A film of breathtaking grandeur based on Leo Tolstoy's novel of 1869. Taking five years of concentrated production to complete, the film cost one hundred million dollars. Academy Award Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film.

This epic tale takes place during Napoleon's invasion of Russia in the years 1805-1820. While these calamitous historical events unfold, a variety of characters from various classes and cultures try to deal with their own personal dramas. Whether peasant or prince, soldier or gentlewoman, each person undergoes a search for happiness and self-knowledge... and each one ultimately finds a different answer.

The production of the film took five years and included 100,000 soldiers, 273 sets, 2,000 different costumes and art treasures from over 40 Soviet museums.

Sergei Bondarchuk: Russian Director/Actor

4 stars out of 5 -- "Beautifully shot, sturdy performances, deep and worthy of its Oscar."
"[T]his is film-making on a truly epic scale..."