War and Peace - Film Adaptations

THIS!!!!! A thousand times this. I remember reading Splendor and Misery when I was about 8 and telling myself, do not be Esther, never be Esther... :lol:.

Are you talking about High and Low of the Courtasans? :D.... That's the one for me too..... never Esther! nor any women in Bel Ami.

I think you are reading way too much into it. Women have always played a huge role in Russian history and the one thing you cannot accuse Russia of is that they undermined women (as a general rule). Ekaterina the Great was Russia's favourite Tsarina and she murdered the Tsar and ruled with her lover(s). .

Two or three Queens don’t make it a rule. Had Tolstoy introduced the issues faced by Ekaterina during her rule as subjects of discussion for his female characters, I would have enjoyed it beyond words!

I am not asking Tolstoy to attribute to his ladies’ conversations much complexities of Ekaterina's life, not the strategies in Turkish-Russian or Russian-Persian Wars; not positioning of the Black Sea Fleet, not even changes to the Russian Banking industry and introduction of first paper money; just something very little… for example the content of a few letters between Ekaterina - The Enlightened Despot, and Voltaire.. :D Amazing pieces of debate and ideas….

What I meant by Tolstoy reading a woman's mind in Anna Karenina was that men and women think very differently in matters of the heart and he captured it very accurately in Anna's relationship with Vronsky I thought.

:D Are you really from this century and living in UK? Or are pulling my leg?.. :D …. (again, for fun only) ... because if not….. then it’s my turn to generalize and to say: this is EXACTLY the typical Russian women attitude, which maintains today’s Russia as a Patriarchal Society. And! Feeds well into Putin’s mantra “return to old family values” and “let women breed like rabbits to contribute to the growth of the declining population”. And! That is why 60+% of Russian women are either married to men who have mistresses and 2nd families, or become one of those mistresses or 2nd wives. It’s called “the Golden Cage Women”.

......and that is why i hear, from Russian women, for the last 26 years, the same stupid comments "why are not you married and have kids", and "why are working in a Man's Profession", which bothers me very little, and makes me feel sorry for them, as I pay their husbands salaries... :D

But, given Alica's last reply and mine, I don't want it to look like two Masada girls attacking Fair Vaselissa...

It's just that I rather like the woman's image iin Nekrasov's poety..... and his concept of Russian Woman.
http://www.stihophone.ru/works.php?G=19&ID=26173

In Russ hamlets women are dwelling,
Of countenance earnest, serene;
In all grace of movement excelling;
In bearing and look like a queen.


......

The horseman she'll vanquish in racing;
In danger, not flinching, she'll save:
A galloping steed boldly facing;
To enter a burning hut,brave.

:D
 
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Well, I work in a man's profession and have a kid, so there :p You can do both. And I've had relationships with men and in my experience, men and women think differently.

As for Russian women just being there to breed?! Really?! Is that why Russia's population has been decreasing at alarming rates?! In Russia, absolutely everything is done (or was in the past) for women to work. The state never encouraged women to stay at home and they never did. Maybe Putin's Russia is different because he's insane, but it was never in the Russian mentality that women should just stay at home and be housewives. They had to be housewives AND work full time.
 
Well, I work in a man's profession and have a kid, so there :p You can do both. And I've had relationships with men and in my experience, men and women think differently.

As for Russian women just being there to breed?! Really?! Is that why Russia's population has been decreasing at alarming rates?! In Russia, absolutely everything is done (or was in the past) for women to work. The state never encouraged women to stay at home and they never did. Maybe Putin's Russia is different because he's insane, but it was never in the Russian mentality that women should just stay at home and be housewives. They had to be housewives AND work full time.

Tolstoy wanted exactly that, for women to stay home and breed....... But! enough War, let there be Peace.... :D

Here are copies of old BBC series if you like to see them, all 20.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTGd1h0CrYU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzx5lvkQdro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGq07Lup73Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GRjXUAMTRc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJ7nU7qcjSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGfxEkq6G5M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUtnecW01d8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jl-XhuWGf0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USbGkEn05n4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSLUsJBv68U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqBDg6AxY6A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpG0hlt0bXM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xL_6zTBtYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9SkX1XvNRo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpxj58qWmUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_yX4kM-n-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ64jAXqZMI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiRtiAp2DDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKMzEm1UjME

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INbkWHmNXeA
 
Are you talking about High and Low of the Courtasans? :D.... That's the one for me too..... never Esther! nor any women in Bel Ami.
Yes, the English title is High and Low. Not quite the same ring to it, eh?
 
So, did anyone see the new miniseries version of War & Peace that's been airing here in the States? Is it any good? I'm intrigued, although somehow the thought of this Russian classic being performed by an all-English cast seems a bit odd.

Interesting discussion above about the book. :)
 
So, did anyone see the new miniseries version of War & Peace that's been airing here in the States? Is it any good? I'm intrigued, although somehow the thought of this Russian classic being performed by an all-English cast seems a bit odd.

Interesting discussion above about the book. :)
I was wondering too. Thanks for the question. I didn't see it listed till episode 2 so I'm looking for the repeats.

Looks like episodes are available online - http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/war-and-peace I would still like to see them on TV.
 
I did and liked it a lot. There are certain liberties taken with the book and since running time in England was just over 6 hours and less so in the US with commercials and 4 2-hour slots a few things get edited out. Overall pacing worked well; and it had incredible scenery and production values -what you'd expect from a big BBC series these days. Ended up caring about some of the smaller characters more (Maria Bolkonskaya is excellent in this version, as are Denisov, Sonia and Dolokhov), but all in all it's definitely worth watching. Also, parts of the soundtrack make for excellent skating music ;).

In case you could watch the original BBC version on DVD, I would recommend that. Based on what I saw in the first episode, they cut out some important scenes, like Count Bezukhov Sr asking for his son, but the US version is also good. Depending on whether or not you have On Demand available on Cable, this should be on Lifetime there as well
 
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What I meant by Tolstoy reading a woman's mind in Anna Karenina was that men and women think very differently in matters of the heart

I digress, but must say WHOA here. That's a huge generalization! There are huge differences within men and within women when it comes to matters of the heart. There are women who chase the elusive exotic man, women who choose the rich and powerful man,women who marry the nice guy and do everything right, women who forego marriage and children entirely. Among men, an equal number of combinations and permutations.

I basically disagree that matters of the heart divide along lines of gender, especially in a society where women have choices as to what they do and how they live.

I'm sure there are many women who think as rationally as men in love

Yes, I'm sure there are, and as many who think irrationally - again, presuming the playing field is at least somewhat level and women get a say as to how they live their lives and who they have relationships with.

I bought into the whole 'women who love too much' theory back in the 80s, and it seemed to hold true for many of the women I knew at the time. But I don't think it holds as much truth in 2016 - at least I hope it doesn't. The middle-class daughters of baby boomers to a certain extent challenged the suburban housewife tradition of the post-WWII era. Their daughters did not have to pioneer the same territory.

I remember a (male) employer telling me in the 80s that he was 'happy' to hire a woman, and being really uncomfortable with that.
 
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They didn't show this trailer here. So back to my original statement. :swoon:
 

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