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Parents' Guide to

War and Peace

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Elegant Tolstoy epic has drama, romance, lots of plot.

Movie NR 2016 354 minutes
War and Peace Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • War and Peace TV Miniseries: Scene #1
  • War and Peace TV Miniseries: Scene #2
  • War and Peace TV Miniseries: Scene #3
  • War and Peace TV Miniseries: Scene #4

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

katieblaing
katieblaing Adult
May 7, 2022
age 18+

What You Should Skip

Alrighty! I do recommend this show if you love classics, romances, and of course history. The very first episode probably is the dirtiest episode. But these sex scenes can be easily skipped! They don't last too long usually about a minute or two. In the first episode Helene is a major floozy, she sleeps with pretty much most of the guys in this show. Skip all her scenes and you'll save yourself a LOT of trouble- unless she's in a public setting, then it's not necessary. She is naturally disgusting and her only existence is to bring misery to pretty much everyone she encounters with and she spends most of the time without clothes than with clothes on. Besides that! Her brother is also preettyyy nasty (I kinda got him confused with Andrei in the first episode lol They do look alike!). He seduces Lily James's character in the 3rd episode and you can totally see it coming. You can ffeeeeell the yuckness . In the 2nd episode you see a prostitute scene with the soldiers, this scene does last for a hot minute. In the 5th episode, right after Andrei comes home, the next scene shows a bunch of soldiers taking a bath in a lake.... for some reason. Yeah. They show every body part. Fantastic. There is a bunch of drinking, some smoking, and the floozy takes a "drug". There are no terrible swear words being used! Not one F-word! This is called "War" and Peace. So if you get squeamish with blood and ripped up body parts, don't watch. A man's leg gets sawed off and all sorts of people get sliced and diced. Overall, I enjoyed this show because of every character's development. (Plus I'm a big fan of Jack Lowden and Aneurin Bernard hehe this character didn't give Bernard any flavor though..) I was super impressed with Pierre's character and judgment. His character was pretty much the only thing keeping me to this story besides Lily's character. Will I watch this show again??.... maybe one day in the far future?
Linzi
Linzi Parent of 9, 12 and 17-year-old
February 5, 2016
age 14+

Fairly Disappointing

I had high hopes for this, but it certainly hasn't lived up to my expectations. Every character I found irritating and/ or generic, which makes for me not being fond of the show. The naievity of some of the characters was awful. For a show at 9 PM, there was an awful lot of nudity and sex. Overall this was disappointing, and I doubt it can improve a whole lot in the last episode.
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What's the Story?

The BBC series WAR AND PEACE is a dramatic adaptation of the epic 1869 novel written by Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set in 1812 during the Napoleonic invasion of Russia (referred to by the Russians as the Patriotic War), it follows five aristocratic families -- the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Drubetskoys, Kuragins, and Rostovs -- as they navigate the beginning of the end of czarist society. It centers on the dashing Prince Andrei Bokonsky (James Norton), a disenchanted soldier looking for glory; the awkward, illegitimate Pierre Bezukhov (Paul Dano), who is vulnerable to fortune hunters after inheriting his father's estate; and Natasha Rostova (Lily James), whose family needs her to marry well to keep them financially strong. As their relationships unfold and their lives continue to intertwine with other members of the aristocratic community, the families face financial gains and ruin, and the changes in Russia tumultuously continue to move closer to reform.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (4 ):

The elegantly robust, dramatic series offers a new generation of viewers a chance to watch Leo Tolstoy's complicated masterpiece unfold on the small screen. Due to the length of the saga (which is considered one of the longest ever written), this contemporary version manipulates the book's time line to facilitate the storytelling process. Nonetheless, it still manages to tell the tale with impeccable style, especially with the help of veteran actors such as Greta Scacchi, Gillian Anderson, and Jim Broadbent.

Fans of historical fiction will find it both smart and timeless. But viewers unfamiliar with the novel might find that keeping track of the multiple narratives and large ensemble cast a bit challenging when they first tune in. However, War and Peace is still worth the effort, as the political, philosophical, and romantic threads it spins captures the essence and spirit of Tolstoy's influential work. Best of all, it does so in a way that's highly entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what Russia was like during the time Leo Tolstoy wrote War and Peacel. Can period dramas such as this one accurately portray what life was like then? How do we know what people looked like or what their customs and habits were back then? How has Russia changed over the last 200 years?

  • What are the challenges that come with adapting a novel to a film or TV series? Is it possible to include every character, event, or detail of the story when this transition takes place? Should all those details be included? How does it affect the story you're trying to tell?

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