Ballrooms and Battlefields: BBC’s War and Peace

By Alex Henderson

“It’s not exactly War and Peace” is a phrase of sarcastic criticism: we all know it means something isn’t a masterpiece. Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel has been given the connotation of something lofty and superior, and this might make many modern people feel like it’s above and beyond them—the BBC’s recent adaption, though, has made the story perfectly accessible.

Set in 19^th century in Russia, War and Peace follows a trio of young characters and their families: they fall in love, they get manipulated out of their money, they fight with their parents, they drink too much and make regrettable choices, they wish for deeper meaning in their lives… and all the while Napoleon Bonaparte and his armies are getting closer to their borders, threatening their rich way of life.

It’s effectively a historical soap opera. The story has wide appeal, with equal measures of war and peace—one moment you’re wrapped up in the family melodrama and romantic anguish of a love that cannot be, the next you have your hands to your mouth in fear that a battle will be lost and your favorite character might not survive. There is something there for both fans of action and romance, packaged together seamlessly. Imperial Russia is brought to life beautifully with lavish sets, costumes and cinematography, whether the viewer is placed in a ballroom or battlefield, and the story world never feels a bit unreal.

Despite the historical setting, which may be unfamiliar (and feel stuffy or old-fashioned), modern viewers can still immerse themselves in the story. The characters exist in a different time and society, but the dramas they face are all perfectly modern. There is greed, passion, heroism, friendship and human silliness in equal measure and similar form to the ones we experience today, and the show is written and acted in a way that sticks faithfully to the era while letting the human heart shine through, giving it a timeless quality.

It’s also not an adaptation that relies on viewers knowing the book—this War and Peace makes perfect sense and stands alone as its own accessible, intriguing story, inviting a whole new crowd (who haven’t had the chance to read, or perhaps can’t quite stomach, Tolstoy’s 1,200 page novel) to enjoy the story. It doesn’t try to muddle or confuse its viewers but lets them in to understand this world, these characters, and their complicated, fascinating relationships, ensuring they’ll be enraptured from start to finish.