War and Peace, hit or miss ?

[London Female]

I missed this to start with but watched all 5 episodes over the week before the final episode yesterday, I really enjoyed it.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I tried the first episode and didn't warm to it... but I carried on recording it, maybe it would be worth giving it a second go!

It's worth a second go. I was really not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. As others have said, the first episode does try and set the characters and scene up in a very short time and as such is probably not the best.

 

[midlife]

New X files on ch5 tonight..

That's more like it

Shaun

 

[summerdays]

I think it depends whether you've read the book or not, or if you know anything about the historical period.

I've not read the book (though I think I remember a failed attempt at that many years ago), and only a vague knowledge of the history from school studying Russian history in year 3. Judging from the comments here it sounds as if I should give it a second chance.

 

[LarryDuff]

Not usually a fan of period dramas but i thought it would was pretty good.

 

[AndyRM]

I'm with you. I really enjoyed it.

I'd never would have read the book and am certain that there's a lot of detail missed to cram it all into 6 episodes. Several friends thought it wooden-acted and drawn-out, if you're living a diet of action movies I can see that. But I thought it conveyed something about the history and social politics of the time,I like the characters and how circumstances changed them. I thought it was beautifully shot and well played-out. For once it was something that was worth looking forward to on a Sunday Night. I'd never heard of Paul Dano before and thought him very good. Ade Edmondson was also an inspired choice.
The other thing is it inspired me to find out a bit more about Tolstoy and Russian History ....

So 5/5 for me - A hit!

Vaguely on topic, if you're looking for other Dano stuff, check out Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood. Codes of Conduct is a good series so far too. Avoid 12 Years a Slave, Prisoners and Looper. All rubbish, but it's not his fault.

 

[Milkfloat]

I enjoyed it too, far better than Dickensian which I could only put up with for 4 episodes.

 

[Cubist]

I surprised myself. Never having read the book I wanted to see what it was all about. My expectations were sort of low, and I was surprised to find myself drawn into the plot. Not knowing that it was, after all a romantic drama, now I've seen it all the way through I wonder how much of Pierre's former debauchery was missed out or rather hinted at? His transformation and karmic happy ending are perhaps a bit twee, so I must now get hold of the book and see whether it was written far more from his perspective than the programme. If so, I would expect the book to be an interesting journey.

 

[Cubist]

As for Deutschland 83, I'm utterly gripped. I studied German political history from 83 to 87, and spent a year studying in Marburg in 85, with several trips to Berlin. Marburg was in the American occupied zone, and so anti US feeling was particularly strong amongst the politicised student classes. My dissertation was based on the work of political student groups, so I spent some time with some fervent activists. I was surprised to discover the level of direct action to which even some moderate members of those groups would condone and even carry out. A weekend in Frankfurt with some black star anarchists protesting against StartbahnWest was quite an eye opener. Ah, those were the days.

 

[AndyRM]

I surprised myself. Never having read the book I wanted to see what it was all about. My expectations were sort of low, and I was surprised to find myself drawn into the plot. Not knowing that it was, after all a romantic drama, now I've seen it all the way through I wonder how much of Pierre's former debauchery was missed out or rather hinted at? His transformation and karmic happy ending are perhaps a bit twee, so I must now get hold of the book and see whether it was written far more from his perspective than the programme. If so, I would expect the book to be an interesting journey.

The book is a long and at times frustrating journey, but it is an excellent read which no adaptation will ever be able to do justice to. Good luck!

It cost me a tenner in library fines so you're probably best off buying a copy. Get an unabridged one.

Pierre is the main character for most of the book, and represents a lot of Tolstoy's views. He was probably best portrayed, the women were poorly represented I thought, it's not really a romantic drama but I can see how you'd get that from the Beeb.

 

[swee'pea99]

His transformation and karmic happy ending

A poster on the BBC PoV messageboards made the interesting point that this was quite at odds with the ending of the book, which is apparently far more downbeat, and essentially conveys Tolstoy's core message that despite all the foregoing, nothing has really changed. The poor remain poor and abused; the rich, rich and decadent; the society as a whole deeply disfunctional and fundamentally unjust. But that's not really what you want on a Sunday evening on the Beeb, eh?

 

[Fab Foodie]

A poster on the BBC PoV messageboards made the interesting point that this was quite at odds with the ending of the book, which is apparently far more downbeat, and essentially conveys Tolstoy's core message that despite all the foregoing, nothing has really changed. The poor remain poor and abused; the rich, rich and decadent; the society as a whole deeply disfunctional and fundamentally unjust. But that's not really what you want on a Sunday evening on the Beeb, eh?

It's what they normally serve up ....

 

[Fab Foodie]

The book is a long and at times frustrating journey, but it is an excellent read which no adaptation will ever be able to do justice to. Good luck!

It cost me a tenner in library fines so you're probably best off buying a copy. Get an unabridged one.

Pierre is the main character for most of the book, and represents a lot of Tolstoy's views. He was probably best portrayed, the women were poorly represented I thought, it's not really a romantic drama but I can see how you'd get that from the Beeb.

Actually, I didn't see it as a romantic drama at all, but more along the lines of the changing nature of relationships with circumstances, redemption and forgiveness. The role of class and the corruption of money. I thought there were several themes in the plot of which romance was a device used to explore them.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Vaguely on topic, if you're looking for other Dano stuff, check out Little Miss Sunshine and There Will Be Blood. Codes of Conduct is a good series so far too. Avoid 12 Years a Slave, Prisoners and Looper. All rubbish, but it's not his fault.

Actually I've seen little miss sunshine .... But can't say I knew he was in it. I'm not really a film person.

 

[AndyRM]

Actually I've seen little miss sunshine .... But can't say I knew he was in it. I'm not really a film person.

He's the mute guy obsessed with Neitsche.