Anna Karénine

"All happy families resemble each other; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

... considered one of the pinnacles of world literature... 8-parts - 217 chapters... spread-over 850 pages - (350,000 words... audiobook approx 37 hours long)... this adaptation isn't a classic yet it is decent.. considering the source material that's quite understandable... any 200 minute film reproduction is never going to do Tolstoy's masterwork justice.

I love the gorgeous camera angles from the view of a small pet. I had no idea the narrative was "dubbed" until the second time watching - expert timing. Vittoria Puccini's voice-over perfect.

This is my all time favorite Anna Karenina. Actors, wardrobe and sets absolutely gorgeous. About time. I have watched it three times. It did justice to the Tolstoy novel. Oh my beating heart be still , that Vronsky. Anna heartbreakingly gorgeous. The PBS 1977 version is good .

Other film adaptations of Tolstoy's novel have been disappointing for me so I almost didn't watch this one. I am so glad that one lazy evening I gave it a try. This is by far the closest to Tolstoy's vision, richness of content, and character development. The characters of Levin and Kitty are more fully developed here and offer a view of possible relationships between men and women that contrasts to relationships between Anna and Alexei or Anna and Vronsky or Dolly and Stevi. Moreover, the inner struggle tormenting Anna is more sharply depicted. Themes of love, betrayal and forgiveness are explored more deeply and in greater complexity than earlier adaptations. The cinematography is exquisite, the costumes and settings tastefully done but do not overwhelm the story, and the two-part film is totally engaging from start to finish, Bravos to all involved in this production.

What an excellent find! I have had some misgivings about Anna Karenina on-screen adaptations - there is one I can think of that is downright embarrassing and some, while faithful to the source material one way or another, feel dated and even tedious.

But I was very happy and satisfied with this snowy, gorgeously shot adaptation. The narrative focuses evenly on Anna and Levin's individual story lines and their respective relationships - both of the characters intermittently narrate their stories and they finally feel like equals in importance to the whole Tolstoyan picture. It is refreshing to see how Levin's character is explored more thoroughly on-screen, and this version gives great justice to his search of real love with Kitty, faith with God and the meaning of life.

All of the actors hail from Western Europe and are probably not very well-known elsewhere, but they are all amazing and understand their characters well - the characters feel more human in this version than other versions, even than the book itself! Italian actress Vittoria Puccini is fantastic as Anna and not only does she fit the look, but she effortlessly tackles Anna's many paradoxes. Count Vronsky, played by the dark and very handsome Santiago Cabrera, brims with charisma and is a much-needed palate cleanser after a string of insipid Vronskys in previous adaptations. I suppose it is not a hyperbole that him and Vittoria make the most beautiful and sensuous Anna/Vronsky pairing on-screen to date.

What I also appreciate in this version is how the role of Dolly, played splendidly by Carlotta Natoli, is much more prominent as a character here than in previous versions and is given the credit that is due. She is not merely reduced to being Stiva's distressed wife, but a loving sister to Kitty, an active stimulus to Levin and Kitty's relationship, a loyal friend to Anna and a woman who knows when to stand up to her philandering husband.

In short, this is a very successful retelling of Anna Karenina that is rich with characterization and one which I really enjoyed from start to finish. Now I know which adaptation of the book I would recommend!