Anna Karenina (1977) - The Complete Miniseries
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: *DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 550 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-07-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: WEA
Movie Reviews of Anna Karenina (1977) - The Complete Miniseries
Movie Review: EXCELLENT!!
Summary: 5 Stars
my favorite greta garbo performance has always been her 'anna karenina' from 1935. amazing, and typical of la garbo's many characterizations of women walking through the FIRES OF HELL for love. such grand passion. i love this film, but i've also realized that this MGM production is an EXTREMELY streamlined version of tolstoy's epic novel, so i have always kept on a lookout for a more full-bodied version of 'anna' for comparison.
i've seen vivien leigh's 1948 version, jacqueline bisset's 1985 3 hour tv version, the 4 hour bbc miniseries from 2000, and even sophie marceau's 1997 film version....but somehow when watching these different versions i could not connect to or have any sympathy for the character of 'anna'....even though all of the actresses in these versions were first rate.
i finally came to the conclusion that it was not really the actresses' fault, it was in the writing itself ...a two-hour film or four-hour miniseries is not enough time to be faithful to the COMPLETE tolstoy novel or to develop the characters deeply enough.
the anna that recovers from her near-deadly illness changes so quickly and is such a different woman in the latter half of the story...unbalanced, highly delusional. gone is garbo's sublime descent into madness... no film has replicated it ... and also, the dramatic arc of the storyline itself seems off to me somehow.
however, when i became aware of this 1977 bbc miniseries of 'anna karenina' i immediately bought it sight unseen!
the 1970's bbc television adaptions of history and literary works are just unequalled in terms of its peerless writing and exceptional acting, sheer greatness... to me, it was really another 'golden age' of television back then, just as the american cinema of the 1970's is considered a great 'golden age' for film.
ELIZABETH R, SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII, I,CLAUDIUS, UPSTAIRS,DOWNSTAIRS, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, LILLIE, THE CHARMER, EDWARD AND MRS. SIMPSON and so forth...i could go on and on. i have made up my mind to collect as many of these programs as possible on dvd.
this version of 'anna karenina' does not disappoint. at nearly 10 HOURS, 'anna' is a rich tapestry of incredible, intricate writing, and the characterizations are spot on... every twist and turn of anna's psyche is well explored, so now, as she slowly makes her way to her final fate, each action makes perfect sense to me.... the acting itself is stunning....nicola pagett (electrifying!) as anna, eric porter as karenin, and stuart wilson as vronsky each give sterling, bravura performances... in every episode there is at least one passage of jaw-dropping acting from these three.... this time, i really felt for the plight of EACH of these characters.
and for those who might think the production itself looks cheesy, i would say: just shift your focus...these programs should not be compared to modern films.... think of each of these bbc productions from that peroid as A PLAY STAGED FOR TELEVISION....relax, and immerse yourself in the excellent acting and superlative writing. a gratifying experience.
Summary of Anna Karenina (1977) - The Complete Miniseries
Discover the epic saga of love, marriage, heartbreak, and tragedy among the 19th-century Russian aristocracy in Anna Karenina. Young, vivacious, and breathtakingly beautiful, Anna (Nicola Pagett) seems resigned to a passionless marriage of convenience to a powerful older man, Karenin (Eric Porter). But when she meets the dashing soldier, Count Vronsky (Stuart Wilson), she risks scandal and ruin to pursue true love. Experience the unbridled passion of Anna?s star-crossed affair and its far-reaching effects on her family, friends, and social order in this stirring BBC dramatization of Tolstoy?s classic novel.Similar DVD Movies
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