I've always been Vivien Leigh's harshest critic, but I'll admit she greatly impressed me in Anna Karenina. I've seen four versions of the classic story, and this 1948 version is very good. I've been known to say Vivien Leigh plays Scarlett O'Hara in every single movie, but in this period piece drama, she's Anna Karenina for 90% of the movie. Yes, there are a few eyebrow raises and coy smiles, but they're very few. For the most part, she's a well-bred, married lady devoted to her son but overcome with her romantic feelings for another man. She's not Scarlett O'Hara, conniving to get what she wants and relying on her beauty and charm.
Ralph Richardson plays her wounded husband, and he's just as good as you'd imagine him to be. In one memorable scene, he searches through his wife's desk to find letters from her lover that would prove her infidelity. It wasn't his idea to do this, but his lawyer told him he needed concrete evidence. When he finally finds the letters, his hands start shaking. It's very effective, and it's one of the many little touches he brings to his films that show he's a classically trained actor.
The costumes, jewelry, hairstyles, and makeup are gorgeous in this movie, making Miss Leigh just as beautiful as she was in her 1939 immortal epic. Even if you don't like the story, it's worth watching this version (or the 2012 version which is even more beautiful) to give your eyes a treat. I really enjoyed it, and if a Vivien Leigh movie gets an endorsement from me, it must be good!
Ralph Richardson plays her wounded husband, and he's just as good as you'd imagine him to be. In one memorable scene, he searches through his wife's desk to find letters from her lover that would prove her infidelity. It wasn't his idea to do this, but his lawyer told him he needed concrete evidence. When he finally finds the letters, his hands start shaking. It's very effective, and it's one of the many little touches he brings to his films that show he's a classically trained actor.
The costumes, jewelry, hairstyles, and makeup are gorgeous in this movie, making Miss Leigh just as beautiful as she was in her 1939 immortal epic. Even if you don't like the story, it's worth watching this version (or the 2012 version which is even more beautiful) to give your eyes a treat. I really enjoyed it, and if a Vivien Leigh movie gets an endorsement from me, it must be good!