Anna Karenina
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Matthew MacFadyena
A truly inspired creation taken from Leo Tolstoy’s monumental classic by the same name, Anna Karenina breathes new life into a timeless and tragic love story. Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley), the wife of a Russian imperial minister Alexei Karenin (Jude Law), creates a high-society scandal when she has a secret love affair with Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a dashing cavalry officer in 19th-century St. Petersburg. Anna's husband, Alexei, offers her a difficult choice: Go into exile with Vronsky but never see her young son again, or remain with her family and abide by the rules of discretion.
The elegant world of Russian Aristocracy is governed by a stringent code of honor and expectation. The “rules” impress that no one is allowed to step beyond the boundary of societal expectation. The irony of this tragic story is, despite the beauty of their world and the precise code which governs them, the citizenry of high society Russia is a beautiful tapestry which hides within a world riven with decay and broken love. The stylistic choice of creating St. Petersburg and Moscow as elegantly designed theatrical sets reflects the tone of Russian society perfectly.
Keira Knightley’s interpretation of what is quite possibly one of the most tragic love triangles in history is intriguing because of the many facets which make up her character, Anna. When the audience is introduced to Anna, she is initially a very charming character. She cares deeply for her young son and the well-being of her brother, although her relationship with her husband, Alexei Karenin, (Jude Law) tends to be apathetic at best. When she encounters Vronksy (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) at an elegant ball, she at first shies away from his advances, but eventually becomes entranced with him, and they fall into a passionate love affair. The irony which makes Anna’s story so tragic is that even after she has sacrificed everything to be with Vronsky, instead of being happy with her choice, she falls into a deeper melancholy and eventually, she is so overcome with pain and insecurity that it destroys her.
The psychological personalities of the two masculine characters in Anna Karenina portray extreme opposites in the fabric of the storyline. Women may actually tend to appreciate Alexei Karenin (Jude Law) more as a masculine character rather than his counterpart, Vronsky. While Alexei is painted as being very cold and withdrawn towards his young wife, in reality, his actions are dictated by his adherence to the expectations of societal law and he is bound by his stringent code of honor not to diverge from the “rules” of society. Ironically, even when Anna betrays Alexei, he forgives her, and then he shows her compassion, not once but twice. Finally, even after Anna’s tragic demise, Alexei is seen watching over not only the child he had with Anna, but the daughter Anna had in her ill-fated love affair as well. This allows the audience a brief glimpse into the softer side of Alexei’s character and leaves them with the impression that underneath his stern exterior, Alexei is truly an honorable man.
Vronsky, on the other hand, is the epitome of a vile, narcissistic, shallow and immature aristo-brat with an insatiable lust for beautiful women who can never find happiness or peace of mind with just one. He is originally promised to a young princess named Kitty, but he quickly abandons her when he encounters Anna at the ball. Even after Vronsky woos Anna with his licentious charms and destroys her marriage with Alexei, he soon tires of her and latches on to yet another woman. He lacks the spine or the honor to remain faithful to the women he claims to love and simply manipulates them to satiate his own carnal desires with no respect or consideration for their feelings.
While there are some elements, such as the theatrical setting and distorted imagery which may repel viewers who do not fully appreciate Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece, there are other elements which do this movie justice. The casting is exceptional, the musical score created by Dario Marianelli is flawless, and the story, while sometimes difficult to understand, creates a believable account of a tragic love affair and the consequences which resulted in the wake of the lover’s ignorance. If you enjoy romantic period films and beautiful artistry, Anna Karenina is definitely worth two hours of your time.
© 2013 – 2019 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Matthew MacFadyena
A truly inspired creation taken from Leo Tolstoy’s monumental classic by the same name, Anna Karenina breathes new life into a timeless and tragic love story. Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley), the wife of a Russian imperial minister Alexei Karenin (Jude Law), creates a high-society scandal when she has a secret love affair with Count Vronsky (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a dashing cavalry officer in 19th-century St. Petersburg. Anna's husband, Alexei, offers her a difficult choice: Go into exile with Vronsky but never see her young son again, or remain with her family and abide by the rules of discretion.
The elegant world of Russian Aristocracy is governed by a stringent code of honor and expectation. The “rules” impress that no one is allowed to step beyond the boundary of societal expectation. The irony of this tragic story is, despite the beauty of their world and the precise code which governs them, the citizenry of high society Russia is a beautiful tapestry which hides within a world riven with decay and broken love. The stylistic choice of creating St. Petersburg and Moscow as elegantly designed theatrical sets reflects the tone of Russian society perfectly.
Keira Knightley’s interpretation of what is quite possibly one of the most tragic love triangles in history is intriguing because of the many facets which make up her character, Anna. When the audience is introduced to Anna, she is initially a very charming character. She cares deeply for her young son and the well-being of her brother, although her relationship with her husband, Alexei Karenin, (Jude Law) tends to be apathetic at best. When she encounters Vronksy (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) at an elegant ball, she at first shies away from his advances, but eventually becomes entranced with him, and they fall into a passionate love affair. The irony which makes Anna’s story so tragic is that even after she has sacrificed everything to be with Vronsky, instead of being happy with her choice, she falls into a deeper melancholy and eventually, she is so overcome with pain and insecurity that it destroys her.
The psychological personalities of the two masculine characters in Anna Karenina portray extreme opposites in the fabric of the storyline. Women may actually tend to appreciate Alexei Karenin (Jude Law) more as a masculine character rather than his counterpart, Vronsky. While Alexei is painted as being very cold and withdrawn towards his young wife, in reality, his actions are dictated by his adherence to the expectations of societal law and he is bound by his stringent code of honor not to diverge from the “rules” of society. Ironically, even when Anna betrays Alexei, he forgives her, and then he shows her compassion, not once but twice. Finally, even after Anna’s tragic demise, Alexei is seen watching over not only the child he had with Anna, but the daughter Anna had in her ill-fated love affair as well. This allows the audience a brief glimpse into the softer side of Alexei’s character and leaves them with the impression that underneath his stern exterior, Alexei is truly an honorable man.
Vronsky, on the other hand, is the epitome of a vile, narcissistic, shallow and immature aristo-brat with an insatiable lust for beautiful women who can never find happiness or peace of mind with just one. He is originally promised to a young princess named Kitty, but he quickly abandons her when he encounters Anna at the ball. Even after Vronsky woos Anna with his licentious charms and destroys her marriage with Alexei, he soon tires of her and latches on to yet another woman. He lacks the spine or the honor to remain faithful to the women he claims to love and simply manipulates them to satiate his own carnal desires with no respect or consideration for their feelings.
While there are some elements, such as the theatrical setting and distorted imagery which may repel viewers who do not fully appreciate Leo Tolstoy’s masterpiece, there are other elements which do this movie justice. The casting is exceptional, the musical score created by Dario Marianelli is flawless, and the story, while sometimes difficult to understand, creates a believable account of a tragic love affair and the consequences which resulted in the wake of the lover’s ignorance. If you enjoy romantic period films and beautiful artistry, Anna Karenina is definitely worth two hours of your time.
© 2013 – 2019 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.