War and Peace

The melancholy Prince Andrey, the awkward and intellectual Pierre, and the spirited Natasha undergo various transformations in Russia during and after the 1812 Napoleonic invasion in this version of Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece.. The performances are uniformly dignified, accomplished, and mellifluous. And very British. However, while the events and characters are faithful to the celebrated novel, they are gracelessly adapted, greatly compressed, and bloodlessly produced. Gone is any Russian character, most of Tolstoy's intellectual content, the majority of the 500 characters, and the sweep of events. Only Emily Mortimer as Natasha makes a solid impression by virtue of her sparkle and charm. It's as if the monumental events of 1805-1820 all took place in drawing rooms and ballrooms. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine