Princess
Kitty’s hopes of getting married to dashing Count Alexei Vronsky, are dashed
when he meets Anna Karenina quite by chance in a train bound to Moscow from St.
Petersburg. Anna is traveling to fix her brother’s marriage which has been
damaged by his frequent indiscretions. When Count Vronsky encounters Anna a few
too many times, a maddening attraction flourishes between the two that
threatens their standing in society and ends up tragically as she leaves her
husband and is ostracized by members of her social circle.
This 2012 adapted
version of Anna Karenina, the novel penned
by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, is the first one I have ever seen. I haven’t
read the source material either so I have only the movie to rely upon. This
film version is directed by Joe Wright and starred by Keira Knightley in the
role of Anna, Jude Law as Karenin—Anna’s husband--, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as
Count Vronsky. Also Matthew Macfadyen co-stars as Oblonsky, Anna’s brother.
I must say
that though I didn’t feel the chemistry between Keira Knightley and Aaron Taylor-Johnson
—it’s not in the same league as the chemistry between her and Matthew Macfadyen
in Pride and Prejudice or the
incandescent spark between Knightley and James McAvoy in Atonement--, I did feel in some sort of shock by the end of the
movie; it was the power of the story and its tragic ending. It’s that after so
much loving and sacrifice, it all went to waste; the relationship between Anna
and Alexei was shattered, imploded by the demands of society and its pressures.
I did like
the story. It is quite a powerful one and I somehow get easily carried away
when love ends tragically; those stories really move me. However, I didn’t think
this movie was that good. It is portrayed in a theater-like format, the
changing of stages and costumes occur as in the theater, not like in a fluid
movie; I found that very archaic and I think it stole the film of its power if
not of its drama.
Carmen, I loved this book and have read it several times. Don't think I've seen the video. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteCarole,
DeleteThis movie is new; it was released on November of last year. It's possible that by now is on DVD. I didn't think it was that good, but I intend to read the book sometime since I really liked the story.
Regards,