Brief thoughts on War and Peace (1972), starring Anthony Hopkins

This is without doubt the best Tolstoy adaptation I have seen so far.

I know some people now would complain that the series is too stagey and too slow-paced, but with 20 episodes, it has enough time to develop the characters and each scene has the right pace, allowing the characters to talk, to think, to feel, to interact with each other, to react to each other. There are no quick cuts, no random camera movements, no foolish fear of boring the audience.

The series is clearly made by people who understood Tolstoy’s novel, especially the screenwriter Jack Pulman. They keep the philosophy, they keep the thinking and talking, and above all, they get almost all characters just right. At first, the actors don’t quite look like the images I have in my head—how could they?—but they have the qualities of the characters.

The Rostovs for example are careless, squandering money away, but they have the love and warmth as Tolstoy describes in the book. Faith Brook is especially good as Countess Rostova: she can be foolish, she can be unreasonable, she can be cruel to Sonya and Nikolai, but we understand her and can’t help loving her. Rupert Davies and Joanna David are also good as Count Rostov and Sonya respectively, and Sylvester Morand, albeit a bit too old, portrays well the naïve idealism and noble character of Nikolai.

The Bolkonskys are, in a way, harder to get right. Angela Down is good as Marya, but I think it’s harder to nail the old Prince Bolkonsky and Andrei. Why do we love them, when the old Prince is an eccentric who can be unreasonable and likes to torment Marya, and Andrei can be cold and cruel towards his wife? I don’t know how Tolstoy does it in War and Peace. But I think Anthony Jacobs and Alan Dobie both get the Bolkonskys right. Alan Dobie’s Andrei, as in the book, a tragic figure.

I also like David Swift as Napoleon, and Donald Burton as Dolokhov and Neil Stacy as Boris are excellent. Boris Drubetskoy loses quite a bit because naturally many things must be cut when such a long book is adapted for the screen, but Neil Stacy does look right as the oily, opportunistic, and calculating Boris. He is more memorable than Colin Baker as Anatole, though to be fair, neither Colin Baker nor Fiona Gaunt has much to do as Anatole and Hélène. Donald Burton has room to develop as Dolokhov however, and he’s just right.

And Anthony Hopkins? He is Pierre. He is Tolstoy’s Pierre.

My only complaint about the series is that Morag Hood is dreadful as Natasha. It is such a pity because everyone else is good, so perfect in their role. Charm is something you either have or you don’t, you can’t act it, and Morag Hood doesn’t know what to do about Natasha so she tries to convey exuberance and vivacity by jumping up and down and putting on a childlike voice. A viewer who hasn’t read the book wouldn’t understand why both Pierre and Andrei love her, wouldn’t understand why Natasha is one of the most beloved characters in fiction.

But that’s my only complaint. The series is made by people who understand and respect the text, and respect the audience.

It really is the best Tolstoy adaptation I have seen. 

PS: See my blog posts about my rereading of War and Peace.

See my blog post about the 2013 Anna Karenina, starring Vittoria Puccini. 

PPS: I did not realise this post was published 2 days before his birthday. Happy birthday, Anthony Hopkins! Wonderful actor.