Directed by: Sergey Bondarchuk
Stars: Lyudmila Saveleva, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergey Bondarchuk
Language: Russian | Subtitles: English (embed)
Country: Soviet Union | Imdb Info | Ar: 2.35:1 | Brrip
Also known as: Voyna i mir
Description: The Russian aristocracy prepares for the French invasion on the eve of 1812.
Preview Part 1 Andrei Bolkonsky
9.09GB | 147:07mins | 1280×544 | mkv | Russian | Sub: English
https://tezfiles.com/file/6d91325b9dffe/War.and.Peace.Andrei.Bolkonsky.mkv
Preview Part 2 Natasha Rostova
5.10GB | 98:02mins | 1280×544 | mkv | Russian | Sub: English
https://tezfiles.com/file/28b23dac7728f/War.and.Peace.Natasha.Rostova.mkv
Preview Part 3 The Year 1812
6.32GB | 81:41mins | 1280×544 | mkv | Russian | Sub: English
https://tezfiles.com/file/e940be5379ee9/War.and.Peace.The.Year.1812.mkv
Preview Part 4 Pierre Bezukhov
5.90GB | 96:38mins | 1280×544 | mkv | Russian | Sub: English
https://tezfiles.com/file/58bb7beed0bee/War.and.Peace.Pierre.Bezukhov.mkv
A very nice not to miss magnum Opus . Thanks for sharing
@Jim,
When you’re thoroughly covering a lengthy, spacious, well fleshed-out novel, the result has to be long ! There is supposedly a 10 hour version that hasn’t been shown outside of Russia. In a more contemporary production context, this might be more the province of a mini-series. (Think “The Winds of War”, followed by “War and Remembrance”, which were big events in their day, albeit not in theatrical exhibition.)
There were also some after-the-fact Extras from this film floating around,, IIRC including an extended cinematographer or editor interview that mentioned some lost (?) 70 mm. elements. It may have been in the late 1970s that I missed the chance to see this on the big screen at a County museum showing, which I’ve regretted ever since. It was spread over several evenings, and that may have been what dissuaded me. That and not very comfortable seating at that museum auditorium. Their projection and print quality also had just a so-so track record.
It took some doing to obtain this some years ago (also in 720p), and I don’t think I ever got the right subtitles for it. (If I’d had time to watch it I would have found out how well synced it was.) So, thanks for the effort!
It seems Bondarchuk followed the trend of Abel Gance’s Napoleon/1927 silent film in four acts (I-IV), the 1928 UK version was 7hrs20mins.
That was a great film. Sadly it was only the first of five or six films in the series planned, and they never were able to keep the momentum going to make more of them. But what a spectacle the climactic battle was!
yeah, shown in a triptych each having a colour of the French flag painted frame-by-frame in post. Revolutionary cinematography …but RL knows I’m saying this so he might graciously upload either of the two new restorations, Georges Mourier’s 2024 (7hrs), or Kevin Brownlow’s 2025 (5hrs30mins). Tremendous stuff.
I saw Brownlow’s restoration live in SF several years ago. It was magnificent! The whole audience was up on their feet cheering at the end of the triptych sequence.
Napoleon was the first of three planned films covering his whole life. Gance raised money for all three films before he started production. Then he went back to his investors and said “Dudes, I need a little more money to finish the first film.”
They said “just take some of the funds from films 2 and 3.”
“Yeah bro, I spent all of the money on the first film and it’s not finished yet.”
“WTF, how long is the movie?!?”
“Chill, it’s only about 7-8 hours.”
(I’m pretty sure these are exact quotes.)
Needless to say the investors were pissed. They gave him a little bit more to finish it up (which he used to add the triptych at the end) and then edited it down so that theaters would actually show it.
There’s a great write-up on the whole thing in Brownlow’s “The Parade’s Gone By” which is a great read.
Needless to say th
Usually, I think movies should make an effort to never go past the 2 hour mark. Most of the one going past 120 minutes are overcooked and saturated with extra fat.
But this one is a very noble exception.
yes, it’s the rare long one, there’s also the American version 360mins in two parts (acc. IMDB). Perfect match to his Waterloo/1970 (134mins) with Rod Steiger (talk about armies of extras there). Thanks RL!
It’s a bit long, isn’t it?
Wow, the very best War & Peace adaptation! History’s most expensive film, I’ve been told, accounting for inflation and everything.