So wild that something so epic and well made is just available for free on RUclips. Mosfilm just keeps posting all their greatest stuff, with english subtitles to boot, it's awesome.
The dark side of this moon is that in USSR we didn't give a shit about copyright XD, and since all of the soviet classics were basically a state property, now it is all in a public domain.
Even King Vidor's stinker War and Peace was better. Herbert Lom as Napoleon was that film's only stroke of genius but at least it had one unlike Scott's. My dad is still gutted.
@@kaykutcher2103 When I watched Ridley Scott's Napoleon I just said that was it? It's disappointing, it lacked grandeur during battles and WTF there are no trenches at Waterloo
Coppola and Ridley Scott notoriously go the extra mile on production design. Bondarchuk went an extra hundred miles. "How many items from Soviet museums do you want, Mr Bondarchuk." "All of them."
He went the extra 100 miles and yet made it seem light a graceful forward step. One does not feel one is looking at a film but rather entering the novel and Life itself.
@@johnkrieger185 Ah, stimulating provocation - and the ongoing contest of reaction and response. You've set the cat among the pigeons. I think an absence of authorial style is necessary in a film, or any film of War and Peace - it would only get in the way. And one must recognize certain signature marks of a Russian film, soviet or otherwise that is endemic to the history of Russian film. The use of freeze frame close ups highlight social instances of great moment. Eisenstein deployed them. They are 'intended' to be obvious and I think the viewer can live with them.
@@johnkrieger185 Unless the projector once broke down and jammed, I don't think I ever saw an Eisenstein freeze frame. I mis spoke in suggesting I did. Sorry, particularly to Eisenstein. I was going to say something about 'dynamic' frame use and one or two of the famous methods of montage and which obviously have nothing to do with Bondarchuk's static effect of freeze frame, together with the narrator's summation of Borodino. An interjection not unlike Tolstoy's in the novel.
Awesome film, I remember seeing it in 1970, I was ten years old. Many years later I saw it in a one day showing at The Barbican, and later The Royal Festival Hall. It is a mesmerising film, as intimately moving as it is breathtakingly awe inspiring. Bondarchuk is still my favourite Pierre Bezukhov. To think he followed this masterpiece with "Waterloo" my favourite film ever. What a talent, and what an achievement. You have done a great job in both your profiles of his two epics, many thanks.
Excellent. I bloody love "Waterloo", even though it isn't the finest of cinematic works. If only the script was better. If only the camera work was better. If only the Highlanders didn't dominate the Allied numbers. If only The Direction was better. If only... And despite these faults, I count it as one of my all time favourites.
@@tomsenior7405 I fondly remember and still enjoy Waterloo with Bondarchuk directing the battle scenes. After War and Peace, I'm not surprised that the ' take away ' in the West was the completely fresh and revolutionary way Bondarchuk filmed the battle sequences. In an manner both involved and distanced, the remote, almost dreamy shots from above suggest the futility of human aspiration and conflict. This is all the more effective for not being judgemental and preachy but merely observing and whether or not, good or bad, as if to say ' Yes, here we are, this is our time and place, we must see it through. The ' why ' we shall never know '. I too saw War and Peace as a wide eyed child in 1968 or so and was dumb struck at the seemingly infinite world it creates. My few public viewings over the years were at rather more modest settings compared with London's majestic sites but it's hardly surprising that the whole world flocked to see this glorious film, a vast yet intimate masterpiece. Funny, The Barbican keeps popping into my mind. I was last their in the 1980s I'm sorry to say. I saw a play with David Waller, the veteran actor of happy memory.
@@CaruthersHodge Both Bondarchuk`s masterpieces still make me feel as wide eyed, and full of wonder, as when I was ten. Our memories go back a long way, thank you for sharing your observations with us.
@@PeterSmith-go9ef Thanks for the friendly response. I do recall, you had the seven hour experience at the Barbican and I said something rather beside the point about a play there with David Waller. Yet to the point now, I too regard the film with the same pleasure and discovery as I did the first time. I find Bondarchuk's Pierre completely satisfying with those sad, searching eyes stealing glances at Natasha. I wonder rather, are we both referring to the same "Barbican" ?
Thank you. Despite being Russian I've never before stumbled upon even a domestic review of War and Peace production story, so it's quite interesting to see it from the external perspective. I'd say you did very well with the research, collecting and editing all the footage. The only "cringey" moment for me was with those comments about soldiers and air force not being reimbursed for their part in the movie - I found them to be completely out of place and quite pointless in the essence. As you've stressed yourself on multiple occasions, their involvement was facilitated by the government. And it means just that, all the military servicemen involved in WnP production were on duty, and thus all the costs, materiel, logistics (and wages, where applicable) were covered by the Ministry of Defense. And I seriously doubt there were any hard feelings between MoD and Mosfilm about that. Better imagine how incredible it must have felt for someone to be conscripted to serve those two long boring years in the army, but to find themselves in the middle of a full-scale historical battle reconstruction/reenactment effort. Naturally, that came with certain hardships, but what a unique experience and memories for life to be told to grandchildren!
This is interesting. I imagine their must have been 'domestic' reviews of the film, the state being so essential to the production. Some of the behind the scenes footage I originally saw was I think, Russian but touched on just a fraction of this epic effort as outlined by Void Volken.
Солдатам и гражданской массовке платили одинаково. 3 рубля за съёмочный день. 5 рублей за роль со словами. "Ура!" - тоже считалось словом. Советский солдат получал в те времена жалованье 5 руб./мес.
One of the greatest films of all time. A true masterpiece. Was lucky to see all parts of it in theater in 2019 following its restoration and was floored at how it looked and sounded. Just amazing.
I remember as a teenager being completely overwhelmed by this truly epic movie when it was first shown here in Australia. Only recently was I able to see it in its original uncut format again and am convinced it is the greatest movie ever made.
Dear commonwealth viewer, from a parallel universe I can only echo your memory and sentiment. For me its was a viewing on a cold, winter afternoon with my parents all those years ago and not unlike some scenes in the film.
Some sources seem to suggest that a portion of the film might be lost forever. I have no idea as there's so much conflicting details surrounding this amazing movie.
@@HermaphroGynandro This is interesting and yes, a little uncertain. Although I'm under the impression that I've seen the film in full I'm perhaps a bit muddled.
@@sgt_lensky Think so. And maybe he just wasn’t that crazy back in the day. He made great movies, the last was Gladiator even if it wasn’t historically accurate at all. Wish he had some lessons from Bondarchuk
Thank you for committing the daunting amount of research to cover this topic. My questions about the film’s seemingly impossible existence were not only answered, but even exceeded my perceptions of the lengths gone through to achieve it.
He didn't flourish under Stalin. He was removed from his position when Stalin saw the second part of "Ivan the Terrible" and he was forced into teaching.
@@johnkrieger185 He did. He made of the greatest movies ever made in 20-40s. Members of the party disliked his portrayal of Ivan the Terrible and his army in the second episode. They were offended by it so second episode was in the shelves for 10 years. But don't forget that he was still big figure under Stalin. Even after production of Ivan the Terrible he recieved few medals. Where did you get information that he was forced in to teaching? He was a publicist. He was a big figure in soviet cinema. Still. He was the head of the Cinema Sector of the Institute of Art History of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Doesn't looks like he was removed from somewhere by Stalin. Enisenstein was interested in cinema and how techologies can change it, how colorful movies can change everything. He wrote many articles about cinema. And by the way, Eisenstein worked many years on his second movie to try to release him, corrected some things for the party. I highly doubt he liked cencorship, but he still had many things he liked.
Как дети малые. Ведь сохранились протоколы беседы Эйзенштейна со Сталиным по поводу второй части "Ивана Грозного". Эйзенштейну дали время на переделку фильма. А он возьми, да умри! Вон Бондарчук, без всякого Берии после съёмок "Войны и мира" инфаркт схватил!
History of making War and Peace reminds the production of Lord of the Rings in best way possible. I mean both directors prepare heavily, recieved tons of letters from fans, both made movies based on very loved books with huge fan audience and both tried to stay true to the original material as possible.
So glad to find this video. Thank you! The professionalism and meticulousness in the "War and Peace" production were beyond the belief. I only wish I could see it in movie theater.
this movie would easily cost a billion dollars or more if made today. The epic scale of the production is far and beyond what any studio would ever even remotely attempt today.
It's without a doubt one of the best films ever made. The casting and portrayals are superb. Sergei Bondrachuk directed a masterpiece. The battle scenes are spectacular. cheers
*Sergei Bondarchuks wasn't only an epic film directorector but a talented actor as well, practically the most international soviet actor ever, he could be considered the soviet Orson Wells and as a matter of fact, they even coincided in the movie Battle of Neretva (1969)🧐*
Of Bondarchuk, director ' and ' actor. I find him completely satisfying as Pierre. I've seen a photo of Wells with Bondarchuk, the two men looking as distinguished and solid as statues. Indeed I've seen a photo of Bondarchuk being presented to the late Queen. Yet I must examine the ' Battle of Neretva '. Thank you for this information.
Nothing I love better than seeing a small channel make a shit hot video like channels with millions of subs can’t.. never heard of this beast of a film but I’m definitely gonna watch it after this video 😅 top mate.
Really great stuff man! Learned and saw a lot of new stuff about Bondarchuk and about the productions! Despite the errors and trails [like the mosin error which made me laugh] they are still masterpieces.
Superb documentary, Sir, well done. Saw the film in one go 4-5 times back in the day before the Internet, and the longest version was definitely longer than 7 hours. One showing was at a Soviet something-or-other, where there was a bust of Karl Marx in the room where the film was shown. All the showings began in the early afternoon, included dinner, and ended at midnight. Needless to say, it is stupendous. How much better would all the films based on novels and historical events be if directors were as respectful of the original text as Bondarchuk. 'Artistic licence' has become synonymous with distortion and misrepresentation.
Amazing film which i watched in one sitting on a wet winters day. I think i spoke Russian for days after due to the subtitles lol A great documentary / review, totally made me appreciate the film even more. Maybe another viewing is due now i have this information in my head. Nostrovia my friend ! Great channel and very well appreciated.
Thank you for this video...this is the most epic and grandiose movie project ever (after LOTR perhaps, that is a whole different level). An informative, interesting and professional video! 🙌👏
Something funny about the fall of Berlin is that the western press criticized the movie for showing only one side of the war ( soviet side) Meanwhile the west made hundreds of ww2 movies showing only one side of the war lol Also stalin was against cult of personality he has many speeches where he said that Later when he died stories about him were exaggerated by new soviet leadership
Bondarchuk was such a method actor that he was clinically dead (possibly twice) during production which inspired him to create the scene for "afterlife" of fallen soldiers.
Awesome work, this is your longest video yet right? It goes to show the staggering amount of work this epic saga required. I also noticed you have quite a few video about 90s scifi anime. I would check those out later when I got the time.
Yes, this is currently the longest video I have ever made. Concerning videos I have done on 90s anime, I recommend checking out my video on Ghost in the Shell as it's similar to these 'Insane production behind' videos.
@@VoidVolken Thank you for a good video, I immediately subscribed) If you`ll desire to return for Soviet epics someday, I would highly recommend the "And Quiet Flows the Don" (1958, directed by Sergey Gerasimov) by Mikhail Sholokhov`s opus magnum. I believe this movie would be very intersting for the Western audience by two main reasons: 1. Depiction of Russian Civil War. The novel and the movie gives it from perspective of the both sides. There is almost no pure villains in the movie, not what you would expect from communist movie about Civil War. Of course Whites doesn`t shown like Confederates in "Gettisberg" but still they shown as humans with their motives, beliefs etc. 2. Depiction of common russian life at the time. If W&P gives you perspective about Russian high classes, "And Quiet Flows the Don" shows live and society of Don Cossacs just amaizingly. Family relations, traditions, households - any Ethnographist would be happy to watch it. Beyond that it`s just extremely powerful. I`m 40 y.o and I`m a career merchant seaman, but there`s a moments there when I struggle to hold back tears. And those moments are not sentimental. Just don`t use version with dubbing, it`s usually terrible, subs to be much better. Unfortunately, no translation would be able to convey authentic talk of the cossacs, so when watching you can imagine like they talking with Dixie accent, and the Russian nobility - with British RP)) Sergey Bondarchuk`s version of 1992 (presented 2006) with Rupert Everett was a total failure.
Thank you for this elaborate dive into this film behind the scenes history. I have two points to make though: Just because Bondarchyuk was originally from Ukraine, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t already an accomplished and well respected actor/director. After all he was
I really admire your work and would very much like to see this/these film(s). I'd love to see more of your videos focusing on epics - may I suggest Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1965?) and other such epics of the era. Many thanks. Subscribed.
Thanks, while I enjoy making videos on epics there are other topics I would like to cover as well, so I try to reasonably space them out. Cleopatra is on my list but I still need a couple of things before proceeding with that video. The Fall of the Roman Empire is unlikely as I don't even own a copy of the film and its been out of print for years with little prospects of coming back in print, same goes for El Cid.
It is sad how one has to have some special sensitivity and care to really appreciate the immensity of these things, otherwise they would go unnoticed. I was once showing my girlfriend not this, but the final battle scene from the Kubrick film Spartacus (less epic than this in scale but I assume everyone here would agree is quite comparable). She is very young and has never been too much into movies. Upon seeing that she still remained quite unimpressed I had to tell her: “Look, all those you see are real people, all of them, thousands of them, all dressed for the time period, all, until the very last of them, all trained to do those movements in perfect synchrony, all carrying weapons (false), all on a real field, in a way that you can see them moving like menacing geometric masses, just imagine the costs and the time and the effort.” Only then did she seem to take interest in it. Otherwise it would have very probably been a mere “meh”.
I saw this film when it was released in the U.S. (at the DeMille Theater in NYC). It was 7 hours, with a two or three hour intermission between parts, so much time between that we had enough time to go to dinner at a restaurant and stroll around the city. I was around 9 years old and it was a celebrated event. Certain scenes still stand out to me to this day, like the duel between Pierre and Anatoly in the snow, the opening party scene and, of course, those impressive battles. The one thing that bothered me was the actor who played Napoleon looked nothing like Napoleon. I have not seen the film since, but I would love to watch it again.
I wonder if any Russian filmmakers will try to make a major motion picture surrounding the making of this version of War and Peace. It definitely has potential.
I don`t believe it has something to add to Bondarchuk`s cut. Besides, acting and directing tradition in Russia are in it`s demise. And not only in Russia. Like the only last thing which is still stands is British acting school.
@@alexstoyanov6108 I didn't mean remaking War & Peace. I meant making a film adaptation about the production of the Bondarchuk film. Like Saving Mister Banks which was about the production of Mary Poppins or Hitchcock which was about the production of Psycho.
Hi from Russia. In our schools we supposed to read War and peace but... It's kinda boring. I've read till part of Austerlitz battle and that was single part of the book which I liked very much. And I was astonished by footage that you presented, it's not even close to images that my imagination created while I was reading War and peace, so I will definitely watch this movie. Thank you for video. It's unfair that you have no too much subscriptions, that's why I give one from myself.
Yep, in my days at school all boys skipped everything but the battles and girls skipped everything but the ballettes de cour ))) I beat all the book at the holydays though. Blessed to be pre-internet era)
I'm surprised you made no mention of Eisenstein, who already showed that the USSR could produce stunning epics, or Tarkovsky, who continued that tradition.
25:04 Not all fake....it was normal in those days to use also real dead horses for those scenes. They even killed several horses for the production of "Waterloo" a few years later.....
Забавно, не думал что кто то на западе смотрел этот фильм. Лично для меня он стал отличной возможностью увидеть все то что происходило в романе. В том масштаб который и вообразить сложно. Жаль что его сын никудышный режиссёр
Not to butt in but I think I too have seen something of this footage of Russians queuing as well and a theatre packed with excited faces as the cast of the film are officially introduced at the beginning of production. It was part of the DVD extras to the non blue ray DVD box set. Bondarchuk looks every inch the avuncular director and not unlike Peter the Great. He had a daunting task ahead.
Considering that most modern Hollywood tentpoles cost $300 million, $1 billion for an 8-hour epic film is perfectly reasonable.It's basically four movies in one. And every penny of that is on-screen in the most spectacular way possible. Meanwhile, comic book movies cost the same and are mostly unwatchable CGI sludge.
Read the book. Pevear/Volkonsky trans. The Soviet movie is pretty good but somehow misses main power probably because you can’t turn certain books into movies, such as “Great Gatsby”.
Sry, but 34:00 is just not true. Stalin had already supported the Russian Orthodox Church during the Second World War and no repressions were carried out against it, after beginn of the war. With the help of the church, funds were collected for a new armoured brigade, which shows the solidarity of the Orthodox with the system.
So wild that something so epic and well made is just available for free on RUclips. Mosfilm just keeps posting all their greatest stuff, with english subtitles to boot, it's awesome.
The dark side of this moon is that in USSR we didn't give a shit about copyright XD, and since all of the soviet classics were basically a state property, now it is all in a public domain.
@@Alexandra_Indina I believe Mosfilm still posts post-soviet movies on RUclips though
@@Alexandra_Indina and what's dark this side of the moon? Looks like a lot of light to me.
The authors did not receive anything@@Mohenti
@@смотрящийютуб-р6ц who didn't receive anything? Tolstoy or Bondarchuk?
It was way better than Ridley Scott's Napoleon...
100%
@@VoidVolken 10,000%
a million per cent!!!
Even King Vidor's stinker War and Peace was better. Herbert Lom as Napoleon was that film's only stroke of genius but at least it had one unlike Scott's. My dad is still gutted.
@@kaykutcher2103 When I watched Ridley Scott's Napoleon I just said that was it? It's disappointing, it lacked grandeur during battles and WTF there are no trenches at Waterloo
Coppola and Ridley Scott notoriously go the extra mile on production design.
Bondarchuk went an extra hundred miles.
"How many items from Soviet museums do you want, Mr Bondarchuk."
"All of them."
He went the extra 100 miles and yet made it seem light a graceful forward step. One does not feel one is looking at a film but rather entering the novel and Life itself.
Except that it was lousy. Bad actor---worse director. No sense of style, low intelligence, excruciating taste (or lack of it), typical Soviet.
@@johnkrieger185 Ah, stimulating provocation - and the ongoing contest of reaction and response. You've set the cat among the pigeons. I think an absence of authorial style is necessary in a film, or any film of War and Peace - it would only get in the way. And one must recognize certain signature marks of a Russian film, soviet or otherwise that is endemic to the history of Russian film. The use of freeze frame close ups highlight social instances of great moment. Eisenstein deployed them. They are 'intended' to be obvious and I think the viewer can live with them.
@@CaruthersHodge When did Eisenstein use freeze frames?
@@johnkrieger185 Unless the projector once broke down and jammed, I don't think I ever saw an Eisenstein freeze frame. I mis spoke in suggesting I did. Sorry, particularly to Eisenstein. I was going to say something about 'dynamic' frame use and one or two of the famous methods of montage and which obviously have nothing to do with Bondarchuk's static effect of freeze frame, together with the narrator's summation of Borodino. An interjection not unlike Tolstoy's in the novel.
Awesome film, I remember seeing it in 1970, I was ten years old. Many years later I saw it in a one day showing at The Barbican, and later The Royal Festival Hall. It is a mesmerising film, as intimately moving as it is breathtakingly awe inspiring. Bondarchuk is still my favourite Pierre Bezukhov. To think he followed this masterpiece with "Waterloo" my favourite film ever. What a talent, and what an achievement. You have done a great job in both your profiles of his two epics, many thanks.
Excellent. I bloody love "Waterloo", even though it isn't the finest of cinematic works. If only the script was better. If only the camera work was better. If only the Highlanders didn't dominate the Allied numbers. If only The Direction was better. If only... And despite these faults, I count it as one of my all time favourites.
Think of it this way....Audrey Hepburn was seen as Natasha Rostova.
Then the Russians said "Hold my vodka"
@@tomsenior7405 I fondly remember and still enjoy Waterloo with Bondarchuk directing the battle scenes. After War and Peace, I'm not
surprised that the ' take away ' in the West was the completely fresh and revolutionary way Bondarchuk filmed the battle sequences. In an
manner both involved and distanced, the remote, almost dreamy shots from above suggest the futility of human aspiration and conflict. This
is all the more effective for not being judgemental and preachy but merely observing and whether or not, good or bad, as if to say ' Yes, here
we are, this is our time and place, we must see it through. The ' why ' we shall never know '.
I too saw War and Peace as a wide eyed child in 1968 or so and was dumb struck at the seemingly infinite world it creates. My few public
viewings over the years were at rather more modest settings compared with London's majestic sites but it's hardly surprising that the whole
world flocked to see this glorious film, a vast yet intimate masterpiece. Funny, The Barbican keeps popping into my mind. I was last their in
the 1980s I'm sorry to say. I saw a play with David Waller, the veteran actor of happy memory.
@@CaruthersHodge Both Bondarchuk`s masterpieces still make me feel as wide eyed, and full of wonder, as when I was ten. Our memories go back a long way, thank you for sharing your observations with us.
@@PeterSmith-go9ef Thanks for the friendly response. I do recall, you had the seven hour experience at the Barbican and I said something rather beside the point about a play there with David Waller. Yet to the point now, I too regard the film with the same pleasure and discovery as I did the first time. I find Bondarchuk's Pierre completely satisfying with those sad, searching eyes stealing glances at Natasha. I wonder rather, are we both referring to the same "Barbican" ?
Thank you. Despite being Russian I've never before stumbled upon even a domestic review of War and Peace production story, so it's quite interesting to see it from the external perspective.
I'd say you did very well with the research, collecting and editing all the footage. The only "cringey" moment for me was with those comments about soldiers and air force not being reimbursed for their part in the movie - I found them to be completely out of place and quite pointless in the essence. As you've stressed yourself on multiple occasions, their involvement was facilitated by the government. And it means just that, all the military servicemen involved in WnP production were on duty, and thus all the costs, materiel, logistics (and wages, where applicable) were covered by the Ministry of Defense. And I seriously doubt there were any hard feelings between MoD and Mosfilm about that.
Better imagine how incredible it must have felt for someone to be conscripted to serve those two long boring years in the army, but to find themselves in the middle of a full-scale historical battle reconstruction/reenactment effort. Naturally, that came with certain hardships, but what a unique experience and memories for life to be told to grandchildren!
This is interesting. I imagine their must have been 'domestic' reviews of the film, the state being so essential to the production. Some of the behind the scenes footage I originally saw was I think, Russian but touched on just a fraction of this epic effort as outlined by Void Volken.
Солдатам и гражданской массовке платили одинаково. 3 рубля за съёмочный день. 5 рублей за роль со словами. "Ура!" - тоже считалось словом. Советский солдат получал в те времена жалованье 5 руб./мес.
Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov's score is amazing.
He scored some of Tarkovsky's films.
Great composer, rest in peace.
The score is great, Natasha's Waltz being one of my favourite tracks.
Finally an essay about this masterpiece
One of the greatest films of all time. A true masterpiece. Was lucky to see all parts of it in theater in 2019 following its restoration and was floored at how it looked and sounded. Just amazing.
The logistics and labour for this is goddamn insane.
Such a pithy reaction, this insane word must be the new argo - I suppose it means it's good.
Ask 80 factory 😂 to Make clothes
Well yes, if that's what it takes if it's worth it and it certainly was !@@komisiantikorupsikoruptord6257
@@komisiantikorupsikoruptord6257 Well, It kept them busy and they did feel a sense of communal effort in a patriotic undertaking.
I remember as a teenager being completely overwhelmed by this truly epic movie when it was first shown here in Australia. Only recently was I able to see it in its original uncut format again and am convinced it is the greatest movie ever made.
Dear commonwealth viewer, from a parallel universe I can only echo your memory and sentiment. For me its was a viewing on a cold, winter afternoon with my
parents all those years ago and not unlike some scenes in the film.
Some sources seem to suggest that a portion of the film might be lost forever. I have no idea as there's so much conflicting details surrounding this amazing movie.
@@HermaphroGynandro This is interesting and yes, a little uncertain. Although I'm under the impression that I've seen the film
in full I'm perhaps a bit muddled.
Time to learn more about the art of film.
@@HermaphroGynandro Amazingly bad.
Magnificent video and thank you for pointing me toward the Mosfilm channel on YT.
I shall finally be able to see the entire masterpiece as intended.
Kurosawa's, *_Dersu Uzala_* is also on there, an amazing film set in Russia in the early 1900s:
ruclips.net/video/sFaL03SKEzE/видео.html
This film did what Ridley Scott WISHED he could have done with “Napoleon” and failed.
Scott could never accomplish the same, because actually, Scott isnt that good, really...
@@Charlz1980tv agreed
@@Charlz1980tv He was very good at 80s i would add. Stuff he makes last 20 years just sucks so bad.
@@СерафимТоманов so he was good when he wasnt that "popular" and had people that were able to push back on some of his dumber ideas
@@sgt_lensky Think so. And maybe he just wasn’t that crazy back in the day. He made great movies, the last was Gladiator even if it wasn’t historically accurate at all.
Wish he had some lessons from Bondarchuk
Thank you for committing the daunting amount of research to cover this topic. My questions about the film’s seemingly impossible existence were not only answered, but even exceeded my perceptions of the lengths gone through to achieve it.
This documentary about this movie was well made. Great job and thank you from Holland.
Just watched the film and now i truly appreciate why it is one of the finest films ever made. Thank you for paying tribute to this masterpiece!
14:35 Not only that. They even made different uniforms in the 1805 pattern and the 1812 pattern.
this content is so underrated...
The one Soviet director who flourished under Stalin was Sergei Eisenstein who made visually stunning movies.
He didn't flourish under Stalin. He was removed from his position when Stalin saw the second part of "Ivan the Terrible" and he was forced into teaching.
@@johnkrieger185 He did. He made of the greatest movies ever made in 20-40s. Members of the party disliked his portrayal of Ivan the Terrible and his army in the second episode. They were offended by it so second episode was in the shelves for 10 years. But don't forget that he was still big figure under Stalin. Even after production of Ivan the Terrible he recieved few medals.
Where did you get information that he was forced in to teaching? He was a publicist. He was a big figure in soviet cinema. Still. He was the head of the Cinema Sector of the Institute of Art History of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Doesn't looks like he was removed from somewhere by Stalin. Enisenstein was interested in cinema and how techologies can change it, how colorful movies can change everything. He wrote many articles about cinema. And by the way, Eisenstein worked many years on his second movie to try to release him, corrected some things for the party. I highly doubt he liked cencorship, but he still had many things he liked.
Как дети малые. Ведь сохранились протоколы беседы Эйзенштейна со Сталиным по поводу второй части "Ивана Грозного". Эйзенштейну дали время на переделку фильма. А он возьми, да умри! Вон Бондарчук, без всякого Берии после съёмок "Войны и мира" инфаркт схватил!
History of making War and Peace reminds the production of Lord of the Rings in best way possible. I mean both directors prepare heavily, recieved tons of letters from fans, both made movies based on very loved books with huge fan audience and both tried to stay true to the original material as possible.
Excellent essay.
Well done.
Thank you.
Having watched waterloo multiple times and needing that itch scratched, I'll watch the 4 parts of war and peace after seeing this video.
I hope you enjoy it
It's 7 hours long, but 7 hours well spent
Thank you, Russia, for your art, your beauty and your spirit! 🇷🇺🥰🇷🇺
An astounding documentary for an astounding film! Kudos!
So glad to find this video. Thank you! The professionalism and meticulousness in the "War and Peace" production were beyond the belief. I only wish I could see it in movie theater.
It was a stunning thing to watch, and I appreciate your insight on the epic.Thanks!!
Very well put together documentary which I thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you!
this movie would easily cost a billion dollars or more if made today. The epic scale of the production is far and beyond what any studio would ever even remotely attempt today.
Thank you so much. I had no idea about such an epic film production . Surely I'll watch the film
The film was extremely impressive indeed... but so is this video.
It's without a doubt one of the best films ever made. The casting and portrayals are superb. Sergei Bondrachuk directed a masterpiece. The battle scenes are spectacular. cheers
fantastic video. Can't wait to see the rest of your work. I can't believe i have not seen this movie yet. it looks stunning. thank you
*Sergei Bondarchuks wasn't only an epic film directorector but a talented actor as well, practically the most international soviet actor ever, he could be considered the soviet Orson Wells and as a matter of fact, they even coincided in the movie Battle of Neretva (1969)🧐*
Of Bondarchuk, director ' and ' actor. I find him completely satisfying as Pierre. I've seen a photo of Wells with Bondarchuk, the two men looking as distinguished and solid as statues. Indeed I've seen a photo of Bondarchuk being presented to the late Queen. Yet I must examine the ' Battle of Neretva '. Thank you for this information.
Lousy actor---crappy director.
@@johnkrieger185 damn, must be a productive way to spend your time to spam comments under multiple comments in a video about movie you hate.
@@johnkrieger185Poor comment. Bondarchuk was a great director and actor, I remember him in “The fate of a man”, a great WWII film.
This movie made me drew military formations and rifle lines when I was a kid XD
excellent video!!!!!!! richly detailed!! a delight to watch!
I appreciate the restoration of the film, they did a great job !
It’s on RUclips! The Mosfilm channel ….. Kubrick must have been so jealous
What did the director of "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001" have to be jealous about?
@@johnkrieger185 Kubrick wanted to make a movie about Napoleon and wanted it to be as big as War and Peace, but he never made it
Mosfilm doco:
ruclips.net/video/wB-a8FKknG0/видео.htmlsi=XXFuuO4PLeqkPnTH
Nothing I love better than seeing a small channel make a shit hot video like channels with millions of subs can’t.. never heard of this beast of a film but I’m definitely gonna watch it after this video 😅 top mate.
Thank you for a great introduction to this amazing film.
You forgot to mention the use of a six-channel audio recording system prior to Dolby Digital was made available to the public in 1992.
have seen it. incredible!
You deserve so many more views than you are getting this is great work.
Thank you!
When you make a film for the people, you get Bondarchuk's W&P. When you make a film for the Box, you get Star Wars new canon.
Or the execrable Rings of Power that trashes Tolkien.
Really great stuff man! Learned and saw a lot of new stuff about Bondarchuk and about the productions! Despite the errors and trails [like the mosin error which made me laugh] they are still masterpieces.
Excellent video!
Brilliant ! This is one of the BEST movie trilogies ever !
Bravo Bondarchuk , God bless his soul !
Absolutely fantastic review of an epic film.
And to think Mosfilm made all 4 parts free on RUclips, like damn.
Superb documentary, Sir, well done. Saw the film in one go 4-5 times back in the day before the Internet, and the longest version was definitely longer than 7 hours. One showing was at a Soviet something-or-other, where there was a bust of Karl Marx in the room where the film was shown. All the showings began in the early afternoon, included dinner, and ended at midnight. Needless to say, it is stupendous.
How much better would all the films based on novels and historical events be if directors were as respectful of the original text as Bondarchuk. 'Artistic licence' has become synonymous with distortion and misrepresentation.
Today's pseudo-historical films feel like clown-world in comparison.
It helps when you have a Soviet Command Economy and a huge Army to count on.
The biggest blank Cheque ever given to a director.
Thank you sincerely for this epic work , film history is greatful❤
Amazing film which i watched in one sitting on a wet winters day. I think i spoke Russian for days after due to the subtitles lol A great documentary / review, totally made me appreciate the film even more. Maybe another viewing is due now i have this information in my head. Nostrovia my friend ! Great channel and very well appreciated.
Excellent doc! Thanks!
Great video, thank you!
Such a great video! Thanks for your hard work
Thank you for this video...this is the most epic and grandiose movie project ever (after LOTR perhaps, that is a whole different level). An informative, interesting and professional video! 🙌👏
Thank you chief.
Only 751 subs?
For such an incredible channel?
2.53K
Communism has many problems but it does allow for the resources of an entire nation to be brought to bare for a single project
And it actually made a huge profit with the film.
Like sending people to Siberia 😂
Something funny about the fall of Berlin is that the western press criticized the movie for showing only one side of the war ( soviet side)
Meanwhile the west made hundreds of ww2 movies showing only one side of the war lol
Also stalin was against cult of personality he has many speeches where he said that
Later when he died stories about him were exaggerated by new soviet leadership
typical western hypocrisy
@@wonkagaming8750typical racism from you
¡Waw! Este documental es verdaderamente maravilloso ❤ Da orgullo compartirlo 😊 y eso es lo que voy a hacer a la menor provocación. 👍👌👏👏👏😘
Bondarchuk was such a method actor that he was clinically dead (possibly twice) during production which inspired him to create the scene for "afterlife" of fallen soldiers.
I’m watching it again now, saw it in the theater in 1969 over 2 nights.
Awesome work, this is your longest video yet right? It goes to show the staggering amount of work this epic saga required. I also noticed you have quite a few video about 90s scifi anime. I would check those out later when I got the time.
Yes, this is currently the longest video I have ever made. Concerning videos I have done on 90s anime, I recommend checking out my video on Ghost in the Shell as it's similar to these 'Insane production behind' videos.
@@VoidVolken Oh nice to know. Would definitely check that video out later.
In terms of epic scale, the new Dune movie pales in comparison to Sergei Bondarchuk's magnum opus.
I believe that these movies are to different in genre to compare.
But both has knocking out visuals.
@alexstoyanov6108 Alas, the new Dune is too brutalist minimalistic for my tastes.
The actor who played Bagration, Giuli Chokhonelidze, was Georgian like Bagration himself.
This makes Jackson’s Lord of The Rings look like a college student’s project.
LOTR used CGI which didn’t exist in the early Sixties.
@@EdDantes-v8c had no idea. thanks
I have a few ideas for a list
Lawrence of Arabia
Bridge on the River Kwai
Ghandi
Saving Private Ryan
I plan on doing Lawrence of Arabia as my next 'Insane Production Behind' video
lol how original
?
@@VoidVolken Thank you for a good video, I immediately subscribed)
If you`ll desire to return for Soviet epics someday, I would highly recommend the "And Quiet Flows the Don" (1958, directed by Sergey Gerasimov) by Mikhail Sholokhov`s opus magnum.
I believe this movie would be very intersting for the Western audience by two main reasons:
1. Depiction of Russian Civil War. The novel and the movie gives it from perspective of the both sides. There is almost no pure villains in the movie, not what you would expect from communist movie about Civil War. Of course Whites doesn`t shown like Confederates in "Gettisberg" but still they shown as humans with their motives, beliefs etc.
2. Depiction of common russian life at the time. If W&P gives you perspective about Russian high classes, "And Quiet Flows the Don" shows live and society of Don Cossacs just amaizingly. Family relations, traditions, households - any Ethnographist would be happy to watch it.
Beyond that it`s just extremely powerful. I`m 40 y.o and I`m a career merchant seaman, but there`s a moments there when I struggle to hold back tears. And those moments are not sentimental. Just don`t use version with dubbing, it`s usually terrible, subs to be much better.
Unfortunately, no translation would be able to convey authentic talk of the cossacs, so when watching you can imagine like they talking with Dixie accent, and the Russian nobility - with British RP))
Sergey Bondarchuk`s version of 1992 (presented 2006) with Rupert Everett was a total failure.
Gandhi.
Great video!
Thank you for this elaborate dive into this film behind the scenes history.
I have two points to make though:
Just because Bondarchyuk was originally from Ukraine, it doesn’t mean he wasn’t already an accomplished and well respected actor/director. After all he was
I thought it was a long film til I watched all 3 LOTR films-extended editions-in a row!
informative, thank you❤
I need to see this movie
I really admire your work and would very much like to see this/these film(s). I'd love to see more of your videos focusing on epics - may I suggest Cleopatra (1963), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1965?) and other such epics of the era. Many thanks. Subscribed.
Thanks, while I enjoy making videos on epics there are other topics I would like to cover as well, so I try to reasonably space them out. Cleopatra is on my list but I still need a couple of things before proceeding with that video. The Fall of the Roman Empire is unlikely as I don't even own a copy of the film and its been out of print for years with little prospects of coming back in print, same goes for El Cid.
Underrated movie the scale of it is much bigger then Waterloo
Great film no doubt! Production started during Khrushchev's time and was completed during Brezhnev's time?
Yes
It is sad how one has to have some special sensitivity and care to really appreciate the immensity of these things, otherwise they would go unnoticed.
I was once showing my girlfriend not this, but the final battle scene from the Kubrick film Spartacus (less epic than this in scale but I assume everyone here would agree is quite comparable). She is very young and has never been too much into movies. Upon seeing that she still remained quite unimpressed I had to tell her: “Look, all those you see are real people, all of them, thousands of them, all dressed for the time period, all, until the very last of them, all trained to do those movements in perfect synchrony, all carrying weapons (false), all on a real field, in a way that you can see them moving like menacing geometric masses, just imagine the costs and the time and the effort.” Only then did she seem to take interest in it. Otherwise it would have very probably been a mere “meh”.
Russians when they see war and peace: “this is great. Lets upscale this movie”
I saw this film when it was released in the U.S. (at the DeMille Theater in NYC). It was 7 hours, with a two or three hour intermission between parts, so much time between that we had enough time to go to dinner at a restaurant and stroll around the city. I was around 9 years old and it was a celebrated event. Certain scenes still stand out to me to this day, like the duel between Pierre and Anatoly in the snow, the opening party scene and, of course, those impressive battles. The one thing that bothered me was the actor who played Napoleon looked nothing like Napoleon. I have not seen the film since, but I would love to watch it again.
See it as an adult and realize that you were mistaken.
Great video, love from Russia❤
I wonder if any Russian filmmakers will try to make a major motion picture surrounding the making of this version of War and Peace. It definitely has potential.
I don`t believe it has something to add to Bondarchuk`s cut. Besides, acting and directing tradition in Russia are in it`s demise. And not only in Russia. Like the only last thing which is still stands is British acting school.
@@alexstoyanov6108 I didn't mean remaking War & Peace. I meant making a film adaptation about the production of the Bondarchuk film. Like Saving Mister Banks which was about the production of Mary Poppins or Hitchcock which was about the production of Psycho.
@@HermaphroGynandro oh.. right)
Minor nitpick, but in casting himself as Pierre, Bondurchuk repeated one of the biggest inaccuracies of the King Vildor version.
Hi from Russia. In our schools we supposed to read War and peace but... It's kinda boring. I've read till part of Austerlitz battle and that was single part of the book which I liked very much. And I was astonished by footage that you presented, it's not even close to images that my imagination created while I was reading War and peace, so I will definitely watch this movie.
Thank you for video. It's unfair that you have no too much subscriptions, that's why I give one from myself.
Thank you for your subscription, I hope you enjoy the film.
Yep, in my days at school all boys skipped everything but the battles and girls skipped everything but the ballettes de cour )))
I beat all the book at the holydays though. Blessed to be pre-internet era)
I'm surprised you made no mention of Eisenstein, who already showed that the USSR could produce stunning epics, or Tarkovsky, who continued that tradition.
amazing
The battle of Borodino; which part will I find it (there’s 4 “chapters “) That’s all I care about
Part 3
Thank u!
25:04 Not all fake....it was normal in those days to use also real dead horses for those scenes. They even killed several horses for the production of "Waterloo" a few years later.....
Забавно, не думал что кто то на западе смотрел этот фильм. Лично для меня он стал отличной возможностью увидеть все то что происходило в романе. В том масштаб который и вообразить сложно. Жаль что его сын никудышный режиссёр
Where did you get the footage of Russians queuing at the cinema? Is it available on disc?
I got it from a television program called Les Sovietiques, its available on the Criterion Collection Blu Ray of War and Peace.
Not to butt in but I think I too have seen something of this footage of Russians queuing as well and a theatre packed with excited faces
as the cast of the film are officially introduced at the beginning of production. It was part of the DVD extras to the non blue ray DVD box
set. Bondarchuk looks every inch the avuncular director and not unlike Peter the Great. He had a daunting task ahead.
Cinematographer Petritsky just died last month in Moscow. He was 92.
Considering that most modern Hollywood tentpoles cost $300 million, $1 billion for an 8-hour epic film is perfectly reasonable.It's basically four movies in one. And every penny of that is on-screen in the most spectacular way possible. Meanwhile, comic book movies cost the same and are mostly unwatchable CGI sludge.
And a couple of enourmous series
Young Indiana Jones
Winds of War
War and Redemption
I did not know this existed.
I love how people who couldn’t make a 2 minute vid on their phone of their cat chasing his tail opine about this incredible achievement.😂😂😂
This is what I expected of Ridley Scott’s Napoleon… I was so disappointed with the final result.
21:40 "Every time when they shooting a Robin Hood movie, they burn our village!"(c) Robin Hood, Man in thighs 😅
Read the book. Pevear/Volkonsky trans. The Soviet movie is pretty good but somehow misses main power probably because you can’t turn certain books into movies, such as “Great Gatsby”.
Kubrick is still watching it now......
Sry, but 34:00 is just not true. Stalin had already supported the Russian Orthodox Church during the Second World War and no repressions were carried out against it, after beginn of the war. With the help of the church, funds were collected for a new armoured brigade, which shows the solidarity of the Orthodox with the system.
I recommend re-listening to what I actually said before commenting. As what you have commented has nothing to do with what I said.