This is not some kind of academic flex, but perhaps many people who look for this film over a decade since its release are doing so after reading the Tolstoy's magnificent novel. Anna Karenina is perhaps Tolstoy's finest work, and I understand why this film was produced. The problem, as it is with a majority of literary adaptations, is so much of the nuance is lost. Vronsky barely develops, and Anna's decline happens in the blink of an eye. There are of course many wonderful aspects of this film. The weird stage show thing was done well, but essentially made the adaptation worse than it already was. I would have loved for this film to have ditched the gimmick and run for four hours, slavishly recreating all the events of the novels. Maybe even 5 hours, to really simulate the time passing, and Anna's transformation. Her demise was so sudden, and the aftermath, an afterthought. But all that is impossible, of course. The point is, like most adaptations, if you've read the book, try to forget it as much as possible, and maybe you will enjoy this film more than I did. There are many redeeming qualities, like the amazing costumes and strange sequences, the acting was fine, but the task was simply too great.
Review of Anna Karenina
