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Anna Karenina (1935)

Anna Karenina (1935)
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This second filmization of Leo Tolstoy's novel is widely regarded as the best version. Greta Garbo plays the title character, the sheltered wife of Czarist official Rathbone. Intending to dissuade Rathbone's brother (Reginald Owen) from a life of debauchery, Garbo is sidetracked by her own fascination with dashing military officer Fredric March. This indiscreet liaison ruins Garbo's marriage and position in 19th century Russian society; she is even prohibited from seeing her own son (Freddie Bartholomew). In keeping with the censorial strictures of 1935 Hollywood, Anna Karenina is extremely careful in the staging of its final suicide sequence, allowing the audience to determine for itself whether or not Garbo's desperate act of throwing herself under wheels of a train is intentional. Outside of the expected superb performances of Garbo and March, the film's most fascinating characterization is offered by Basil Rathbone, whose cold cruelty in banishing his wife is shown to be the by-product of his own broken heart (though Rathbone never allows himself to descend into cheap sentiment). The first film version of Anna Karenina was the 1927 silent feature Love, also starring Garbo, which substituted an imbecilic happy ending for Tolstoy's bleak denouement (there would be an acceptable third version in 1948, starring Vivien Leigh. The 1935 Anna Karenina is arguably the finest accomplishment of the felicitous 1930s alliance between star Greta Garbo, director Clarence Brown and cinematographer William Daniels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Greta Garbo, Fredric March, (more)
Director(s):
Clarence Brown
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Anna Karenina

This second filmization of Leo Tolstoy's novel is widely regarded as the best version. Greta Garbo plays the title character, the sheltered wife of Czarist official Rathbone. Intending to dissuade Rathbone's brother (Reginald Owen) from a life of debauchery, Garbo is sidetracked by her own fascination with dashing military officer Fredric March. This indiscreet liaison ruins Garbo's marriage and position in 19th century Russian society; she is even prohibited from seeing her own son (Freddie Bartholomew). In keeping with the censorial strictures of 1935 Hollywood, Anna Karenina is extremely careful in the staging of its final suicide sequence, allowing the audience to determine for itself whether or not Garbo's desperate act of throwing herself under wheels of a train is intentional. Outside of the expected superb performances of Garbo and March, the film's most fascinating characterization is offered by Basil Rathbone, whose cold cruelty in banishing his wife is shown to be the by-product of his own broken heart (though Rathbone never allows himself to descend into cheap sentiment). The first film version of Anna Karenina was the 1927 silent feature Love, also starring Garbo, which substituted an imbecilic happy ending for Tolstoy's bleak denouement (there would be an acceptable third version in 1948, starring Vivien Leigh. The 1935 Anna Karenina is arguably the finest accomplishment of the felicitous 1930s alliance between star Greta Garbo, director Clarence Brown and cinematographer William Daniels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
93 mins

Complete Cast of Anna Karenina


Director(s):
Clarence Brown
Writer(s):
S.N. Behrmann, Clemence Dane, Salka Viertel
Producer(s):
David O. Selznick
Categories:
Romance
Anna Karenina Awards:
  • 1935 - Film Daily - 10 Best Films
  • 1935 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actress
  • 1935 - Venice International Film Festival - Best Foreign Film
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    Daniel C.

    Sigh. Stunning. Garbo is immensely impressive in the title role. Dialog so good, characters so vivid I imagine they must have kept close to the original Tolstoy. I don't recall anything else from Hollywood this well written. And the acting? There is more character development in the gestures and pauses of this movie than in ... well in anything else I've seen. Secondary characters with just a few minutes on screen are given depth with remarkable economy of dialog and acting. The warm hearted sensibility of the actors and director are clear when you consider what a contemporary director and cast would do to this masterpiece. Perhaps this could only have been made long, long ago. The transfer is generally quite good, fiddling with brightness, contrast and gamma is well rewarded. Garbo in soft focus contrasts beautifully with the intricate detail of the many operatic scale scenes.

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    Terrance M.

    Typical Garbo tragedy. Basil Rathbone plays a great scorned husband. But he won'tgive his wife a divorce.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Regina M.

    This movie is Hollywood at its best. Great writing, great dialogue, great character development.

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