War & Peace
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 62
  3. Negative: 7 out of 62
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User Reviews

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  1. jgzeger
    Jan 30, 2016
    8
    I loved the first episode -- battle scenes, lavish sets, gorgeous costumes, and an intriguing plot to boot, this is no ordinary parlor drama. Making Downton Abbey look drab, at times War and Peace looked like a Rembrandt painting set in motion. The second episode didn't hold up to the standard set by the first, but it was still good TV.
  2. SgtSlick
    Feb 9, 2016
    9
    Best TV since Fargo season 1 and True Detective season 1. Cast is awesome and the general feel and pace of the show is really captivating. Just wish it went longer than 6 episodes :(
  3. fildzanabila
    Jan 23, 2016
    7
    Apart from Russians speaking with British accents, i think Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace has now topped and become my favourite classics. Heck, even better than Jane Austen's works.

    What propelled me to watch this, and read the book eventually, was because Paul Dano is starring in it! First noticed and love him for his role as an author in Ruby Sparks then watched him in 12 Years of Slave.    Apart from Russians speaking with British accents, i think Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace has now topped and become my favourite classics. Heck, even better than Jane Austen's works.

    What propelled me to watch this, and read the book eventually, was because Paul Dano is starring in it! First noticed and love him for his role as an author in Ruby Sparks then watched him in 12 Years of Slave.

    Taking place in the early 19th century during French invasion to Russia and Austria by Napoleon Buonaparte, War & Peace tells the perspectives of five aristocratic families.

    What distinguishes this to other classics is Leo Tolstoy's dark and dramatic storyline infused with virtues and philosophy of life and war itself, being an author and historian altogether.

    With almost similar genre to Downton Abbey, War & Peace still serves way better quality (i think BBC One has done a very good job in adapting it to motion picture, esp. how they open each episode with so much intensity and a strong theme song to support).

    Putting it in superhero movies' terms, comparing Downton Abbey and War & Peace is like watching Marvel comics and DC Universe. Marvel (Downton Abbey) has wide array of colours and normally PG-13 (or more, but never R-rated), whilst DC is much more darker in the selection of colour palettes (though not as dark as Tim Burton's) and much rich and deep characters.

    My fave character is Pierre Bezukhov. Somehow i can relate myself to him, being socially awkward myself, unintentionally making people uncomfortable and a tad altruist that sometimes losing touch with reality. But i also really really like Andrei Bolkonsky for his intelligence, deep thoughts to the depth of the abyss (i have tendency to be drawn to grief and sorrow stories).    … Expand
  4. MattyHoll26
    Apr 22, 2016
    10
    I'm not usually a particularly massive fan, of the ostentatious period drama's, however the story was so so charming and so wonderfully acted, the costumes and the set pieces were breathtaking. And Paul Dano's performance was superb and heart wrenching at times, However James Norton was an pleasant surprise an absolutely must watch
  5. seandodson
    Feb 1, 2016
    9
    Brilliantly acted, cast and directed, but what surprised me most of all was how moving the story was. One of the better things I 've seen on TV in recent years.
  6. Dzimas
    Jan 28, 2016
    1
    From what I've seen so far (4 hours) this is more like Real Housewives of Early 19th Century Russia than it is War & Peace. The creative team of Davies and Harper has served up a juicy set of scandalous women dressed as how J. Peterman might have imagined them, with a combination of nabobs and cads for men. Pierre Bezukhov, the heart and soul of the novel is reduced to a doleful youngFrom what I've seen so far (4 hours) this is more like Real Housewives of Early 19th Century Russia than it is War & Peace. The creative team of Davies and Harper has served up a juicy set of scandalous women dressed as how J. Peterman might have imagined them, with a combination of nabobs and cads for men. Pierre Bezukhov, the heart and soul of the novel is reduced to a doleful young man who turns to Free Masonry to find some purpose in his miserable life. Of course, one has to wonder how a man who has inherited such great wealth could be so sad. There seems no room for philosophical asides in this bedroom drama. Davies and Harper are more interested with who is sleeping with whom and for how much. It is hard to imagine the second half will be any better, as Moscow finds itself buried under the full weight of Napoleon's Grand Armee, but at least it will bring back Brian Cox as Gen. Kutusov, one of the few compelling performances in this mini-series.… Expand
  7. HarryNuggets
    Apr 10, 2016
    3
    The English are at it again. A bloated, class obsessed sumptuous looking but not particularly interesting adaption of the novel. What would be more iritating than a bunch of self absorbed aristocrats with Russian accents? One featuring a load of the same thing English style. Dano is not particularly well cast, but then again he's not much of an actor. I'm sure the Downtown Alley crowdThe English are at it again. A bloated, class obsessed sumptuous looking but not particularly interesting adaption of the novel. What would be more iritating than a bunch of self absorbed aristocrats with Russian accents? One featuring a load of the same thing English style. Dano is not particularly well cast, but then again he's not much of an actor. I'm sure the Downtown Alley crowd will lap this stuff up. Don't think this is Tolstoy.… Expand
  8. Ripandread
    Jan 26, 2016
    2
    This show is just another one of those British exports that are drawn out with too many characters; some that are just boring.

    While I like historical movies, documentaries and TV shows, this one is just too slow-paced for me. After enduring the first two episodes I decided that enough was enough. My goodness the actual war between Napoleon and the Russians took less time than this    This show is just another one of those British exports that are drawn out with too many characters; some that are just boring.

    While I like historical movies, documentaries and TV shows, this one is just too slow-paced for me.

    After enduring the first two episodes I decided that enough was enough. My goodness the actual war between Napoleon and the Russians took less time than this television program.    … Expand
  9. daviddelnorte23
    Mar 4, 2017
    6
    'Guerra y Paz' es una magnífica producción sobre la aristocracia rusa, durante el intento de invasión de Napoleón Bonaparte. Pero esto no es nada más que un marco histórico donde se sitúa la serie. Está centrada principalmente en el personaje de Paul Dano y muestra su evolución a medida que se lleva a cabo la ocupación.

    Paul Dano está rodeado de magníficos actores secundarios durante el    'Guerra y Paz' es una magnífica producción sobre la aristocracia rusa, durante el intento de invasión de Napoleón Bonaparte. Pero esto no es nada más que un marco histórico donde se sitúa la serie. Está centrada principalmente en el personaje de Paul Dano y muestra su evolución a medida que se lleva a cabo la ocupación.

    Paul Dano está rodeado de magníficos actores secundarios durante el desarrollo de la historia, entre los que destacan: una soberbia Lilly James, James Norton... ( ¡Ojo con este chaval! ) La serie tiene una magnifica fotografía, aunque bueno, en los aspectos técnicos me parece maravillosa en todos. También, está escrito muy bien, con un guión muy bien trabajado.

    En conclusión, es un "Tv-Show" que no es de mi estilo, no es mi tipo de televisión. Este tipo de dramas centrados en la aristocracia es un tema que todavía, a día de hoy, no me convence y me llega a aburrir bastante. Por lo demás, la serie es cojonuda.    … Expand
  10. LeZee
    Feb 4, 2018
    9
    All's fair in love and war!

    SEASON 01: The war and wealth, the romance and deceives, the fictional Russia of the 1800s. First of all I've never seen the series or film adapted from theis book. This is my first version of any format. So it's high excitement time, since I like Leo Tolstoy works. It did not disappoint me. The BBC had done it again. Yep, another wonderful adaptation.    All's fair in love and war!

    SEASON 01:

    The war and wealth, the romance and deceives, the fictional Russia of the 1800s.

    First of all I've never seen the series or film adapted from theis book. This is my first version of any format. So it's high excitement time, since I like Leo Tolstoy works. It did not disappoint me. The BBC had done it again. Yep, another wonderful adaptation. Great casting and shot in location, or to say the graphic works were done wonderfully. Nice costumes show as well, in the original Russian classic style.

    It starts with war and ends with the same. Surrounded by lots of historical figures. Basically, it's about five royal class families. How their lives turn out during the Russian war against the Napoleon's France. Focused on the younger generation who are about to take over everything from their elders. So they have to decide, very big decision that's going to change their lives and the nations forever.

    The romance is also the part of the tale. Being very rich or about to lose their wealth, they have to find true love. But in some cases, the love is a game plan for a better future. So there's deceive and cheats involved. Patriotically, and sentimentally the tale unfold, where the Russian fate hangs.

    I enjoyed it thoroughly, but one thing that bothered me was the English adaptation. Imagine if it was entirely in Russian with subtitles, that would have been so awesome. Particularly that sound of the language and musics and locations, all would have matched so perfectly.

    In the poster, Lily James in the front, but that's done for the marketing purpose, because of her popularity among other cast. While watching the series it was a different experience. A well balanced characters, lots of things happened, like that takes us to the real 19th century. One of the best periodic drama which overwhelmed by war and romance theme. I think it is a muse see.

    8/10    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best TV Season of 2017
95
#95 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Yahoo TV
    Reviewed by: Ken Tucker
    Jan 19, 2016
    70
    [Davies and director Tom Harper] reduce, expand, or toss out numerous plot lines and characters, all in the service of heavy-breathing romance and big-spectacle battle scenes in a kind of young-adult-novel depiction of Russian families caught up in 19th-century tumult.... Old pros such as Jim Broadbent, Stephen Rea, and Brian Cox are around to lend the soap opera proceedings some gravity.
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  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Jan 19, 2016
    80
    It clips along in leaps and bounds, and the speed at which events occur can make them seem dramatically obvious, more declared than developed. Much of the time you don't feel the characters' pain so much as take it as read. But the key moments of spiritual revelation are handled well and the production gains power in the home stretch, just where you want power gained.
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  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    Jan 19, 2016
    50
    This series starts out with promise but ultimately ends up ordinary, another historical drama with well-regarded actors, fancy costumes and not much to distinguish it from all the others.
    Read full review
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