Anna Karenina

A desolate theatre, where the stalls are stacked high the discarded fragments of a lost past. Joe Wright sets Anna Karenina, his latest and most beautiful film to date, in a theatrical landscape, as he delves into the darkness and decadence of forbidden love.

Anna Karenina is a beautiful woman in Russian aristocracy, committed to her marriage to her uninspiring yet devoted husband, until she falls into the path of a seductive young cavalry officer. Set in the opulent world of Russian high-society, their scandal threatens to tear it apart, as the principles of righteousness and desire are challenged and overturned.

At once breaking the fourth wall and drawing you deeper into the stylised and elegant world of old Russia, the story unfolds across the stage, through the stalls and high in the rafters of the ruined theatre. The cast dance gracefully through their scenes in divine costumes, blurring the artistry between cinematic and theatrical performance. The synchronised, rhythmic stamping of clerks introduces the Atonement-esque soundtrack by Dario Marianelli, which is at once powerful and mesmerising. The costumes, sets and cinematography are beautiful and capture a story that is rich with symbolism. The socio-historical context of Russia is subsequently played out by the writer Tom Stoppard through the visual and emotional tensions between rural and urban, with devotion and betrayal. Trains cast in ice roll into smokey stations, while opulent balls mask tempestuous desires. In particular, the sequence at the ball is divinely stunning and evokes the complexity of socio-politics and of the heart.

Although there were moments where the plot was difficult to follow, and it would have been no loss if another leading lady had been cast in place of Keria Knightley, the film maintained a strong and captivating pace. Knightley, at times painfully wooden and unoriginal in her role, eventually grows into her character as Anna grows steadily darker and more tormented. The film stars strong performances from Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Matthew Macfadyen and Jude Law, who bring alive a cast of intense and iconic characters.  Newcomer Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson particularly shone in the film's second love story, as the misled belle of Russia and the lovestruck Levin, perfectly capturing the vulnerability of being in and losing love.

A divinely cinematic piece, Anna Karenina is the outstanding product of Joe Wright's beautiful artistry and cinematic vision.