War and Peace
10 Episodes
At the height of the Cold War, the Soviet film industry set out to prove it could outdo Hollywood with a production that would dazzle the world: a titanic, awe-inspiring adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic tome in which the fates of three souls—the blundering, good-hearted Pierre; the heroically tragic Prince Andrei; and the radiant, tempestuous Natasha—collide amid the tumult of the Napoleonic Wars. Employing a cast of thousands and an array of innovative camera techniques, director Sergei Bondarchuk conjures a sweeping vision of grand balls that glitter with rococo beauty and breathtaking battles that overwhelm with their expressionistic power. As a statement of Soviet cinema’s might, WAR AND PEACE succeeded wildly, garnering the Academy Award for best foreign-language film and setting a new standard for epic moviemaking.
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2:27:26Episode 1WAR AND PEACE: Part 1
Episode 1
ANDREI BOLKONSKY
Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk • 1966 • Soviet UnionAt the height of the Cold War, the Soviet film industry set out to prove it could outdo Hollywood with a production that would dazzle the world: a titanic, awe-inspiring adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic tome in which the fates o...
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1:38:01Episode 2WAR AND PEACE: Part 2
Episode 2
NATASHA ROSTOVA
Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk • 1966 • Soviet UnionAt the height of the Cold War, the Soviet film industry set out to prove it could outdo Hollywood with a production that would dazzle the world: a titanic, awe-inspiring adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic tome in which the fates of...
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1:21:40Episode 3WAR AND PEACE: Part 3
Episode 3
THE YEAR 1812
Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk • 1967 • Soviet UnionAt the height of the Cold War, the Soviet film industry set out to prove it could outdo Hollywood with a production that would dazzle the world: a titanic, awe-inspiring adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic tome in which the fates of t...
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1:36:37Episode 4WAR AND PEACE: Part 4
Episode 4
PIERRE BEZUKHOV
Directed by Sergei Bondarchuk • 1967 • Soviet UnionAt the height of the Cold War, the Soviet film industry set out to prove it could outdo Hollywood with a production that would dazzle the world: a titanic, awe-inspiring adaptation of Tolstoy’s classic tome in which the fates of...
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48:43Episode 5Woina i mir
Episode 5
This black-and-white German documentary, made by Thomas Schamoni in 1966, details the production of WAR AND PEACE and features an interview with director Sergei Bondarchuk.
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14:23Episode 6Anatoly Petritsky on WAR AND PEACE
Episode 6
This 2019 interview with cinematographer Anatoly Petritsky focuses on the challenges of photographing WAR AND PEACE.
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06:45Episode 7Fedor Bondarchuk on WAR AND PEACE
Episode 7
In this interview, conducted in 2019, filmmaker Fedor Bondarchuk discusses the work of his father, Sergei Bondarchuk, including WAR AND PEACE.
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27:25Episode 8Les soviétiques
Episode 8
Originally aired on November 18, 1968, this French television program profiles actor Ludmila Savelyeva and also features director Sergei Bondarchuk.
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46:48Episode 9Cold War Classic
Episode 9
In this 2019 program, history scholar Denise J. Youngblood (Bondarchuk's "War and Peace": Literary Classic to Soviet Cinematic Epic) illuminates the cultural and cinematic contexts for WAR AND PEACE.
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31:00Episode 10Making War and Peace
Episode 10
Produced in 1969 by Mosfilm, this documentary details the filming and editing of WAR AND PEACE.