ANNA KARENINA
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1997 Ben Hoffman
Everything about the film is lush and beautiful. From the wonderful photography that enhances every bit of film, to the breathtaking decor in the ballroom and on the skating rink, to the well-chosen cast, the film is a winner. Anna (The French Sophie Marceau) has a classically lovely face. Her every emotion, her passionate love affair with Count Vronsky (Sean Bean) is revealed in her eyes. We know at once that the affair will override losing her husband (James Fox) and risk the loss of the child she adores, Nothing can stop the passion since she first lays eyes on the Count. Little wonder that it has always been and still is a timeless story, one that people who love good literature continue to read.
Tolstoy included in his story that of another marriage, the everlasting love affair of Levin (Alfred Molina) and his stunningly beautiful wife, Kitty (Mia Kirshner) to contrast the two marriages with which the film concerns itself.
The acting by all five principals, Marceau, Bean, Fox, Molina and Kirshner, are all perfection and in keeping with the era, a time only a few years before the Russian Revolution. The movie is further enhanced by the music of Tschaikowsky, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff (even if some of the music was written after the time of the film).
A hint of why a revolution was inevitable (but only a hint) is seen when Kitty is breathlessly running through the mansion room to get to the ballroom so she can dance. As she is about to enter, a servant picks up the trailing skirt and hands it to her and she, without so much as a glance at him, accepts the skirt part which she now holds in one hand and joins the dance. For a fleeting moment, seeing the many servants one wonders about the Russian people who are outside, unseen, and poverty-stricken. None of that is allowed by the director to intrude on the gay, happy life of those who were "in" . . . nor was it allowed by the noblemen and women of that era. Nevertheless, a fine film!
Directed by Bernard Rose
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Ben Hoffman
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