War and Peace on AllMovie

This BBC production of Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece is handsomely presented and provides the added bonus of a young Anthony Hopkins playing the role of "Pierre." Though this version of the original story takes a few liberties, it tends to stick fairly close to the storyline of the book. Tolstoy loved writing about high virtues and everyday life. His War and Peace weaves together an historical account of the Napoleonic Wars with commentary on the philosophy of history and the colorful lives of many fictional characters. More specifically, War and Peace chronicles Napoleon's leadership as he and his forces move toward their crucial victory at Austerlitz and then later invade Russia in 1812.