- Actors: Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio Gassman, Herbert Lom
- Directors: King Vidor
- Writers: King Vidor, Bridget Boland, Ennio De Concini, Gian Gaspare Napolitano, Ivo Perilli
- Language English, Italian, Russian
- Classification: U
- Studio: Paramount
- Run Time: 208 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CK9O
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,727 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
As with all film adaptations they do tend to pale in comparison to their book conterparts and this is exactly what happens with King Vidors version of war and peace. A brave adaptation in that it does address the major points of the novel, however you can't help but think that the film was squeezed into the three hour timeslot. Saying that the movie is probably the closest one film could ever come to achieving the brilliance of Tolstoy. In short a good film but one that holds nothing to the book.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film is, without doubt, the finest ever directed by King Vidor. The atmosphere of the period is captured wonderfully and one can almost believe oneself living through the events portrayed on the screen. In particular, the scenes between Pierre (Henry Fonda) and peasant (John Mills) during the Retreat From Moscow strike a note of true compassion.
One also observes the character transformation undergone by Natasha (Audrey Hepburn) from a rather gauche young girl, yielding to temptation into an illicit love affair with Prince Anatol (Vittorio Gassman) finishing as a mature young lady able to take charge when disaster strikes the household. This film is so well constructed, that one can easily believe in the existence of the Rostov family; the actors play their roles with such conviction. The performances of Mel Ferrer and Wilfred Lawson are also worthy of note. The battle scenes, too, are handled well. With regard to the DVD, it must be said that the synchronisation leaves something to be desired. Apart from that, an excellent production.
John Harman
One also observes the character transformation undergone by Natasha (Audrey Hepburn) from a rather gauche young girl, yielding to temptation into an illicit love affair with Prince Anatol (Vittorio Gassman) finishing as a mature young lady able to take charge when disaster strikes the household. This film is so well constructed, that one can easily believe in the existence of the Rostov family; the actors play their roles with such conviction. The performances of Mel Ferrer and Wilfred Lawson are also worthy of note. The battle scenes, too, are handled well. With regard to the DVD, it must be said that the synchronisation leaves something to be desired. Apart from that, an excellent production.
John Harman
10 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I guess I am a purist when it comes to the classics. I like the movie script to follow the original work which I am sorry to say this movie does not. From the first scene in the movie, it is almost like they took extracts from all of the book's events and rearranged the entire timeline. Some of the scenes never happened, others did not happen as they were portrayed, there are many lines in the movie which never were uttered by any of Tolstoy's characters and to me the choices of actors for some of the roles were very misguided. Who in their right mind would choose Henry Fonda as Pierre. Pierre was described all through Tolstoy's epic as being fat, slovenly, very large, etc., wide of girth. Though Henry Fonda was a very fine actor, they seemed to have missed their mark. There were many such misses.
Of course, the scenery and the action shots are also very dated. But if the script had followed Tolstoy's work, I would have been happy; but it did not.
The only saving grace was of course Audrey Hepburn who to me was a perfect Natasha. I wish that they had had a younger actress playing the younger Natasha who plays with dolls but they only used Miss Hepburn for the entire sequence of events.
Ms. Hepburn was wonderful in this role, beautiful and so full of life. I think that she and Mel Ferrer were the two (2) saving graces of this film.
I think as a true depiction and adaptation of Tolstoy's masterpiece this movie production failed. But as an entertaining and whimsical portrayal of extracts of this fine book and as pure entertainment with some very fine actors even if it was sadly a broad detour from the book itself, I would give it three stars for the efforts of Ferrer and Hepburn alone.
Be forewarned if you are counting on an accurate depiction of the book.
Bentley/2007
Of course, the scenery and the action shots are also very dated. But if the script had followed Tolstoy's work, I would have been happy; but it did not.
The only saving grace was of course Audrey Hepburn who to me was a perfect Natasha. I wish that they had had a younger actress playing the younger Natasha who plays with dolls but they only used Miss Hepburn for the entire sequence of events.
Ms. Hepburn was wonderful in this role, beautiful and so full of life. I think that she and Mel Ferrer were the two (2) saving graces of this film.
I think as a true depiction and adaptation of Tolstoy's masterpiece this movie production failed. But as an entertaining and whimsical portrayal of extracts of this fine book and as pure entertainment with some very fine actors even if it was sadly a broad detour from the book itself, I would give it three stars for the efforts of Ferrer and Hepburn alone.
Be forewarned if you are counting on an accurate depiction of the book.
Bentley/2007
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
DREAMTOWN VIEW
EXCELLENT ENTERTAINMENT ~ AND THAT THE LADIES WILL ENJOY. IT HAS BEAUTIFUL THREADS OF ROMANCE FROM START TO FINISH. IT IS OF COURSE RE-WATCHABLE AGAIN AND AGAIN. Read more
Published 4 months ago by DREAM TOWN
Frankly, Natasha, I Don't Give A...
Apparently, when this would-be epic came out in the mid-1950s, the Russian authorities had to check Tolstoy's grave to see how many times he had turned over. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Cowboy Buddha
War and Peace Film
This is a good mid nineteen fifties colour epic. I was especially impressed with the reconstruction in the film of the battle of Borodino.
Published on 18 Mar 2009 by Mr. David Earl
Don't Touch with a Barge Pole!
One star is one star too many.
The quality of the video I was sent was so appalling I threw it away. Read more
The quality of the video I was sent was so appalling I threw it away. Read more
Published on 24 July 2004 by T. MacFarlane
Great movie!!
All the cast are wonderful especially Herbert Lom as Napoleon. The only thing that lets this film down is the running time, too long. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2000
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