Saturday, 18 September 2021 19:08

War and Peace







WAR AND PEACE

US/Italy, 1956, 208 minutes, Colour.
Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Herbert Lom, John Mills, Oscar Homolka, Wilfrid Lawson, Vittorio Gassman, Anita Ekberg, Helmut Dantine, Milly Vitale, Barry Jones.
Directed by King Vidor, Mario Soldati

War and Peace was one of the most spectacular productions of the 50s. Filmed attractively in Vistavision in Italy, it was a Dino de Laurentiis production. Veteran director King Vidor was the director. It was to be one of his last films. There were many collaborators on this adaptation of Tolstoy's epic novel, including Bridget Boland, author of The Prisoner and Ennio De Concini, who was to be the scriptwriter of so many films with a political bent and the director of Hitler - The Last Ten Days. Jack Cardiff and Aldo Tonti were the cinematographers and the film has a score by Nino Rota, who was to write so many scores for Fellini and Zeffirelli amongst others.

The cast was international and was criticised at the time for being too particularly American in some of the central roles. Audrey Hepburn has a vitality as Natasha. Henry Fonda was resuming his film career after almost a decade's absence and was stern as Pierre. However, the film makes quite some impact in its almost three and a half hour presentation and compression of Tolstoy's novel. The battle scenes are well done and the film creates an atmosphere of Russia, Napoleon's invasion and his defeat.

There was to be a successful B.B.C. series starring Anthony Hopkins in the 70s as well as an epic Russian production in the 60s which went for seven hours. This was directed by Sergei Bondarchuk, who also directed the Rod Steiger-Christopher? Plummer film Waterloo. This film version is entertaining in itself and an easy introduction to the world and themes of Leo Tolstoy.

1. The impact of the film? The reputation of the novel, an adaptation from a large literary work to an epic film? The television and other cinema versions? Popularity, audience expectations? The compression of the novel for screen purposes? How satisfying an experience of Tolstoy's novel?

2. The international production? Large budget, the assembly of the stars and their impact in the 50s? Sets, decor, costumes? The set pieces - the city of Moscow, ball sequences, hunts, the battle sequences, the retreat from Moscow? A work of entertainment? The depth? The importance of the musical score and its echoes of classical themes and Tchaikovsky's 1812?

3. The vision of Tolstoy and his understanding of Russia and its history, its character? The importance of the Czarist rule, the wealthy classes, the serfs? The effect of an invasion and its repercussions on Russian society? His vision of Russia as a microcosm of the world and its experience? His characters as individuals in themselves, as symbols of more universal types? His understanding of the them of war and its violence, its challenge? Peace and the contrast with war? His insight into human nature? His profundity of values?

4. How well did the film portray within its plot Tolstoy's themes? The basic conflict of Russia and France? This being exemplified in the battles and Pierre's presence? The different attitudes of Napoleon and the Russian General? The them of war and peace affecting a nation, a community? The repercussions for the people of Moscow, the serfs? A style of life being disputed and war imposing its own style of living? Individuals affected by war? War a fact and to be experienced, an important experience - life and death, victory and defeat, success, brutality, suffering, cruelty? What did the audience learn from sharing this experience?

5. Whose story is that of War and Peace: Pierre, Natasha, Andre? A blend of each of their stories? Was enough attention given to each of the characters, their story and the interplay of each character with the other? The importance of the stars and their interpretations of their roles?

6. The visual presentation of Moscow - on the eve of war with France when the war was distant? Moscow families and their wealth and lifestyle? The boys and their romantic attitudes towards war, Natasha and her girlish approach? The repercussions over the years of the involvement of the family in war and its effect on their friends and relatives? Their surviving eventually the evacuation of Moscow? The change in Moscow as it was burnt and abandoned? The challenge to the Rostov family as it had to help the survivors? The death of Moscow and yet its ability to be rebuilt because of Napoleon's defeat?

7. How central was the character of Pierre? Could audiences identify with him? Henry Fonda's presence, style and interpretation? A serious man, his initial visit to the Rostovs, his insights into war, his friendship with Natasha - and then the transition to his drunken and frivolous behaviour and companions? The importance of his father's death and his being recognised by his father at his death? The family and their change of attitude, Helene and her designs on him, the seduction of her presence and his going with some kind of knowledge into an impossible marriage? His infatuation with Helene? The man of intellect with the shadow side of sensuality and weakness? Natasha and her observation of this marriage? The importance of Pierre's friendship with Andre and the discussions about war? His kindness and understanding towards the peasants and his involvement in their issues? His social sense? The betrayal of his wife. the note, the dinner and his challenge to Dolokhov? The duel and its visual presentation, the vantage point and his not taking it to kill Dolokhov - and the irony of Dolokhov finally rescuing him? His place in society, his being a recluse and a searcher, his help to Natasha when she could have ruined her life? The importance of his presence at the battle, his sharing in the tasks, his prison experience and the friendship with Platon? His learning through suffering and the enforced march? The human spirit having to go on? The irony of his rescue and his return to Moscow? The contradictions and tensions of the Russian people embodied in him?

8. The contrast with Natasha and Audrey Hepburn's appearance and interpretation? Her initial girlishness and attractiveness. her place in the family, frivolity, preoccupation about society and dresses etc.? Jealousy of her brothers going to the war? Her infatuation with Pierre? The importance of the encounter with Andre at the hunt, her memories of him? The ball sequence and her fears of being a wallflower, her happiness in dancing with Andre? The build-up to the wedding and his allowing her freedom? How credible was her attraction to Anatole? The preoccupation with him, Anatole's pursuit of her and her succumbing? Her decision to leave home, her disregard of the advice of Pierre and Sonia? Pierre's preventing her elopement and her sorrow? Her realisation of the pain to Andre and his rejection of her? The repercussions of the evacuation of Moscow and her decision to help the soldiers? The encounter with Andre and the opportunity for her to make peace before he died? Her learning from the experience and growing in wisdom? Symbolising the Russia of the future after the experience of the Napoleonic wars?

9. Mel Ferrer's interpretation of Andre? His seriousness, involvement in the war, the encounter with his father and the lack of emotionality? His preoccupation about his wife. the birth of their child? His going to the war, the family honour? His presence at the battle of Austerlitz and his taking the standard, his being near death? The encounter with Napoleon ? His experience of the birth of the child and his wife's death on his return? His being wounded? Becoming a recluse.. resisting the hunt but attracted by Natasha? The experience of the ball and his new lease of life? His leaving Natasha free and his disillusionment with her and severe rejection? The importance of the encounter with Napoleon and the memories of Austerlitz? His presence in the final battle, injury and his being in the wagon group going through Moscow, the reconciliation with Natasha? His death?

10. The changes of war and the changing of people's plans: Sonia and her place in the family, her continued devotion, her hopes to marry Nicholas? Her allowing him to marry Mazy? Nicholas and his involvement in the war, love for Mary, marrying her? Mary as Andre's sister, her looking after Andre's wife. her father? Joining the Rostov family in their plight? The Rostov boys and their going off to the ear, the death of the boy in Dolokhov's final charge?

11. The sketch of Helene - her wealth, greediness, her manoeuvres to marry Pierre, her flirtations, sensuality, the duel and her humiliation? The news of her death? Anatole and his being the man about town, his friendship with Dolokhov, the flirting especially with Natasha and his using of Helene at the theatre? His emotional seduction of Natasha and getting her to elope? The importance of Pierre's knowledge of the truth and stopping the elopement? Dolokhov and his callous character, mixing in that circle, the seduction of Helene, the flaunting of the affair to Pierre, the duel? His later comments when he led the charge and rescued Pierre?

12. The portrait of the various families - the Rostovs and the Count and his frivolity, gambling? His devoted wife? Their visit to Prince Bolkonsky and his snubbing them? The Bolkonsky family and their place in the country, the Prince's eccentricity?

13. The character of Platon and his being a contented serf, his philosophy of life, his brother's marriage? The wisdom that he gave to the intellectual Pierre? Their forced march, his inability to go further, the pathos of his death?

14. The character sketch of Napoleon - his intentions, ambitions, vanity? The success at Austerlitz and the other battles? The build-up to his invasion of Moscow, his taking of Moscow and the humiliation of the evacuation? His miscalculation of the seasons, the distance? The battle at the river and his bedraggled retreat in the snow, the decimation of his troops?

15. The Russian General and his caution, the people who disagreed with him and yet his dominating strategy, his being prepared to lose so much, even Moscow, in order to gain? The final victory and his prayer of gratitude?

16. How interesting were the portrayals of the battle - the spectacle, the troops, the strategies, the actual fighting? Defeats and victories? Dolokhov's ambush? The retreat from Moscow?

17. How well did the film blend romance, drama, the scope of a vision of a nation and human nature? The embodying of perennial and valuable themes in the sweep of an epic story? Insight into history?