War & Peace (2016 TV series)

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This article is about the 2016 TV series. For other uses, see War and Peace (disambiguation).
War & Peace
Series title over a mist laden battlefield
Genre Period drama
Based on War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Written by Andrew Davies
Directed by Tom Harper
Starring <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Composer(s) Martin Phipps
Country of origin <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Original language(s) English[lower-alpha 1]
No. of series 1
No. of episodes 6 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Andrew Davies
  • Bethan Jones
  • Faith Penhale
  • Simon Vaughan
  • Harvey Weinstein
  • Robert Walak
Producer(s) Julia Stannard
Production location(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Cinematography George Steel
Editor(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
  • Mark Eckersley
  • Steven Worsley
Running time 60-82 minutes
Production company(s) <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Distributor <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Release
Original network <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/>
Picture format 16:9 1080i
Audio format Stereo
Original release 3 January (2016-01-03) –
7 February 2016 (2016-02-07)
External links
Website

War & Peace is a British-American historical period drama television serial first broadcast on BBC One on 3 January 2016.[1] It is a six-part adaptation of the novel War and Peace by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy, written by Andrew Davies and directed by Tom Harper.[2] War & Peace aired on A&E, Lifetime, and History Channel in the United States as four two-hour episodes, beginning on 18 January 2016. The serial stars Paul Dano, Lily James and James Norton in the leading roles.

Plot

The saga begins in Russia in 1805. When Pierre (Paul Dano), Natasha (Lily James) and Andrei (James Norton) are first introduced to viewers, their youthful ambition, despite their privileged circumstances, is to find meaning in their lives. Kind-hearted but awkward Pierre, the illegitimate son of Russia’s richest man, wants to change the world for the better. The spirited Natasha is searching for true love, while handsome and gallant Andrei (James Norton), frustrated with the superficiality of society, seeks a higher purpose.

At the same time, Napoleon’s army edges ever closer to Russia’s borders. As everything they thought they knew is thrown into question, Pierre, Andrei and Natasha find themselves in a time when Russian lives are about to change forever.

Natasha's older brother Nikolai (Jack Lowden) joins the army immediately and matures during the course of the wars with Napoleon. He also experiences romantic vicissitudes: despite his childhood love for his cousin Sonya (Aisling Loftus), his impoverished parents insist instead that he marry a rich bride like the superficial Julie Karagina or the religious Marya Bolkonskaya (Jessie Buckley).

Cast

The cast was announced on 28 December 2014.[3]

Principal

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Supporting

Production

The series, a British-American co-production, was announced by Danny Cohen on 18 February 2013 and was commissioned by him and Ben Stephenson, the controller of BBC Drama.[5] The production by BBC Cymru Wales, is partnered by The Weinstein Company, Lookout Point and BBC Worldwide.[6][7]

The executive producers are Faith Penhale, George Ormond, Andrew Davies, Simon Vaughan, Robert Walak[8] and Harvey Weinstein.[9] The director is Tom Harper.[3]

The series was filmed in Russia, Lithuania and Latvia with Arri Alexa digital cameras. In addition, anamorphic lenses were used not for a wider aspect ratio but for the focus fall-off where out of focus areas and bokeh exhibit anamorphic characteristics.[10]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date UK viewers
(millions) [11]
1 "Episode 1" Tom Harper Andrew Davies 3 January 2016 (2016-01-03) 9.33
The series opens in Russia in 1805. Napoleon Bonaparte's French army has invaded Austria and now threatens Russia itself. Pierre Bezukhov is an aristocratic Russian whose outspoken political views, supportive of the French emperor, are less than fully welcomed by polite society. Andrei Bolkonsky, Pierre's close friend and the heir to one of Russia's noblest families, seeks glory and advancement in the Tsar's army opposing Napoleon. Natasha Rostova, from a minor noble's family, is a joyous and yet thoughtful girl, still seeking her future place in society. Beneath the detail of these individuals' stories, the struggle between war and peace is set to form the backdrop of their lives.
2 "Episode 2" Tom Harper Andrew Davies 10 January 2016 (2016-01-10) 7.72
Pierre marries Helene but soon realizes that she is an unloving and mercenary wife, cuckolding him with Dolokhov, whom he challenges to a duel. The scheming Vassily also engineers a union between his son Anatole and Andrei's unworldly sister Marya. The Russian army holds off the French for a while with Nikolai being able to return to his family but another encounter leaves Andrei badly wounded. He is able to get home in time to see Lise give birth to their child but it is not a happy event.
3 "Episode 3" Tom Harper Andrew Davies 17 January 2016 (2016-01-17) 7.33
A nervous Pierre nonetheless defeats Dolokhov in a duel and maintains his show marriage with Helene, who is now having an affair with Boris Drubetskoi. A meeting with Osip Bazdeev encourages him to join the Freemasons and to improve the welfare of his serfs. Dolokhov recuperates with the Rostovs, winning huge sums at cards from the foolish Nikolai and proposing to Sonya, who turns him down, confessing her love for Nikolai, who cannot respond. Natasha also rejects a proposal from her brother's friend Denisov but when Pierre introduces her to Andrei, who has quit the army and been living a reclusive life to punish himself for neglecting his late wife, both she and Andrei are mutually smitten.
4 "Episode 4" Tom Harper Andrew Davies 24 January 2016 (2016-01-24) 7.40
Andrei's curmudgeonly father orders him to travel for a year to test his feelings for Natasha, which she initially accepts. Six months later Nikolai shocks his parents by declaring his love for Sonya, whom he hopes to marry, rather than the heiress Julie Karagina, the parents' choice. Ironically, Boris, still having sex with Helene, shows an interest in Julie as a wife whilst his mother desires a financially advantageous marriage to Andrei's sister Marya. After an awkward meeting with Andrei's family Natasha feels that they do not like her and is thus vulnerable when Helene introduces her to the amorous Anatole, with whom she is about to elope until Pierre steps in and informs her that he already has a wife in Poland. Natasha is devastated but Andrei is on his way back to Moscow and still in love with her.
5 "Episode 5" Tom Harper Andrew Davies 31 January 2016 (2016-01-31) 7.25
France again breaks peace with Russia and invades, striking towards Moscow. Natasha and Andrei's broken engagement is the focus of Pierre's attempts at reconciliation. Andrei's father meanwhile is becoming increasing difficult for Maria Bolkonskya to cope with, and as the French threaten Bald Hills, the family are eventually forced to flee after the prince is mortally injured attempting to ride off to war single-handed. Nikolai comes to Maria's aid with her small retinue struggling to acquire the means of escape. Pierre and Andrei meet up prior to the crucial Battle of Borodino, and both are faced with the horrors and perils of the 19th-century battlefield.
6 "Episode 6" Tom Harper Andrew Davies 7 February 2016 (2016-02-07) 7.39
As the French advance into Moscow, Natasha and her family flee their home for the countryside. They take war casualties with them and discover that Andrei is among them. Natasha begs Andrei for forgiveness and he confesses that he still loves her. Andrei later dies, with Natasha and his sister, Marya, by his side. Back in Moscow, Pierre is captured by the French, almost shot and then imprisoned. He is befriended by Platon Karataev, a peasant who has a profound effect on Pierre's outlook to the deepest of levels. A pregnant Helene is unable to reach Pierre to gain consent for divorce and she subsequently dies of an overdose. Sonya releases Nikolai from their engagement and he instead becomes engaged, and later married to, Marya. The French retreat from Moscow and Pierre is eventually rescued by Dolokhov. Pierre later marries Natasha and starts a family.

Broadcasts

In the UK the drama consists of five 60-minute episodes and one 82-minute finale, broadcast on BBC One beginning 3 January 2016 at 9pm.[1][12][13]

In the U.S. broadcasting began on 18 January 2016 and the series was simulcast across three networks: A&E, Lifetime, and History Channel. It aired in four two-hour blocks over four weeks, at 9pm ET/PT, on Lifetime. In Canada, the show airs at the same time and with the same format as in the United States, but only on A&E.[14][15][16][17][18]

It aired in Australia on BBC First from 31 January 2016.[19]

The serial will also air in Sweden (SVT), Denmark (TV 2), Norway (NRK), Estonia (ETV), Greece (OTE), Lithuania (LNK), Israel (YES), Russia (Channel One), China (LeEco), Taiwan (LeEco), India (Vuclip), South Korea (KBS and SK), Philippines (ABS and CBN), Belgium (BBC First), the Netherlands (BBC First), Luxembourg (BBC First) and Portugal (RTP).[20] [21][22][23]

The show has also been sold to France2, Finland’s YLE, NRK in Norway, RUV in Iceland, Latvia’s LTV and TRBC in Ukraine.[24]

Reception

The series has received very positive reviews. The Telegraph placed it as #5 in its list of the greatest television adaptations of all time, stating "[I]t is safe to say that this is the greatest TV costume drama of the past decade and has raised the bar in a genre for which we are already renowned all over the world."[25][26]

On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator website, the series received a 81% approval rating with an average rating of 8.3 out of 10. The website's consensus reads: "War & Peace boasts sumptuous visuals and the narrative remains largely faithful to its sprawling source material, even if the pace may challenge less patient viewers and the period detail is slightly lacking."[27]

A world-premiere press screening of the first episode was held in London on 14 December 2015,[28] after which a first-look review in The Telegraph pronounced it "breathtaking".[29] Christopher Stevens gave it 5 stars in the Daily Mail, calling the opening hour-long episode "nothing less than a sweeping victory".[30] Andrew Billen of The Times gave the first episode 4 stars.[31] Viv Groskop in The Guardian wrote "It's tonally perfect, striking exactly the right balance between drama and wit, action and emotion, passion and humour".[32] The second episode received 5 stars from both Andrew Billen in The Times[33] and Claudia Connell of the Daily Mail.[34] "The third episode was by far the most beautiful installment and the most affecting chapter of War and Peace so far", wrote Neela Debnath in The Express.[35] The ball towards the end of the third episode received particular attention, with Digital Spy describing it as "the most spellbinding moment of television we'll see this year".[36] Benji Wilson from The Telegraph described the third episode as a "dazzling mazurka of roiling passions and misplaced affection", giving 5 stars.[37] The feature-length finale received 5 stars from The Telegraph.[26]

DVD release

The entire series of War & Peace was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 8 February 2016 by BBC DVD.[38] Special features include making-of featurettes.

Notes

  1. ↑ The series also features songs in Russian, church services in Old Church Slavonic, and some French dialogue.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑
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  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 5. War and Peace (2016, BBC One). In: "The 22 greatest TV adaptations". The Telegraph. Retrieved 24 May 2016. (Originally published in January 2015 as "The 20 greatest TV adaptations".)
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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