I was waiting for “Anna Karenina” since it was announced they were going to produce it. I read the novel and, before I went to cinema to see this new production, I watched Soviet Cinema’s film, which was released in 1967. I was ready to live this tragedy through once again in Joe Wright’s directed film.
When I was reading a book, I was imagining Anna Karenina as a stunning woman and Keira Knightly did not disappoint me at all, because she had an elegance and beauty of mature woman, but at the same time she was so fragile, like someone who is really in need of love. I have to say that Leo Tolstoy was very generous to Count Vronsky, when he was creating his character, since I strongly believed that Vronsky has to be a man with who you immediately fall in love. Once again Aaron Taylor – Johnson was in the right place.
Anna falls in love with Vronsky, and this love becomes an obsession for her. For a moment you could envy them, since their love is so full of passion and it seems perfect. It is Imperial Russia time, therefore religion has very strong impact on peoples’ lives. Adultery is a sin. Moreover, if a married woman is the one who is involved in adultery it is unforgivable and even unimaginable. Anna tries to enter the higher society once again, but people assault her and she ends up having no friends at all. In one of the last scenes, Anna is sitting in a café, where other people are looking at her with a judgment in their eyes. Only Dolly comes up to her and says that she does not criticize her. Moreover, she admires her in a way, because Dolly never had courage enough to cheat on Stiva, who was cheating on her all the time.
Pure love, passion and obsession – it’s all there. “Anna Karenina” is a tragedy about love. It shows that there is nothing rational about it. There are not any calculations involved, when we talk about real love. Anna got married so young, because Karenin (Jude Law) was such a great party. My grandmother said that she was not in love with my grandfather. It was a fate of the woman back then, but Anna breaks this order and she is punished by her husband and the society. Eventually she punishes herself.
We live in this fantastic age, where thanks to technologies film is very qualitative. However, it is much more difficult to create something that is really breathtaking. The film creators have brought theatre mise en scene in film. In the beginning it confused me, but it turned out to be very enjoyable. Every shot is like a great picture. Even though it is a tragedy, film has jokes, which make audience to laugh time to time. I am fond of Joe Wright’s other films such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement.” There is always great cinematography and brilliant actors in his films and “Anna Karenina” is not an exception.
When I left the cinema, I was thrilled and sad. Dario Marianelli’s music is still in my head. There are moments in film where the images look almost surreal and as a spectator you have to accept it to be able to enjoy the film fully. The story is always the same, but the film is different. It is an art piece, not just a film.
