This masterful epic directed by Sergei Bondarchuk marked a watershed moment in the history of Soviet cinema.
The film was released in four installments between 1966 and 1967 after a production that spanned more than six years.
As director, Bondarchuk (who also co-wrote and starred in film), commanded legions of actors to bring his vision of Leo Tolstoy’s 1867 novel to life, at one point orchestrating over 10,000 extras to recreate the Battle of Borodino.
The film, which was one of the most expensive films made at the time, was shot in 70-mm instead of the standard 35-mm.
the film starred Bondarchuk in the leading role of Pierre Bezukhov, alongside Vyacheslav Tikhonov and Ludmila Savelyeva, who depicted Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and Natasha Rostova.
Produced by the Mosfilm studios between 1961 and 1967, the epic received support from the Soviet authorities and the Soviet Army which provided hundreds of horses and over ten thousand soldiers as extras.
At a cost of 8.29 million Rbls – equal to US$ 9.21 million at 1967 rates, or $70 million in 2022, accounting for rouble inflation – it was the most expensive film made in the Soviet Union.
Upon its release, it became a success with audiences, selling approximately 135 million tickets in the USSR.
Bondarchuk overcame casting difficulties and various filming disasters to craft a movie now remembered for its enormous ambition beyond what any audience member had witnessed before.
Critical Status
Some critics (not me) considered the grandest epic film ever made, with many asserting its monumental production to be unrepeatable and unique in film history.
War and Peace earned the Grand Prix at the Moscow Film Fest, and the best foreign language film Oscar.
