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Everything you need to know about the BBC's War and Peace
By Ailis Brennan 8 February 2016
If you're still in mourning for Downton, if your televisual diet is bereft of meaningful looks, forbidden fumbles and the necessity to read between every socially-acceptable line, then the BBC have ridden like a papakha-wearing Cossack to your gallant rescue. War and Peace is Tolstoy's exquisitely forensic examination of the trappings of 19th century Russian society. It is widely hailed as one of the greatest novels of all time, but let's face the facts: there's a very small chance you've actually read it. So why is the BBC's adaptation causing such a stir? And what on earth are those 1,225 pages actually about?
War and Peace's plot
War and Peace follows the trials and tribulations of five aristocratic families in Tsarist Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, a period which saw the French invasion of the country, lead by Napoleon. The story, whilst providing detailed accounts of the lives of numerous characters, focuses largely on the young lives of childhood friends Pierre Bezukhov and Natasha Rostova: Pierre's awkward navigation through Russian society after inheriting the enormous wealth of his illegitimate father, and the romantic adventures of spirited, strong-willed Natasha Rostova, namely her tumultuous relationship with Prince Andrei Bolkonsky.
Why is it so great?
War and Peace isn't just long for the fun of it. It is one of literature's finest examples of realism, the rhythm of the book intended to echo the ebb and flow of life. It is supposed to take time: it is an examination of the cause and effect of decisions on the lives of others and the personal change and growth that typifies humanity. The work is a philosophical analogy, with the earnest Pierre – on a profound, life-long quest to make himself a better man – as our contemplative guide. Tolstoy himself even questioned the nature of the piece after its conclusion: "What is War and Peace? It is not a novel, even less is it a poem, and still less an historical chronicle. War and Peace is what the author wished and was able to express in the form in which it is expressed."
Stalin used War and Peace as propaganda in World War II
The novel has been revered as a superlative examination of the Russian psyche. Stalin even used it as a piece of propaganda, likening the triumph over Napoleon in 1812 to the national spirit that needed to be mustered against Hitler's invasion in 1941, mass-reproducing particularly patriotic sections, even posting them onto billboards. The work is a piece of historical and political significance; Tolstoy used it to vocalise his hatred of the death penalty, following his witnessing of a guillotining in Paris. His voice comes through Pierre, who is horrified by the traumatising effect that executing Russian prisoners of war had on French soldiers.
The cast of War and Peace in the BBC adaptation
The cast of the BBC's adaptation is a sparkling mixture of seasoned character actors and up-and-coming talent, both here and across the pond. The older generation at the helm of the Rostov, Bezukhov, Bolkonsky, Kuragin and Drubetskoy families are some of the country's most celebrated television actors including Brian Cox, Adrian Edmonson, Rebecca Short, Gillian Anderson, Ken Stott and Jim Broadbent.
Lily James - whose breakthrough role in Downton Abbey has since landed her Hollywood roles in Cinderella and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - stars as Natasha Rostova and has been praised for her glowing portrayal. Paul Dano, a relatively unknown US actor who you may recognise from his brilliantly understated performance in Little Miss Sunshine, received significant critical acclaim for his nuanced turn as Bezukhov, one of the most complex characters in literature. Historian Simon Schama, who claims to have read the tome eight times, wrote of his joy at the performance, describing Dano's every blink as "a sonata of bewilderment". James Norton, Aneurin Barnard, Jessie Buckley and Tuppence Middleton (as Andrei Bolkonsky, Boris Drubetskoy, Maria Bolkonsky and Helene Kuragina respectively), are also rising stars who take exceptional turns in the series.
There's a bit of incest
War and Peace's screenwriter Andrew Davies, whose previous credits include the BBC's famed *Pride and Prejudice *adaptation (Colin Firth in a wet shirt etc.), gleefully admits to sexing up Tolstoy's novel. A variety of intimate trysts are dramatised, but one on-screen relationship has sparked particular controversy: that of brother and sister, Anatole and Helene Kugarin. Their complex relationship is hinted at in the book, but Davies has taken the matter a little further. The BBC adaptation turns the rumour into a full-blown affair, complete with fairly indicative bedroom scenes. "Occasionally I have written one or two things that Tolstoy forgot to write," says Davies. "He just didn't actually write the scenes and I couldn't see why. So I thought I would." Simon Schama isn't happy, protesting that the "gratuitous bedroom scene is totally inappropriate." Lily James, however, is taking a more liberal approach to Davies' additions to the story. She said, "I just think it's so good not to be too holy about anything... you know, people did have sex back then and why not show it."
A costume error has had historians up in arms
Controversy hasn't just been confined to the bedroom – historical buffs have noted a fairly big wardrobe-muck up. In one scene in the first episode Pierre Bezukhov is shown in confrontation with the Vicomte de Mortemart. Pierre argues for revolution in support of Napoleon, while the Vicomte, a monarchist, fervently opposes. Mortemart, however, is curiously shown wearing a Legion d'Honneur, a military medal awarded by Napoleon himself. Oops. Alistair Bruce, historical advisor to Downton Abbey, described the error as "baffling", and it's certainly made the costume department look a bit silly. It's not as bad as the *Downton Abbey *continuity director forgetting a plastic water bottle on a windowsill for some promo shots, but it's not great.
What do the Russians think?
British critics are pleased with the Tsarist-era drama, but what do the Russians think? Many critics have claimed that the series doesn't quite feel Russian enough to do justice to the quintessential Russian novel. It falls flat for daily broadsheet Izvestia, claiming that the impression given of the country is "neither that of a Russian village, nor glittering St Petersburg, nor hospitable and extravagant Moscow... The adaptation lacks the most important thing: atmosphere." Bondarchuk describes it as a "medium-budget-soap opera" – considering the BBC broke the bank splashing £10 million on it, we find this a little unfair. Russian critics did, however, seem to be pleasantly surprised by the sexing up. Fontanka.ru seemed amused at how one actor's dress was cut so low, that her cleavage looked as if it would "fall on the dinner plate", adding that "Now the great novel will not only be more accessible but also more interesting." Komsomolskaya Pravda were taken aback by this seemingly un-British approach to the novel. Writing of the incestuous affair, they note that the "prim English evidently decided not to arouse the feelings of literature lovers" by "not showing the viewers everything".
Note: This article has as many words as Tolstoy's first published edition had pages. Maybe watch the BBC series of War and Peace on iPlayer first.
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