Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

War and Peace Blu-ray Movie Review

One of the most ambitious Russian films ever made receives the Criterion treatment

War and Peace is an epic of a magnitude which is rarely seen in cinema. The Russian adaptation of the beloved novel by Leo Tolstoy was a massive undertaking for the country and one which involved the participation of the Soviet government. Utilizing an almost “blank check” of available resources in addition to a whopping budget of 8.29 million rubles (approximately 60 million in US dollars with modern inflation taken into account), War and Peace involved the military personal, local museums, and other assets to form a film which remains one of the most impressive ever filmed with regards to production-values. Prepare to be amazed.

Though the whole of War and Peace can best be described as one epic production the film is broken down into four individual segments (which was done to make the story more digestible for Russian audiences during the original theatrical engagements from 1965-1967): Andrei Bolkonsky (Part 1), Natasha Rostova (Part 2), The Year 1812 (Part 3), and Pierre Bezukhov (Part 4). The winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the sprawling epic was a massive undertaking (even for audiences). A journey in more ways than one.

Pierre Bezukhov (Sergey Bondarchuk) is the central protagonist of the epic tale. Pierre is the son of the successful Kirill Vladimirovich Bezukhov. Due to his upbringing in a family of immense wealth and privilege, Pierre becomes involved in high society. Though he is a kindhearted man he eventually is brought into the actions of the war during the turbulent times. Pierre's close friend, Princes Andrei Bolkonsky (Vyacheslav Tikhonov), becomes directly involved in the war and risks life and limb. Throughout the four-part saga, Pierre falls for the gorgeous temptress Natasha Rostova (Lyudmila Saveleva) and finds his story is only just beginning.

The epic storyline is at the forefront of the Russian film adaptation (having previously been made into a Hollywood film which was produced in 1956 and which starred the great Audrey Hepburn). One of the most beloved novels of all time (and one with special importance to the people of Russia), War and Peace explores the times of the Napoleonic Wars. Over the course of the four segments, audiences witness the immense battles of Schöngrabern, Austerlitz, and the big battle at Krasnoi in the final chapter of the epic saga. The saga delves into the invasion of Russia by Napoleon and the trying times in Moscow. An expansive story with romance, drama, and action in good measure, War and Peace is a true epic in every sense of the word.

Into the Storm

The production scope is so immense that the resources utilized was unparalleled in Russia. Featuring an outstanding production design by Mikhail Bogdanov (The Stone Flower), Aleksandr Dikhtyar (Love and Lies), Said Menyalshchikov (Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears), and Gennady Myasnikov (Belated Flowers), War and Peace looks like a million dollars in every frame. Thousands upon thousands of extras were involved in the war scenes. Even modern Hollywood blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame don't have as many actors running across the screen all at once. It's amazing to take it all in.

There are a number of other impressive aspects to the filmmaking: the beautiful costumes by Vladimir Burmeyster, Nadezhda Buzina, Mikhail Chikovani, and V. Vavra add character to both the soldiers at war and the lovely ladies in the ballroom. The cinematography by Yu-Lan Chen (Far from Moscow), Anatoliy Petritskiy (Mimino), and Aleksandr Shelenkov (Zoya) is experimental and unique: vividly realized. In heightening the mood of every scene, the stirring music score composed by the great Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov (Ivan's Childhood, Andrei Rublev) adds excitement that is undeniable.

Sergey Bondarchuk (Uncle Vanya, Fate of a Man) was considered a surprising pick for director at the time of the project's original announcement (mostly because the filmmaker didn't have a huge list of credits at the time). Bondarchuk co-wrote the screenplay alongside Vasiliy Solovyov (Goodness, General) and cast himself in the leading role of Pierre Bezukhov. Bondarchuk utilizes so many fun, experimental, and unique camera angles throughout the production that his unique visual approach ultimately adds much to the experience.

Some of the best sequences in War and Peace are wide shots with so much rich imagery in each frame. Working alongside editor Tatyana Likhachyova (The Train Goes East, The New Moscow), Bondarchuk was faced with an insurmountable task in adapting one of Russia's most beloved literary works. The director proved himself up to the daunting challenge – creating a wonderful, expansive, and epic production that has withstood the test of time. War and Peace is a remarkable achievement in film and one that every cinephile should consider mandatory viewing.

War and Peace Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Criterion Collection presents the four-part War and Peace on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The release has received a 2K restoration. For the most part, War and Peace has received a reasonable presentation which is easily one of the best options available for viewing the film today.

However, there are a lot of elements of the film presentation to consider. The film is something that was produced using lower-quality film stock common in Russia at the time of the film's production, for one thing. Secondly, the film clocks in at around eight hours long and is divided in to four parts across two discs (alongside bonus features). The encode is not quite as healthy as ideal and a rare exception from Criterion where the label should have preferably opted for three-discs at minimum (with all extras on the third disc). There are occasional compression artifacts visible on the image. These artifacts may be fleeting but to see any on a film of such a big scale is a disappointment.

Beyond compression, the presentation simply isn't without some flaws that viewers should take into consideration (while keeping expectations in check). The transfer is prone to color fluctuations in sequences. From one moment to another there are many scenes where subtle color shifts cause a significantly less impressive transfer than is ideal. Given the type of film stock that was used in producing War and Peace, this is a unfortunate side-effect that was distracting at times. The presentation was restored by Mosfilm using multiple partial 35mm negatives taken from archives.

There are some positives to the presentation. The scan looks largely crisp and clear without any problems with egregious dirt, debris, and print damage. The scan is clearly a well-restored print. Viewers may find the presentation to stand as the best available transfer of War and Peace to date. Considering the low-quality DVD's that have circulated for the feature-film in the past, fans of the Russian epic will be thrilled to see a significant improvement for its high-definition debut. Is it a perfect presentation? No. Yet it has enough positives going for it to make it worth experiencing.

War and Peace Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a Russian 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. The original sound format for War and Peace was six-track 70mm. The audio was restored by Mosfilm based upon those original six-track stems. Essentially, the presentation of War and Peace is in "surround sound" but without any discreet sound effects. One can tell the sound-volume coming out of the surrounds is the same. Consider this an early example of surround sound.

War and Peace has a robust sound-stage which is bombastic and exciting throughout. The track has exceptional dialogue reproduction. The audio presentation for War and Peace is epic sounding. The only downside is that fidelity is sometimes less crisp than desired (especially for certain music cues). Nonetheless, an impressive sound mix of the film that viewers will find satisfactory. English subtitles are provided.

War and Peace Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes packaged in a clear Criterion case with a leaflet inside (containing a poster on one side and an essay, production notes, and restoration notes on the reverse side).

Disc 1:

Woina I Mir (SD, 48:36) is an excellent 1966 behind the scenes documentary about the production of War and Peace. Produced by Thomas Schamoni, the engaging black and white documentary features an interview with the director and some interesting facts about the production of the feature. A must watch for fans.

Disc 2:

Anatoly Petritsky (HD, 14:20) is an interview conducted by Criterion in 2019 with the cinematographer of the film. The cinematographer discusses the challenges of photographing the landmark Russian film and the process of creating the surrealist visuals often on display in the filmmaking.

Fedor Bondarchuk (HD, 6:41) discusses the landmark filmmaking of his father, director Sergei Bondarchuk. As a director himself, Fedor Bondarchuk delves into stories about the film that are interesting for any viewers enchanted by the epic scope of War and Peace.

Les Sovietiques (HD, 27:19) originally aired Nov. 18^th, 1968 as a special French television program chronicling actress Ludmila Savelyeva and her performance as a lead in War and Peace. The TV special also features interviews with the director, Sergei Bondarchuk. This was one of the most entertaining and engaging supplemental features included on the set. One of the most interesting elements was a sequence in which ordinary Russian citizens were asked about their thoughts on the film adaptation of War and Peace: the answers give some interesting insights into the thoughts of the people of Russia at the time the film first debuted. The hands-on approach with Savelyeva is similarly interesting and provides a glimpse at her day-to-day life at the time. Worth a watch.

Cold War Classic (HD, 46:44) is an engaging interview produced by the Criterion Collection in 2019. The extra features historian Denise J. Youngblood (author of Bondarchuk's War and Piece: Literary Classic to Soviet Cinematic Epic) discussing the film and its historical and cultural context. This is certainly an in-depth discussion over the themes of War and Peace and the reason the story was so significant to the people of Russia. With many historically relevant insights, the interview is a must watch for anyone interested in learning more about the film's important place in cinema history.

Making War and Peace (SD, 30:52) is a behind-the-scenes documentary about the production of the film which was first released in 1969. The documentary details the filming and editing of War and Peace with production footage.

War and Peace Janus Films Re-Release Trailer (HD, 1:40)

War and Peace Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the most ambitious productions ever mounted in the history of cinema (regardless of country of origin), War and Peace stands as one of the most impressive achievements in Russian cinema. The film is rightfully often compared to modern epics like The Lord of the Rings due to the massive scope of the production. Utilizing a sprawling cast and thousands of extras, the film is a massive production with more scope than most. The Blu-ray release from the Criterion Collection features a 2K restoration (and the original six-track 70mm soundtrack is also restored). Featuring hours of absorbing and educational supplemental materials, War and Peace is an essential classic. Few films are made at this level. An experience that must be seen. Highly recommended.