SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Phillida Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

julia2702 I can't tell you how curious I was to see this. Being both a Russian and a crazy fan of Andrew Davies adaptations. And, in a nutshell, I found W&P series heart-warming and absolutely satisfying. Truth be told - even finally opening up the greatness of this famous book to me. Never mind that it was written by my compatriot : ) A lot of students in Russia find the Leo Tolstoy masterpiece too big and too daunting. But it's a literature landmark, and you have to read it at school, at least skim through it : ) And because of that whopping size, it's hard to perceive the story as a whole - you just get too exhausted waiting for this or another thread to pick up again. However, Mr Davies shone his genius on us one more time - he took the essence of the story and presented it to a modern viewer in a digestible and tasty way. A big applause. So, the choice of scenes for the script I find marvellous. Our own movie filmed by Sergey Bondarchuk is loved by many, especially by the older generation. But I've always thought it had too much emphasis on the war side of the novel. And what do we, women, watch period dramas for? : ) Of course more for the relationship side, to watch multilayered characters unfold. And Andrew masters this to perfection. It flows easily, one could watch all 6 episodes in a row - except that it's not a light and romantic Pride & Prejudice. This is deeper and more dramatic food for thought, which requires a break somewhere along the way. The cast is generally very-very-very good. Pierre is portrayed brilliantly. I can't think of a better or a more sincere one. I also loved the choice of actress for Mariya Bolkonskaya, watching her I could forget this is a foreign actress. Can't say the same about Natasha Rostova, though. To me this was the worst casting fiasco. I'm sure Lily James tried her best. But I, personally, found her annoying in this part. I would prefer to enjoy her performance in Downton Abbey. On the negative side are the erotic scenes. They are soooo off here. Can you imagine Mr Wickham and Lidiya having fun on the dining room table? I doubt the British audiences would approve of it in the adaptation of their beloved classic. So I couldn't understand why it was included here. The production isn't Tudors, so that's something which is expected least of all. The other day I read a review by a Russian film critic, which said, "This wouldn't be a truly British adaptation if it didn't end with a scene of domestic bliss" : ) Ironic as it may sound, I find it a good thing and something to thank the production team for. Why not? I enjoyed the final scenes, even though in the original book some less satisfying points were highlighted by the author. All in all, I felt the series was filmed with attention to detail (as best one can), respect for the original material (for the most part), as well as the nation's culture and traditions. After the disastrous "Anna Karenina" and "Onegin", which ruined 2 other all-time classics of the Russian literature, "War and Peace" by Andrew Davies was a pleasant treat. I just wish this outstanding man 200 years of a happy and productive life, so the world could enjoy more of his projects.

normajean-41625 Honestly i'm quite disappointed, I think that BBC could have done it much better. What I actually didn't like is the fact that there's practically no references to this period in Russia where every single aristocrat was mainly speaking french. This is really ridiculous that even Napoleon speaks English (although the actor is french). I truly understand that this is an English film but at the same time it's a film about the greatest war of two greatest cultures who have had something in common. I wouldn't mind to read subtitles. This is very important I think to show that the Russian aristocracy being so feared of Napoleon stayed still at the same time in love with french traditions and culture so they couldn't stop to speak french sometimes (there were someone who tried to speak Russian as the sign of the protest to Napoleon). The novel is fulled by the parts and dialogues in french! Also I think if the actors don't speak Russian they should absolutely not sing in Russian, it's kind of silly to hear this (there are a few moments where you can hear a real Russian song and right after that the singing with a strong accent.I also didn't like the main characters. Sometimes you can hardly understand what are they thinking. Pierre is full of pity that we can't see how passionate his is in his ideas every single time, but I think that is the only actor who was close enough for his character. Natasha looks more silly that naive, Andrei is too motionless and we don't see how deeply he had changed. Anatoly is so rude and tough, that's even embarrassing as his sister (the story shows a reference to the film Les Liaisons Dangereuses but this is so far from the novel).Well, all I can say, watch the Russian film, it is the best for the moment.

grantss Mostly dull, but still quicker than reading the book...Based on the famous Leo Tolstoy novel, the story of several aristocratic Russian families in the early-1800s. Set against the war with France and covering the period 1805 to 1812, we see the relationship intrigues of the families, plus how they are affected by the war.Pretty much a soap opera with some war thrown in. Focus is mostly on the politics and machinations of romance and relationships, and I can't think of too many subjects duller than that. Very dry topic, and it shows in the movie (and probably in the book). A positive aspect is the historic part, and especially the coverage of the war with France,. The battles of Austerlitz and Borodino and Napoleon's capture of Moscow are done particularly well.Cast looks good on paper, but is weighed down by the script. Paul Dano is particularly irritating as Pierre Buzukhov - nerdy, monotone, whimpish - yet he is apparently the hero of the story!Biggest plus (though there aren't many positives): it beats having to read the book!

cassidyorme I didn't expect this to be the best rendition of War and Peace ever done but it is by far. Paul Dano deserves many awards for his performance and i hope he chooses to do more films like this in the future. the attention to detail is amazing.. my only criticism is that it is too short.. now that Top Gear is gone and War and Peace is over, i almost have no reason to ever watch the BBC.. I hope that they tackle something else similar to this next.. a revised Pride and Prejudice or gone with the wind.. these types of mini series should be their mainstay. epic performances all around