Why the filming of the film “War and Peace” by Sergei Bondarchuk became a matter of national importance

The world-famous Soviet actor and director Sergey Bondarchuk films, which he staged, thought through and shot very carefully, even meticulously. While working on the epic War and Peace, he repeatedly demanded to shoot up to forty takes of the same scene. This was especially true of battle episodes. For six years, a huge team created War and Peace in four parts.

In 1956, the American adaptation of War and Peace, staged by King Vidor, appeared on the screens. In it, Audrey Hepburn embodied the image of Natasha Rostova. Perhaps, unwittingly, King Vidor with his film provoked the Ministry of Culture of the USSR and the State Film Agency to respond with the best adaptation of the epic.



To take up the production of the film version of "War and Peace" sought famous, experienced directors Mikhail Romm, Sergey Gerasimov, Ivan Pyriev (he already had a script). But Goskino chose a young director and actor Sergey Bondarchuk, who managed to assert himself with several well-played roles in the Young Guard of his teacher Sergey Gerasimov, Othello in the film of the same name, directed by Sergei Yutkevich on the tragedy of Shakespeare. For the role of Taras Shevchenko in the film of the Ukrainian director Igor Savchenko, shot by his students and assistants Alexander Alov and Vladimir Naumov, was awarded the State (then Stalin) prize.

Behind the shoulders of Bondarchuk-director by that time there was only one, but strong film “The Fate of Man”. We already knew that Sergey Bondarchuk filmsIt is as if they are living in it, putting their whole soul into it.

Probably, in Goskino considered that, in addition to skill, experience and professionalism, the director of a film of this magnitude should also have remarkable health and young energy. But, as they say, people have...



In fact, the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino managed only to approve the literary script and conduct acting tests. By the I Moscow International Film Festival, held in July 1965, only two series were shot. The first part of the epic – “Andrey Bolkonsky” – received the Grand Prize of the festival. Sergei Bondarchuk due to nervous overstrain doctors could barely save.



Instagram/@sdelano.v.cccr/ For the first time Bondarchuk almost went to heaven a year earlier, in the midst of summer field shootings of the film novel. After recovering from a heart attack, Sergei Fedorovich said: Now I know how to film the death of Prince Andrew. He should go not into darkness, but into the light, recalled his widow Irina Skobtseva.

The budget of the Soviet blockbuster amounted to an unprecedented amount at that time – 8,291,712 rubles. The ministries of culture, defense, light industry were responsible for providing the picture with the necessary resources. About 50 factories weaved cloth, sewed costumes, made scenery, weapons, shaving. The extras for the battle scenes involved 120,000 soldiers and civilians (the soldiers cost nothing). This number is recorded by the Guinness Book of Records.

Austerlitz and Shengraben battles were filmed in Transcarpathia. The necessary equipment, equipment, ammunition, clothes traveled in 150 cars. Each episode was treated with care.



Instagram/@historyphotoarchive/ The film received worldwide recognition. On April 15, 1969, its creators received an Oscar. The statuette was accepted by Lyudmila Savelyeva: Bondarchuk was on the set of Waterloo.

Battle scenes are recognized as the best in world cinema. The camera work of Anatoly Petritsky, the son of the famous Ukrainian avant-garde artist Anatole Petritsky, was highly appreciated. To shoot “from a flying cannonball” (part of “Borodino”), the camera was attached above the field to a cable car with a length of 120 meters. Shooting the first ball of Natasha, Petritsky stood on the rollers, and the assistant moved it among the waltzing couples. All these techniques are included in the textbook for cinematographers.



Instagram / @amina.ozdamirova.producer And all the budget expenses paid off many times over. And at the prom evenings, the girls dressed up in dresses with a high waist a la Natasha Rostov, but not in the floor, but mini. The owners of braids made elegant hairstyles like her. I happened to know a very elegant cat with elegant features of the face, which the hostess, impressed by the image embodied by Vyacheslav Tikhonov, called Bolkonsky.
Is it possible that they overtook the Americans?



Sergei Bondarchuk filmed: is everything so beautiful But for some reason remember the stories of eyewitnesses, how much earned on the Transcarpathian gift of Dionysus, the leadership and security of the grape farm, on whose lands were filmed fields of Austerlitz. Yes, and those who had a “household”, did not remain incorrect, secretly supplying the drink in three-liter cans.

And the vineyards and fields were trampled to the bare ground. The efforts of whole generations of hardworking people have been devalued. People once again felt their insignificance to Soviet power. And why then? words of Andrei Bolkonsky On the eve of the battle that decided the outcome of the war: “Yes, when did those who had the best troops win the battles?” The main thing is that within, peaceful harmony and a mood that speaks of the life of the spirit.



Instagram / @ani_elizaveta If this is another quote "for the facade", then both the novel and its adaptation were apparently in vain. What do you think?