Anna Karenina: Exploring Adaptations of Tolstoy's Classic Novel

This essay provides a detailed analysis of the film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel, Anna Karenina. It begins by identifying three key episodes omitted from the film and explains the reasons behind these omissions, such as censorship and narrative focus. The essay then examines specific scenes, dialogues, settings, and characters that were altered or removed in the film adaptation, discussing the overall impact of these cuts on the story's themes and character portrayals. Furthermore, it highlights three scenes that were kept similar in both the novel and the film, explaining their significance and the reasons for their inclusion. The essay concludes by comparing the text and film scenes, focusing on differences in meaning, visual versus verbal representation, and the use of sound versus silence. The analysis emphasizes how the film adaptation, while staying true to core elements, had to make significant changes to condense the novel and appeal to a wider audience, ultimately altering the focus from a woman-centered narrative of love and sacrifice to a broader exploration of 19th-century Russian society and its complexities.

ESSAY ON ANNA
KARENINA

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Find out three episodes that were not adapted while making film and give reasons why they
were not shot...............................................................................................................................1
Examine scenes, dialogues, settings and character that were omitted in adaption of Novel and
discuss overall effect of these cuts..............................................................................................2
Three scenes that were kept same while adaption and reasons those were included. Explain
important differences between text and film scenes...................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
This report on Anna Karenina a novel by Leo Tolstoy which depicts 19th
Century story Russian Empire. It is complex social irony with female manifesto
and tale of powerful love, suffering and sacrifice. Its idea was based on 'Anna
Karenina' a beautiful lady who risks her family, close ones and life, all for love.
This novel was later adapted into movies and this report will find out some
episodes that were omitted and reasons behind it. Identifying differences and its
effect on making movie will also included and at last similarities are examine with
its importance for inclusion (Burry, 2016).
MAIN BODY
Find out three episodes that were not adapted while making film and give reasons why they were
not shot
Anna Karenina was a novel based on complex social structure of late Russian Empire
which brings out story of beautiful lady who stake all for her love. This novel shows different
episodes which covers each and every aspect of her life and related incident. Many filmmakers
were fascinated to adapt this novel into movies but was not able to cover whole of novel. In
movies this long novel was quickly moved from one scene to another and cutting different
elements and episode. This brings out three main episodes which were not included in films:
EPISODE 1: Anna's pregnancy:
In novel the episode of Anna's pregnancy and labor time was created to be critical for
many reasons. It was marked to escape from love triangle of Anna, his husband and her
boyfriend Vronsky (Yoon, 2016). It was expected that hopefully it would end and her husband
redeems her with forgiveness. But on other hand in movie this episode was omitted because it
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was morally right to discuss that topic in public at that time. It was also demand of censor board
to omit such scenes.
EPISODE 2: Anna hatred for her son:
In novel Anna herself had negative emotions for sons which is not included in movie as
she imagined her son to be better as he was in reality. She always compare her son with husband
that forced her to have negative feelings for him. While in movie she loves here child so that her
character can be altered and she does not look like unsympathetic to audience. In movie this
supported the role of Anna so that she can be portrayed as a loving and caring mother (Freeman,
2016).
EPISODE 3: Marriage with Karenin:
In novel it was depicted that Karenin was forced to get marry to Anna because of his
aunt. She spread false rumour that they has an affair which was seen against rules in society
where they live. He decided to maintain good reputation and got married to Anna forcefully
while on other hand, in movie it was normal upper class marriage. This was included in manner
so that there is no evidence that Anna was not satisfied with her marriage and she lived normal
life.
All these changes were done so that movie become more sympathetic towards Anna and
her image is shown in positive role. All scenes were tend to focus on important episodes that
makes appearance more stronger and loved one.
Examine scenes, dialogues, settings and character that were omitted in adaption of Novel and
discuss overall effect of these cuts
The novel was 800 pages long and to convert it into featuring film scenes required
rectifications and omission as solutions. Directors tries to revolve story around Anna's character
so that best collections of episode from novel can be taken (Vukas, 2017). Films moves forward
more fast which tends to make quick and frequent changes with some cuts. Here are list of some
those omission which marked impact on overall films:
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Settings: In novel the whole story evolved around strong character of Anna Karenine a
beautiful woman who stake everything for love. Leo Tolstoy while writing novel evolved other
supporting roles and focused more on Anna. In Movies it is about three marriages of sisters
which represents one disaster, another compromise and third one surprise. It focuses more on
families, loves and how are families alike (Smith, Room and Hall, 2018).
Scenes: There are number of scenes that were not included in movie which are dominant
in novel. First one Anna's pregnancy which was omitted because of censor, another one is train
scenes in novel there are more description of trains. Last one is Vronsky returning to Anna's
bodies after her death and found her in segments where they first met.
Character: There were two mains character from novels that were changed while
making films. Karenine, her husband in novel was wise man who married her just for sake of
reputation and her image while in movie he was portrayed as villain. Levin was her brother-in-
law who was another plot of novel and was in love with one of her sister. He was more of game
plotter and in movie he is shown as down to earth, connected to rural peasants and agriculture.
Dialogue: The above listed changes and omissions clearly shown that there are changes
in dialogues and role playing of characters. Love for her son while her husband playing negative
role had modified dialogues a lot in movies. There are some scenes and setting of novel which is
changed leading to modification in dialogues and the way in which they are represented (Gale,
2015).
Critics agree that it is hard to adapt novel in same setting, for writer it was Anna who was
center of attraction and it was all about love. For Tolstoy it was about love of women which
brings her horrified death and other extreme consequences. In movies only showing her side of
story was of no use and profits for filmmakers, this makes films covering different characters as
well. This created effect of movie which revolves around families of 19th century of Russian
Empire.
Three scenes that were kept same while adaption and reasons those were included. Explain
important differences between text and film scenes
There were many episodes that were kept unchanged and similar in novel and movies so
that story line and its effects are not hindered. Three of those scenes that were kept unchanged
are as follows:
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Anna and Vronsky first meeting: In novel and movies both the scene when they both
meet at Railway Station was kept similar. In this writer depicts that he was attracted towards
beauty of Anna, hairs, eyes and her lashes. They both share glance and keep looking at each
other until they are far. This was kept to create impact on audience mind about beauty of Anna
and depth of their love in rest of the movie.
Anna's Death: In movie and novel both Anna committed suicide by forcing herself
under trains at very station where Anna and Vronsky met. This scene was remained unmodified
as it shows end of love story and sacrifice of love ones for each other. This makes audience cry
and sympathetic towards Anna (Morson, 2015).
Paying homage to Style and Trains: Novel is written in 19th Century about Russian
Empire and clearly shows style and fashion of that era. Even trains were depicted beautifully of
that era in novel and used many times in episodes. Movies did justice with the theme of novel
and showcased that time clothing, hairstyle, infrastructures and trains so that it create impact.
This was done so that audience can relate life of people in that time period.
There are important differences between films and text scenes which are explained
below:
Particulars Text Scenes Films Scenes
Meaning This represents captured text
that appears in images. It may
vary in font, shape, positions
and colour (Ong, 2018).
A scene is part of film which is
sequential and continuous
actions which resultant from
handling camera.
Visual image vs. verbal sign It composed of verbal signs
which helps in understanding
inner voice and abstract about
what writer is narrating.
For representation film scenes
are made of icons and images
which have direct and
immediate impact on audience.
Surface vs. interior The changes in writer inner
voice can be clearly shown in
text scenes like in novel,
books, etc.
They can represents excited
people, handsome men,
beautiful ladies for instance in
movies and play.
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Sound vs. silence Text scenes does not contain
sounds they are proved to be
silence which states writes
inner voice.
Films scenes are characterised
by sounds which create
powerful impact on audience
(Rignall, 2018).
CONCLUSION
There are many differences when it comes to depicted novels into movies and stating
same scenario for audience. There is need that novels are changes so that movie are not centered
to one character or revolve just around it. Anna Karenina novel was women centered to her love
and character while on other hand movies shows story of three marriages. There were some
similarities that were kept unchanged to do justice with novel. Text scenes are depiction of
images which brings out inner voice of writer while film scenes are set of images and actions
which have sounds.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Burry, A. ed., 2016. Border Crossing: Russian Literature Into Film. Edinburgh University Press.
Freeman, D., 2016. The Paradox of Fiction. Noël Carroll/John Gibson (Hg.), The Routledge
Companion to Philosophy of Literature, London/New York, pp.247-258.
Gale, C. L., 2015. A Study Guide for Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Gale, Cengage Learning.
Morson, G. S., 2015. The Moral Urgency of Anna Karenina. Commentary. 139(4). pp.34-42.
Ong, Y. P., 2018. Anna Karenina Reads on the Train: Readerly Subjectivity and the Poetics of
the Novel. PMLA. 133(5). pp.1083-1098.
Rignall, J., 2018. Anna Karenina and Others: Tolstoy's Labyrinth of Plots. The George Eliot
Review, (49), pp.105-6.
Smith, M., Room, H. and Hall, W., 2018. Department of English. Bunker Hill Community
College.
Vukas, D. L., 2017, January. LN Tolstoy's “Victorian Russia”: Notes on English (Class) Cultures
in Anna Karenina. In A CULTURAL HISTORY OF CAPITALISM: BRITAIN,
AMERICA, CROATIA.
Yoon, S., 2016. Revitalization or Deception: Anna Karenina's Central Characters in
Europe. Russian Literature. 85. pp.89-108.
(Burry, 2016) (Freeman, 2016) (Gale, 2015) (Morson, 2015) (Ong, 2018) (Rignall, 2018) (Smith,
Room and Hall, 2018) (Vukas, 2017) (Yoon, 2016)
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