- Actors: Helen McCrory, Kevin McKidd, Douglas Henshall, Mark Strong, Amanda Root
- Directors: David Blair
- Writers: Allan Cubitt, Leo Tolstoy
- Producers: Allan Cubitt, Charles Pattinson, Dic Jones, George Faber, Helena Pope
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Vci
- VHS Release Date: 12 May 2003
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004U3ZJ
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 6,343 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
From the Back Cover
Cutting straight into the heart of Tolstoy’s classic, Channel 4 Television’s innovative adaptation draws on the realism and raw emotion that defines this unique masterpiece. Set in 19th century Russia, the story moves from the decadent social surroundings of the St. Petersburg palaces to the simplest of rural life. Anna Karenina is the story of three contrasting couples whose dilemmas strike a contemporary chord in this century.
Abandoning her empty marriage to Karenin (Stephen Dillane), Anna (Helen McCrory) embarks on a reckless and passionate affair with dashing army officer, Count Vronsky (Kevin McKidd). In contrast to the carnality of Anna and Vronsky, Levin (Douglas Henshall) struggles to find spiritual meaning in his life by adopting a peasant lifestyle and pursuing a relationship with the innocent Kitty. And the marriage of Anna’s brother Oblonsky (Mark Strong) to Dolly is put under constant pressure by his obsessive womanizing and repeated betrayal. Anna Karenina is an epic love story of a woman who risks everything to follow her heart.
Running time: 240 mins approx.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A fairly pedestrian tread through the novel, concentrating on the relationships of the three couples and sensibly skirting most of the languorous stuff concerning Levin's spiritual and political vacillations.
Structurally strong, it's disappointing in the detail. While the emphasis on interiors is understandable considering the massive cost of a four hour period drama, there's still a degree of sloppiness in the production that should have been avoidable.
For a start, several of the key parts are miscast (Levin, for example, is reduced to some kind of Glaswegian dolt) and matters are not helped by a persistent gracelessness in the direction. The one token line of French is delivered with a schoolboy irony. There's too much This Life-style photography and editing. The camera has an irritating habit of dollying back and forth around two people talking. And the predictable sexy goings-on include an eye-widening dramatic licence for Kitty's wedding night.
The whole thing feels like it was made according to a stringent schedule rather than any artistic vision; and, of course, it almost certainly was. But the real tragedy is that most of the major dramatic scenes never really fly, and in the end it all feels like one huge missed opportunity. A shame, because there are good things in here too, especially a nice turn from Stephen Dillane as Karenin.
As an aide-memoir for those who have read the novel, this is efficient and, for better or worse, pretty unadventurous. But as an alternative to tackling Tolstoy's second doorstop, it's an unrewarding experience.
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
Anna Karenina is arguably the best novel ever written. Karenin is too "saintly" and aloof for his passionate wife Anna, but refuses to divorce her when she disgraces herself with her lover Vronsky. By contrast her brother Oblonsky is forgiven by his wife Dolly for his affairs, and their friend Levin is reformed through the love of his young wife Kitty.
Tolstoy, the great Christian theologian, shows how love and forgiveness matter in life more than laws or teaching. Helen McCrory as Anna is magnificent, with a fine supporting cast. If the standard for costume drama used to be set by the BBC, then Aunty's trousers (if she wore any) have been stolen by Channel 4!
Format:DVD
I think this is an excellent version and interpretation of the Tolstoy's novel.
The 800 pages of the book are compressed into 4 hours of dramatic and riveting televison. I had already recently read the novel and couldn't believe my luck when I saw it coming up on the TV Channel. I was afraid of being disappointed by the lack of intensity and passion I had felt from the pages and Tolstoy's perceptive insight into the workings of Anna's mind. I was not. I found it a perfect balance between the sexual and passionate attraction of Vronsky and Anna - and also, what is also very obviously important to Tolstoy, the story of Levin and Kitty and particularly Levin's "revolutionary" ideas for creating a new society with his life farming in the country.
It's a great insight into the power of love and its capacity to transform life and the necessity to understand the nature of its power and how to apply it to your life.
Thankyou Tolstoy and Thankyou Channel 4.
A perfect compliment to this is the film "The Last Station" with Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren - a fascinating insight into Tolstoy himslelf, his relationship with his wife and his ideas on life.
The 800 pages of the book are compressed into 4 hours of dramatic and riveting televison. I had already recently read the novel and couldn't believe my luck when I saw it coming up on the TV Channel. I was afraid of being disappointed by the lack of intensity and passion I had felt from the pages and Tolstoy's perceptive insight into the workings of Anna's mind. I was not. I found it a perfect balance between the sexual and passionate attraction of Vronsky and Anna - and also, what is also very obviously important to Tolstoy, the story of Levin and Kitty and particularly Levin's "revolutionary" ideas for creating a new society with his life farming in the country.
It's a great insight into the power of love and its capacity to transform life and the necessity to understand the nature of its power and how to apply it to your life.
Thankyou Tolstoy and Thankyou Channel 4.
A perfect compliment to this is the film "The Last Station" with Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren - a fascinating insight into Tolstoy himslelf, his relationship with his wife and his ideas on life.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Why being so demanding and critical?
There are people who always try to find fault with everything and everyone...This tv series really fascinated me although I've already seen and bought all the other versions of... Read more
Published on 2 April 2005 by M. Junho
i have read the book, thousands times, at different times..
at different times of your life, anna karenina makes another impression.... I also did appreciate the good interpretation of karenin, of nicola levin and of levin... Read more
Published on 15 Dec 2004
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