faithful to the novel. Originally released in the USSR in four parts totaling almost nine hours, the film
was cut to 380 minutes for its US and video release. Russian sources estimated its production to cost over $100 million. The picture is most successful in its epic battle scenes (the battle of Borodino runs nearly an hour), which stunningly portray the scope and inhumanity of war, and in its
equally staggering, lavishly re-created visions of the Russian aristocracy's...
Released:
1967
Rated:
NR
Length:
434 mins