Joe Wright’s Anna Karenina turns Tolstoy’s sprawling novel into a theatrical spectacle, and it mostly works. The film compresses the story of Anna’s doomed romance with Count Vronsky into a tight, stylized package. It also makes a bold choice: Wright stages much of the action on a rotating theater stage, treating the grand world of Imperial Russian high society as a performance itself.
The cast delivers across the board. Keira Knightley plays Anna with a fierce intensity that anchors the whole enterprise. Jude Law plays her husband Karenin with a cold, controlled dignity. Aaron Taylor-Johnson brings a brooding magnetism to Vronsky. Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Domhnall Gleeson, and Alicia Vikander round out a supporting ensemble that feels lived-in and human.
“An epic story of love.”
The problem is Wright’s preference for style over substance. The stage conceit is visually striking, but it can feel artificial. Characters move through their emotions as if performing a dance routine, and the film loses some of the novel’s psychological depth. The film’s commentary on Wright’s adaptation notes that critics were less enthusiastic about his idea of setting most of the action on a theater stage.
The film’s central relationship is still compelling. Anna’s passion for Vronsky is genuine, and the film captures the slow destruction of her reputation with a sharp eye. The tragedy of Anna’s fall is made clear through Knightley’s performance, which carries the weight of the story’s ending.
The film’s supporting threads — the story of Konstantin Levin and his pursuit of Kitty — are thinner. These characters exist largely to frame Anna’s narrative, and their arcs feel rushed. Still, the performances keep them watchable.
Wright’s direction is assured, even if it leans too far toward spectacle. His staging is inventive, and the film moves with a restless energy that keeps it from feeling static. But the stylization sometimes obscures the emotional core of the story.
The film’s production values are top-notch. The costumes, designed by Jacqueline Durran, won both the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design. The sets recreate the lavish balls and intimate chambers of Imperial Russia with meticulous attention to detail.
The film’s reception reflected this tension. It earned four Academy Award nominations and six BAFTA nominations. Its commercial performance was modest, earning approximately $69 million in worldwide gross, mostly from its international run.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Toronto premiere | 2012 Toronto Film Festival |
| UK release | 7 September 2012 |
| US release | 16 November 2012 |
Anna Karenina is a visually striking, emotionally resonant film that struggles with its own theatricality. Knightley’s performance alone is worth the price of admission, but the film’s refusal to fully ground its story in reality holds it back. It’s a worthy attempt at a classic, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the novel.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures UK.
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