Film War and Peace (1956) Japanese Blu-ray edition cover
1956 was destined to be wonderful for the global film world, in this year China's Sang Arc (1916-2004) lived up to expectations and came up with the adaptation of the giant film "Blessing" (1956), completely sent Poplar (1920-1996) to the top of the film hall, so that a group of "literary and art workers" looked at "Yang" and sighed; and Sha Meng (1907-1964) and Lin Shan (1914-1992), who shouldered heavy responsibilities, launched the war blockbuster "Shangganling" (1956), which made the Chinese people "bloody", Directly let "my motherland" become a "peak"!
France and Italy jointly launched "Sensational Europe" "Notre Dame de Paris" (1956), directed by Jean de la Noire Jean Delannoy (1908-2008), roger Vadim Roger Vadim (1928-2000) "God Created Woman Et Dieu... créa la femme (1956) – Made Brigitte Bardot the European version of "Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962)".
From top to bottom left: The Ten Commandments (1956), The Killer The Killing (1956), The Searchers/The Searchers (1956), True and False Princesses/Anastasia (1956)
The American Side of Hollywood is even more buzzing, with the 28-year-old Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) filming the small-budget film Noir The Killer (1956) attracting the attention of a large number of insiders, while the westerns of John Ford (1894-1973) by John Ford (1894-1973) "Searchers/Sunset Sands The Searchers" (1956) and Cecil Lee B. Demir Cecil B. DeMille's (1881-1959) special effects blockbuster The Ten Commandments (1956) attracted a large audience into theaters; the most surprising to American audiences was Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982) "killed" hollywood with "True and False Princess/Anastasia" (1956), triggering a new round of movie viewing. And let Ingrid Bergman be accepted by the American people again.
From top to bottom left: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), High Society (1956), The Swan Princess The Swan (1956), The Wrong Man (1956),
Suspense director Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980), who continued to gain favor with investors, released The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and Henry Fonda (1905–1982), led by James Stewart (1908–1997). Wrong Man》(1956)。
The "Four Queens" of Hollywood officially "disintegrated" that year – Grace Kelly (1929-1982) married Monaco on April 18, 1956, becoming the titular queen. However, Grace Kelly still has two films, "High Society" (1956) and "The Swan Princess" (1956), which have been released in the United States.
Images of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in the film War and Peace (1956).
Marilyn Monroe contributed her best acting skills in bus stop/bus stop Bus Stop (1956), which was well received by audiences and critics alike, while Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011) received attention this year for Giant/Giant's Giant(1956), but the real "hero" was the film's second lead singer, the legendary James Dean Dean (1956). 1931-1955), although James Dean had "died" when the film was released, its commercial value was revealed precisely after it was "gone"; what was the situation of Audrey Hepburn's (1929-1993) War and Peace (1956) at that time?
On the set of the film War and Peace (1956), director Kim Victor King Vidor (right) speaks to Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn married Mel Ferrer (1917-2008) in Switzerland on 24 September 1954 after filming The Dragon and The Phoenix/Sabrina (1954).
In early 1955, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Feller rented a three-storey country house near Burgenstock, Switzerland, called Villa Bedania. But after the couple rented the residence, they hardly ever lived there.
In April of the same year, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Feller met in Switzerland with the famous Hollywood director Kim Vidor King Vidor (1894-1982), who had already made 61 films in Hollywood before filming War and Peace, including The Crowd/Crowd (1928), Motherly Stella Dallas (1937) and Blood in the Sun/Duel in the Sun. (1946) and other pieces.
Audrey Hepburn in the film War and Peace (1956).
As Audrey Hepburn and Mel Feller invited Sophia Roland Sophia Loren's husband, the famous producer Carlo Ponti (1912-2007), and another Italian producer, Dino de Laurentiis (1919-2010), to dinner, Kim Wido was reaching out to Paramount and the two Italian producers to make Leo Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) novel War and Peace.
In fact, at the end of March 1955, the two big Italian producers had already begun to make preliminary preparations for the filming of "War and Peace", and had already thought of having Kim Wido direct and Audrey Hepburn starring.
Image of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer at the event
The two producers, Carlo Ponti and Dino de Laurentis, had long heard that Audrey Hepburn was always "obedient" to Mel Feller, and in order to ensure that Audrey Heh could join the filming of War and Peace, Kim Victor told Mel Feller that he had seen his Italian film Forbidden Proibito (1954) twice and felt that Mel Feller could play Prince Andre in War and Peace, and if he agreed, he could sign the contract first.
It's a really tricky move, because under the influence of Mel Feller, Audrey Hepburn will definitely take on the role of Natasha, who is the focus of the story.
Audrey Hepburn was glad to have mel Feller on film, but never had the same ambitions as him—she was content to play the role of a virtuous wife or better awaited motherhood.
On the set of the movie War and Peace (1956), the makeup artist is styling Mel Ferrer
After Paramount Studios heard that It had "got" Audrey Hepburn, it was very supportive of the filming of "War and Peace", because Paramount was the first time to cooperate with European filmmakers, attached great importance to it, and naturally invested a huge amount of money in the film.
Audrey Hepburn and Mel Feller's marriage was decided to be unhappy from the start, and it's no secret in Hollywood. After all, Mel Feller is not even a second-tier star, and if it were not for Gregory Peck (1916-2003) "matchmaking", it is estimated that he would not have been known to most people in this life.
But it would be an exaggeration to say that Audrey Hepburn was a puppet, after all, Audrey Hepburn needed someone who sang "blackface" to appear in front of her and help her cover up the conditions that she was not good to refuse or talk about, and Mel Feller happened to appear, not to mention that this person was her righteous husband.
After all, Mel Feller is not like her ex-boyfriend, 29-year-old James Hansen, who knows nothing about the film industry but likes to intervene forcefully in the filming time of Roman Holiday (1953), stealing the role of agent and producer.
Gregory Parker and director William Wheeler William Wyler (1902-1981) were extremely disgusted with James Hansen, although they also knew that James Hansen represented Audrey Hepburn's opinion, but at that time Audrey Hepburn put all the blame on James Hansen, and after making the film, Audrey Hepburn thought that James Hansen could not really help him, so he broke up with James Hansen.
Now Audrey Hepburn is facing her own husband, so it is impossible to do so.
Promotional photo for the film War and Peace (1956), from left: Henry Fonda, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer
Mel Feller could not have used hypnosis to control Audrey Hepburn like a wizard, nor did he have the ability to manipulate Audrey Hepburn as a puppet.
Because everyone knows that Audrey Hepburn is the "source of profit", you don't want anyone to "compete" for this "steamed bun".
Moreover, Mel Feller's starting point is also for Audrey Hepburn, but also in the self-interest of Audrey Hepburn, "I think Audrey Hepburn seems to need someone to help her make decisions." Director Kim Wido said bluntly, "Mel Feller helped her say what she should say, knew what was better for her, knew how much money she should make, and I guess he would personally collect her remuneration." ”
In this case, even because of Mel Feller, the couple did need money—because Audrey Hepburn was pregnant, but under the influence of Mel Feller, she went to read the original war and peace, and was touched by the character of the aristocratic girl Natasha in the book, and the desire to create this character became more and more intense. However, her physical condition made her hesitate.
In the end, Audrey Hepburn made concessions and agreed to play Natasha in War and Peace.
At the same time, the agent also helped her get $350,000 in film remuneration, plus a weekly stipend of $500 — the highest salary at the time, and 30 times the salary of her "Dragon and Phoenix" — and Mel Feller received $100,000 for the first time because of Audrey Hepburn.
Stills from the film War and Peace (1956), Henry Fonda and Audrey Hepburn
When Audrey Hepburn learned of her salary, she pretended to be modest: "How can I have such a high price tag?" - This is an incredible thing! Please don't tell anyone! "But the contract was good not only for her, but also for her agent, so her agent was hyped up in Hollywood."
The all-time high was immediately reported in the media, with many congratulating her – including Henry Fonda (1905-1982), who finally played Natasha's true love. Henry Fonda, then 50, was still in the crew of "Redress".
By this time, Audrey Hepburn and Mel Feller had applied for and obtained permanent residency in Switzerland, which was more beneficial to their tax payments: if Mel Feller filed taxes in the United States and Audrey Hepburn in Britain, I am afraid that 90% of the film income would have to be paid.
Images from the film War and Peace (1956).
As Carlo Ponty and Dino de Laurentis insisted on starting filming on July 1, 1955, the exterior of War and Peace was scheduled to be filmed in Italy and Yugoslavia, and the interior in Rome.
Director Kim Weedo immediately had to confirm the 50 main characters in the film, and 15,000 extras, all dressed in costumes made by 90 tailors around the clock. In addition, they had to find horse trainers all over Europe, prepare more than 8,000 horses, and find 2,876 cannons from warehouses and war museums.
Kim Victor and cinematographer Jack Cardiff (1914-2009) were on the verge of collapse every day, because at that time, he had not even seen the script, and the two producers comforted the director and the cinematographer to reassure him that they had a brilliant plan to complete the script in record-breaking time.
On the set of the film War and Peace (1956), director Kim Wido King Vidor (left) and Audrey Hepburn chat
But on the day of filming, everyone found that the "brilliant plan" of the two producers was basically a oolong. The two producers cut Lev Tolstoy's 1,400-page novel about Napoleon's invasion of Russia in equal portions like sausages, distributed them to different Italian screenwriters, and ordered them to submit the manuscripts within three weeks, and finally put them together.
This approach surprised director Kim Wido. The finished product they get is not only of good quality, but also of up-and-down character development, but also lacks a unified perspective.
The average script is 100 to 130 pages long, but the first draft of War and Peace was 506 pages. Paramount was anxious about the start date and worried that the $6 million would not be recovered, so he immediately signed off on the huge script.
Stills from the film War and Peace (1956).
Kim Wido, who almost fainted at first sight, immediately threw the original script into a drawer and quickly approached Bridget Boland (1913-1988) and Robert Westerby (1909-1968) of the United Kingdom to make sure the novel was made into a movie within weeks. It is a miracle that they did not collapse under such pressure.
War and Peace is recognized as the hallmark of world literary history, outlining the whole picture of Russian society from 1805 to 1820 with an extremely rare broad perspective and grandeur. Its structure is magnificent and its span is long, reflecting the excellent writing skills and profound ideological realm of the author Leo Tolstoy.
The work portrays more than five hundred fictional or historical figures represented by Natasha, André and Pierre, reflecting the thickness and depth of the Russian spirit. Historical events such as the Battle of Europe in 1805, the Russian Great Patriotic War of 1812, the Battle of Borodino, which determined the fate of Russia and France, and Napoleon's retreat from Moscow, affected the personality, relationship and development of the characters.
The author integrates the two major themes of war and peace into all aspects of the characters' lives, such as birth, growth, love, friendship, socializing, marriage, struggle, confusion and transcendence, death, etc., reflecting the inevitable process of life from beginning to end, from hesitation to firmness, from exploration to persistence, from innocence to maturity, from pain to calm. The complexity and delicacy of its characters, the tragic and realistic depiction of war, and the profound three-dimensionality of social thinking have all made the filming of this huge work a difficult task.
Stills from the movie War and Peace (1956), jeremy Brett and Audrey Hepburn
Under the operation of fans, even if the Hollywood team that has filmed many grand war scenes has been used, it is indeed an old-school love story that is finally presented to the audience.
Even if Audrey Hepburn was in the ascendant stage at that time, such a huge production let an idol faction pick the beams, which was really not a good choice. Not to mention that the whole film is lost a lot because of her monotonous acting skills.
The film was filmed from July to November, and the filming environment was very uncomfortable. The Italian summer was sweltering, and it was necessary to shoot the winter march, so tons of artificial snow were transported to the studio.
Director Kim Vido expressed his "dissatisfaction" with the two male protagonists of War and Peace several times in public: Henri Fonda played the introspective character Pierre depressed and melancholy, while Mel Feller, who had no expression in his eyes, not only read the lines plainly and boringly, but also wore a costume with unspeakable awkwardness.
Mel Feller would have had little chance of starring Prince Andre if it were not for Audrey Hepburn. He has thinning hair, deep eye sockets, and a tall, thin figure. In the novel, Andrei is "not very tall, a very beautiful young man, with a clear eyebrow and a slightly emaciated face."
Henry Fonda, on the other hand, is known for playing ordinary Americans, and when he heard that he had been chosen to play the role of Pierre, Henri Fonda was 50 years old and couldn't believe his ears.
But he was smart and didn't say what he really thought because the character was too tempting.
In rehearsals, Henry Fonda had his own understanding of the role, so he often clashed with director Kim Wido. The most famous example is the pair of rimless glasses. In the novel, glasses become almost a feature of Pierre's appearance. Henry Fonda insisted on putting on his glasses, but was often stopped.
So in the movie, Pierre becomes a person who often does not wear glasses. Henri Fonda never felt confident in the role of Pierre and often seemed inadequate when performing.
Stills from the movie War and Peace (1956), from left: Anita Ekberg, Vittorio Gassman, Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was always gentle and polite, but sometimes stubborn. For example, in the prom scene, she wore a low-cut gown that exposed her collarbone, ribs, and hyoid bone.
"She's flat on her chest — she's a model, skinny." Photographer Jack Cardiff said, "I suggested she wear a necklace, but she said: 'I am me, and I look good.'" Jack Cardiff was worried about the scene because "her ribs could be seen clearly."
Producer Dino de Laurentis was furious when he saw this, but by then the scene had been filmed and the set had been dismantled and there was no way to remedy it. "She's so stupid," said Jack Cardiff, "there's no need to emphasize her ribs at all." ”
In the spring of 1956, Kim Wido did his job: he wanted to make a blockbuster film, but from the very beginning, fate was against him. Paramount had high hopes for him, hoping that he would make War and Peace a masterpiece like Gone with the Wind (1939).
Unfortunately, War and Peace, directed by Kim Verde, is too simplistic, establishing only the framework of Leo Tolstoy's novel, but losing its soul.
For the film, Paramount's ad put it this way, "A Great Romance," "Natasha Struggles Between Three Men."
Speaking about his understanding of cinema, Kim Wideau once said, "For a filmmaker, his highest goal is to make people happy, shocked, moved, fascinated— indoctrinated only in a secondary sense, and we don't have to apologize for our handling of materials, our so-called programs, our 'excesses,' our simplicity — as long as our basic duty and motivation is to provide the audience with exciting and pleasant entertainment." ”
Although this view is not wrong, it is in conflict with everything that Leo Tolstoy pursues in the novel.
Everyone had great hopes, and director Kim Wido worked very hard, but the three-and-a-half-hour war and peace still had only empty scenes. Critics agreed that "the characters are mechanized, devoid of emotion, the characters are like second-class citizens, stale and without depth... Those humorous stories are superficial and unorganized."
Audrey Hepburn, who has no room to play, is equally vulnerable to criticism, with one veteran Film Critic in London saying: "She either smiled innocently or shed tears innocently." ”
Audrey Hepburn's portrayal of Natasha in War and Peace is also the most unsuccessful case of her solo acting career.
Promotional photo for the film War and Peace (1956), Audrey Hepburn
Compared to the later Soviet version of Sergei Bondarchuk (920-1994) in War and Peace Война и мир (1966), to natasha (Lyudmila Savirieva), whose eyes were filled with confusion and excitement, and who was dizzy on the dance floor, Audrey Hepburn simply repeated the character in Roman Holiday.
After the filming of War and Peace, the producers invited her to play the Japanese bride of Marlon Brando (1924-2004) in Sakura Love Sayonara (1957). She confessed: "I can't play an oriental woman – no one will believe me!" Everyone will laugh. Although the script is beautiful, I can't help but measure up. If you really convince me, I will regret it, because I will definitely make a mess of it. ”
Poster for the Japanese version of the movie War and Peace (1956).
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