Movies - War and Peace

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	Movies - War and Peace

War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир; Vojna i mir) was a Soviet-produced film version of the novel War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Sergei Bondarchuk not only directed the film, but co-wrote the screenplay and starred in the role of Pierre.

The film took 7 years to produce and cost over 100 million dollars. Pre-production started in 1961, and filming commenced in 1963. The film was released in 4 parts in the USSR. In the US, it was shortened by an hour and poorly dubbed into English.

The battle of Bordino scene included 120,000 soldiers, a fact mentioned in the Guinness Book. The battle scenes are amongst the most realistic and expansive ever committed to celluloid. This film was made in the days before CGI, which adds to its visual splendor, as all the people you see are real. Many museums in the USSR contributed artifacts for the incredible production design for the film, making it one of the most sumptuous films ever created. It was one of the only films in the USSR to be shot in 70mm (the official format was called Sovscope 70, the USSR version of 70mm cinemascope). Many hand held shots are in the film, which are nearly impossible to maintain with a 70mm camera. However, a camera was devised for this film (which can be seen on the bonus DVD of the film by RUSCICO). The camera resembles a Bolex camera, and the magazine takes up most of the camera, making the camera very lightweight.

It was released initially on VHS in its truncated, dubbed, pan and scan American form, then it was later restored to its original length, original language, and original aspect ratio by RUSCICO, a Russian/Belgian DVD company specializing in Russian cinema.

Awards

1969 - Academy Award - Best Foreign Language Film
1969 - Golden Globe - Best Foreign-Language Foreign Film
1969 - National Board of Review Award - Best Foreign Language Film
1968 - New York Film Critics Circle Awards - Best Foreign Language Film

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