I Watched “War and Peace” On My Phone
Because I wouldn’t have accessed it any other way.
It’s easy to talk about the cinematic experience, especially for a movie buff like myself. But sometimes, compromises to enjoying great movies have to be made with life. Such is the case with the 1966 version of War and Peace, all four parts of which I’ve watched on my phone. I get that for most cinephiles, this is outrageous. For more casual moviegoers, this is a niche nonstory. But considering the reactions of both groups, there is a typical story: the movie theater has lost a lot of its significance as a cultural institution.
“Nobody Respects Movie Theaters Anymore!”
It’s not hard to realize my experience of watching the series was not the intended one. Sergei Bondarchuk’s adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s literary leviathan had a specific mindset powering through the project. For Soviet honor, he needed to pull one over on Hollywood. Or more to the point, adapt better than the 1956 version starring Henry Fonda and Audrey Hepburn. In the realm of Cold War culture spats, Bondarchuk had to prove his release wasn’t the focus of broadly-acted tedium. Even on a small iPhone screen, he succeeded.
But that’s honestly beside the point. If it weren’t for its availability on the Criterion Channel, I…
