Synopsis

The film portrays an intricate situation as Anna, Karenin’s wife, falls in love with Count Vronsky, an esteemed politician. Her affair with Vronsky soon becomes public and gossip spreads even faster when the relationship results in Anna Karenina’s pregnancy. Initially, her husband decides to divorce Anna on grounds of infidelity. However, he changes his mind as he finds out that his wife is in frail health and plagued by nightmares of dying in childbirth. Fortunately, events follow a different course. Both mother and child survive, and Anna places  her newborn son under Karenin’s care before the lovers embark on a journey around the world. Yet, as time goes by, Anna and Vronsky gradually start to grow apart. Her unhappiness culminates in a state of utter bewilderment. In other words, she is clueless about the future. With the faithful 1967 screen adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel, Aleksandr Zarkhi effectively holds his audience spellbound, making them feel closely bound to the fabric of Russian society. Set upon a background of low-key colours, the film gently evolves into sublime drama. Without indulging in artistic hyperbole, this work features brilliant acting and breathtaking images, thus leaving an ever lasting impression on the audience.