Literary Analysis of 'Anna Karenina' on British Screen

Abstract

The paper focuses on Anna Karenina, the famous masterpiece by Leo Tolstoy, and its latest screen versions. The fruitful collaboration, accomplished by two remarkable figures of contemporary British culture – the director Joe Wright and the playwright Tom Stoppard as a scriptwriter – was released in 2012. Since screen adaptation of classics, as well as any kind of remake, is undoubtedly challenging but nevertheless intriguing for both creators and viewers, it seems to be an exciting topic for research. The situation when a piece of great literature is transposed into a different medium, such as a film, commonly gives rise to fierce debates, which, in turn, becomes thought-provoking. What is more, the fact of making the film by the British crew basing on the Russian literary chef-d'oeuvre allows assuming the dialogue of cultures is implied in the considered work of cinematographic art. Thus, these aspects of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and its interpretation and reception are highlighted in the study undertaken. Furthermore, the study intends to analyse and investigate this masterpiece's literary and morphological aspects from a unique perspective.