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T O P I C R E V I E W
Ziadomira
Posted - 04 Jan 2016 : 7:28:42 PM In the 1970s I was invited to go to a night screening of this epic. It started at 10pm and we walked out at 6:30 the next morning very tired but enthralled for ever by this epic story. It was in Russian dubbed into English but after a few minutes that was not noticed as we became engrossed in the story. We did have three breaks for refreshments, it was like a party. I bought the book and read it, so easy to read, the only problem is that it is a bit heavy! Now watching the BBC 1 version and already I'm with Prince Andrei, always preferred him to Pierre. As soon as it started I decided to re-read the book
4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Libby Frost
Posted - 27 Jan 2016 : 06:19:03 AM Its great!
DianaSC
Posted - 26 Jan 2016 : 5:56:41 PM I'm still reading! Only about 200 pages to go now. I'd forgotten 99% of it including Bedouin.
After his horse Rook is shot from under him (Episode 1), Nickolai buys Denisov's black Arabian stallion Bedouin. He rides him in an army review, and being rather starstruck by the Tsar, he wants to be noticed.
So he ...."spurred Bedouin twice and succesfully put him to the showy trot in which the animal went when excited. Bending his foaming muzzle to his chest, his tail extended, Bedouin, as if conscious of the Emperor's eye upon him, passed splendidly, lifting his feet with a high and graceful action as if flying through the air without touching the ground."
Nickolai rides him at the battle of Austerlitz, but Bedouin has not been mentioned since.
Tolstoy mentions that Napoleon was riding a grey Arab, he doesn't name him but it would have been Marengo, who carried him at Austerlitz.
I read that in Lithuania where W&P was mostly filmed, they had no stunt horses so had to bring about 30 over from the UK. So I suppose it was too much to hope for to see an Arabian on our screens. Also they had to round up just about all the Borzois in Lithuania to make a pack for the wolf hunt scene.
I'm still loving the BBC adaptation, except for the dreary music .....
Ziadomira
Posted - 25 Jan 2016 : 4:34:59 PM Gets better each week. This Pierre is really growing on me.
DianaSC
Posted - 04 Jan 2016 : 8:13:45 PM It's years since I read it so I got the book out as soon as I knew this new adaptation was on television. Episode 1 has overtaken me already so I need to do quite a bit of reading to keep ahead of it! So far, beautifully done. Good old Andrew Davies, I though his Pride and Prejudice was near perfection, this is looking good too.
