A different film adaptation of Tolstoy's classic love story
Vladimir Nabokov called it "one of the greatest love stories in world literature", while by mutual recognition, "Anna Karenina" is not only one of the greatest novels of the 19th century but also the "spiritual autobiography" of its author, Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. Deep and multifaceted meditation on maddened love and destructive infidelity, but also a shocking panorama of the Russian society of the 19th century against the background of the glorious imperial Russia.
Driven by her passionate love for a rich army officer, Count Vronsky, Anna Karenina defies the conventions of Russian society, she leaves her husband and son, she is condemned by those around her, she is ostracized and due to her unruly character slowly but methodically sinks into a complete dead end.
Since his birthright, cinema duly honored Tolstoy's tragic heroine. The first film adaptation of "Anna Karenina" dates back to 1911 while his silent film 1927 with Greta Garbo as Karenina remains a classic. Since then there have been many more films and series about Karenina, most recently Joe Wright's in which his muse stars, or Keira Knightley with which he has made "Pride and Prejudice" and of course the masterpiece "Atonement".
With Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love screenwriter Tom Stoppard on the screenplay, the waning imperial Russia of the 19th century revives again, marking the beginning of the cinematic 2013 since its premiere in Greek theaters is set for New Year's.
You could say that when it comes to feelings, mainly that of love in all its versions - maternal, sisterly, childish, carnal, patriotic- but also the motivations of the heroes, Tolstoy has given clear "instructions". Wright and Stoppard decided that their version would have a theatrical basis.
Filming did not take place in Russia (as in many other film adaptations of Karenina), nor in beautiful parts of the English countryside where Wright usually shoots his films. On the contrary, the entire production of the film was set up at Shepperton Studios with the aim of not being another period film but a very different one compared to the previous versions of "Anna Karenina".
With the help of the magic of special effects, the viewer feels like crossing doors and being in snowy landscapes, while the scene where important scenes of the film take place is transformed from a ballroom into an opera house or even a hippodrome...
According to Stoppard, ο σεναριογράφος όχι μόνον μελέτησε ενδελεχώς το βιβλίο αλλά παρακολούθησε με προσοχή διάφορες κινηματογραφικές και τηλεοπτικές εκδοχές (ανάμεσα τους και ρώσικες) in order to capture the wealth of intersecting themes and philosophies with which Tolstoy engages.
The clash of classes, the policy, morality and love end up in an unusual cinematic cocktail where some parallel stories are illuminated which in previous adaptations went unexploited since the focus was exclusively on Karenina.
Finally, we should point out that the film contains an excellent Jude Law in the role of Karenin, Karenina's husband, who precisely because of his love for her is forced to suffer her inability to control her emotions which ultimately lead to her destruction.
The movie "Anna Karenina" will be distributed in theaters on Tuesday 1 January 2013
Source : tovima.gr