Anna Karenina (2012)
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A Russian aristocrat's scandalous affair leads to a tragic spiral of social isolation and personal ruin.
The story
In the Russian Empire in 1874, Anna Karenina, a socialite living in Saint Petersburg, travels to Moscow to mediate a family dispute involving her brother-in-law. During her journey, she encounters the affluent cavalry officer Count Vronsky. The two are instantly attracted to one another, sparking a passionate affair that threatens Anna's standing in high society. As their relationship deepens, the consequences of their forbidden romance begin to surface, forcing Anna to navigate the complexities of her public life and private desires while facing the judgment of the Russian elite.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Set in 1874, the story follows Anna Karenina, a socialite in Saint Petersburg. After traveling to Moscow to help her brother-in-law, she meets Count Vronsky and begins a scandalous affair. While Vronsky's friend Levin pursues a romance with Kitty, Anna's situation becomes increasingly desperate. After a pregnancy and a public scandal at a horse race, Anna's husband, Alexei Karenin, demands she choose between him and Vronsky. She chooses Vronsky, and they flee to Italy with their daughter. However, the social isolation and suspicion of infidelity eventually lead Anna to a breaking point. After a public humiliation at the opera, she becomes increasingly desperate and eventually takes her own life by jumping under a train. Meanwhile, Levin and Kitty marry and find happiness in the countryside, while Karenin is left to raise his son.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joe Wright
- Writers
- Tom Stoppard · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Keira Knightley · Anna Arkadievna Karenina; Jude Law · Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin; Aaron Taylor-Johnson · Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky; Matthew Macfadyen · Prince Stepan "Stiva" Arkadyevich Oblonsky; Kelly Macdonald · Princess Darya "Dolly" Alexandrovna Oblonskaya; Alicia Vikander · Princess Ekaterina "Kitty" Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya; Domhnall Gleeson · Konstantin "Kostya" Dmitrievich Levin; Olivia Williams · Countess Vronskaya
- Genres
- historical romantic drama
- Themes
- infidelity; upper class; social isolation; romance
- Tone and mood
- stylized; tragic
- Setting
- Russian Empire, 1874
- Premise and plot tags
- period piece; romance; drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- Leo Tolstoy's 1878 novel
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the cast but criticizing the heavily stylized adaptation and the director's focus on style over substance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 63% · scale: percentage · review count: 192; Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 41
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Costume Design · win; BAFTA Award · Best Costume Design · win
- Production trivia
- The film was shot mostly on a single soundstage representing a dilapidated theatre.; Keira Knightley's role was her third collaboration with director Joe Wright.; Saoirse Ronan and Andrea Riseborough were initially cast but dropped out.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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