I'm not sure that anyone knows for sure. As you probably already know, the edition released by Ruscico (who claim that it is the complete version) runs about 406 minutes, while some records (Leonard Maltin, the BBC, IMDb, etc.) list the original length at up to 511 minutes. Unfortunately, running times for classic foreign films are notoriously difficult to verify, and frankly, Leonard Maltin and IMDb frequently get it wrong. Thus I'm inclined to go with Ruscico's running time -- with two caveats:
1.) Remember that the Ruscico DVD edition was originally mastered in the PAL video format for home video. (Here in North America, we have a PAL -> NTSC port courtesy of Image Entertainment.) Unfortunately, the PAL system always involves a 4% speed-up process. (Basically, PAL runs at 25 frames of film per second, while most movies run at 24 frames per second. Thus over the course of 100 minutes, you actually see 104 minutes of movie. If you have "perfect pitch," you'll actually notice that all the music and actors' voices are a semitone higher than they normally should be. That's because of the speed-up process.) If you do the math, that means that, in theaters, Ruscico's restoration of "War and Peace" would run about 423 minutes.
Where did that extra 77-78 minutes come from? Who knows? But the following is possible:
2.) When premiered or played in "road-show" bookings, "War and Peace" may very well have included a lengthy Overture, Exit Music, and two or three Intermissions. Right away, that could account for 15 extra minutes easilym but I doubt they would add up to 75 minutes.
Personally, I've grown a little suspicious about the so-called 511-minute director's cut. If it ever did exist, then one of two things may have happened to it:
1.) Bondarchuk continued to edit it after its initial premiere (which would not be unheard-of). And what we have now is Bondarchuk's final, tightened cut.
2.) Or the remaining hour or so of footage (taking into account the PAL speed-up) has simply been lost -- either due to disintegration or during the break-up of the Soviet Union when the original negative was lost to begin with.
Whatever the case, the version we have definitely "works" as a cinematic piece of art. Hope this info helps.
EDIT: And I just found a link at the AFI (as reliable a source on film as any), which lists the total *film* running time at 420 minutes: Part I at 240 minutes + Part II at 180 minutes = 420 minutes. That's pretty darn close to my estimated 423 minutes once PAL is taken into account. Here's the link: http://www.afi.com/silver/new/nowplaying/2004/v1i10/waran.aspx
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OzTovarishch
18 years ago
Many thanks for this very helpful and informative reply. I, like you, am beginning to be a little suspicious of there ever having been a 511 minute version, particularly given that no one seems to know anyone who has ever actually seen it - or, at least, no one seems to be able to indicate any scenes that were part of that version but which are not included in the Ruscico DVD.
One thing that does strike me as slightly odd, however, on the Ruscico DVD is the absence of any end credits. The film simply finishes with music dying away. Maybe my expectation of end credits comes solely from having been programmed to expect them, or maybe they really were there at one stage and have since somehow been lost. But, even so, I guess it's unlikely, even in a film of the magnitude of this, that there would be over 70 minutes of end credits!!
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18 years ago
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aspalex
18 years ago
The film was released in USSR in 4 parts over 3 years. The sum of the parts as per IMDb is 427 minutes (147 + 100 + 84 + 96). On the other hand MOSFILM's web site quotes 255+104+125 = 484 minutes.
There may exist a longer faded 70mm print in Russian archives, but don't count on it, as such print is not listed on their web site.
Soviet-produced films up to 1995 usually did not have end credits. They also did not have very extensive opening credits. This applies to WAR AND PIECE.
The original 70mm film elements are not lost, but unavailable, and their condition is unknown. It was shipped to Kiev (Ukraine) around 1986 for restoration as the only operational 70mm lab in USSR was located there. After disintegration of USSR the lab was closed, and the remaining machinery was sold to Goulliver labs in France. The Ukrainians ignored MOSFILM requests to return the negative and now the chances to see it back in Moscow seem even more problematic.
As a result, MOSFILM restored the film from surviving mono 35mm studio print, for the sound restoration they used 35mm magnetic 6 channel element. This is evident in the picture quality on RUSCICO DVD and unfortunately the film is now not printable in 70mm. There are no movie theaters in Moscow, capable of running 70mm prints (except for IMAX but this does not count here), and russian film industry regards 70mm as an "obsolete" format.
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Taketsuo
18 years ago
I don't find the "missing" end credits unusual. Remember, in many classic Hollywood films, the movie ended with simply "The End" and it was not a habit to list every single person who worked on the project. Also, lot of the cast and crew were often listen in the opening titles anyway.
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simonlewis01
18 years ago
To add fuel to the debate regarding a 511 minute version, have a look at the BBFC website which give sdetails of every single film shown in the UK since pre WWI. Their W+P details say a 511 minute version was submitted for classification. But I think they may have this wrong for the following reasons -
The current Mosfilm DVD at 423 minutes was the Soviet export version for international release - i.e. with subtitles. If there is/was a 511 version, I very much doubt it had subtitling and was in a suitable format for UK release. So it seems unlikely that in fact a 511 version was really submitted. So why the error?? This is pure conjecture, but a film of this length and with so many reels, perhaps even 70mm, perhaps no one bothered to actually check the exact length. Perhaps the 511 was the original length which had already been cut, perhaps by Bondarchuk himself and the paperwork hadn't been updated. Paperwork which may have become lost in translation.
Anyway who knows, what is clear that no 511 version was actually shown in the UK, although I'd happily like to hear of evidence to the contrary. So the search for the 511 version goes on, frustrating as this is one of my favourtite film of all time!
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