Mart - the War and Peace marathon has started... - Victor Khomenko

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Mart - the War and Peace marathon has started...

204.183.93.128

I had to go through a battle to make my wife agree to watch it. She too remembered her teenager experience of having to sit through the long, long, looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong movie while the life was going on outside the theater - boys, ice-cream, scarce Leningrad sun, books...
But last night I put on the first of the three 140 minute tapes, and before we knew it we got absorbed. Some of the best Russian actors, tons of wonderful acting, incredible battle scenes, and enough cause for argument to fill the next five years.
Yeah, we were young back then... We also still remember the movie quite well, but that didn't take much from the pleasure of watching this classic. And classis it is, even if it would never be possible to even toucht the depth of the original work in seven hours. So - true, you get just the clips, short segments of the masterpiece here and there, but each short segment can be takes as an almost complete little artwork. And I simply couldn't take my eyes off Tikhonov's face - there is that magic in its icy beauty.
Great actor after great actor, all familiar. The Russian-angel beauty of Vertinskaya (one of the most beautiful women to ever grace the movie screen) next to that incredible Trophimov...
And of course, my wife saying the actor's lines before they had any chance to...
I was already tired by the time we put it on. But two and a half hours simply flew by.
I fully realize that not being familiar with those actors the film may not pull you in right away. And the problems of Russians aristocrats may not be as pertinent as the Confederate love story, but I doubt anyone who loves movie will not find something to excite his interst in that monumental work.
Some critics have suggested that it is too long and slow - therefor falling short of great movie status. It certainly seemed that way to me back in the sixties. But yesterday, with very few exceptions, there were not scenes that I would like to fast forward. I simply enjoyed being there.
So Bandarchuk IS too old to play Pierre, and his wife, her marble Mother-Russia-sized bust nothwithstanding, doesn't look right as his... well, wife... but just accept it from the beginning and simply suspend your doubts. For there will be folks like Ktorov, who will more than compensate for these shortcomings.
The tape quality is acceptable, although you would certainly want for more. And all those uniforms, arms and costumes - oh, the sheer beauty of these...
So I am really looking forward to two more night between war and peace, even though I know exactly how it is going to end...
That tape will be available to the folks here to borrow, conditioned on promts and curtious return... Mart is the first in line.

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The Cable Cooker

Topic - Mart - the War and Peace marathon has started... - Victor Khomenko 08:17:36 04/23/01 (2)

...and ended... - Victor Khomenko 09:15:15 04/25/01 (1)

thanks for the review, what were the source of arguments? - Mart 17:23:47 05/07/01 (0)

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