War and Peace

This classic BBC dramatisation of War & Peace, presents Tolstoys epic story of love, loss tragedy and triumph set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. Comprising twenty 45-minute episodes, this mini series is equivalent in length to seven feature films and at the time of production was the longest and costliest television dramatisation of any single novel. Three years in preparation, one year in the making and featuring exquisite costumes, elaborate staging and a cast of hundreds, this production stands as the most complete adaptation of Tolstoys masterpiece. Oscar-winning actor, Anthony Hopkins heads the cast as the soul-searching Pierre Bezuhov; Morag Hood is the impulsive and beautiful Natasha Rostova; Alan Dobie is the dour but heroic Andrei Bolkonsky; and David Swift is Napoleon, whose decision to invade Russia in 1812 has far-reaching consequences for Pierre and the Rostov and Bolkonsky families. The serial was the vision of its producer David Conroy whose principal aim was to transfer the rich characterisation and incident from Tolstoys greatest novel to fifteen hours of television drama. Scripted by Jack Pulman and directed by John Davies, Conroys War & Peace boasts superb acting, award-winning design and breathtaking battle sequences which were filmed in the former Yugoslavia. Accompanying the DVD release of this television masterpiece are photo galleries comprising over 200 stills and a full-colour behind-the-scenes 44 page booklet, which introduces the principal characters and examines how the serial was made.