Product Details

• Actors: Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Freddie Bartholomew, Maureen O'Sullivan, May Robson
• Directors: Clarence Brown
• Writers: Clemence Dane, Leo Tolstoy, S.N. Behrman, Salka Viertel
• Producers: David O. Selznick
• Format: Black & White, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301964144
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,061 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Garbo won two consecutive New York Film Critics Awards for best actress in this and Camille--an altogether more satisfying selection. At 95 minutes, this handsome David O. Selznick production for MGM hasn't a prayer of doing justice to the rich supporting cast of characters in Tolstoy's thick novel (notably Kitty, through no fault of the perky Maureen O'Sullivan). That was equally true of Clarence Brown's 1927 silent version Love (1927), also starring Garbo, but it was both more passionate and more fluid; Brown's direction here gathers no momentum within scenes or in the film overall. Garbo's quiet "Too late, too late," as she realizes early on what a tragedy her obsessive love affair must lead to, is exquisitely doomed; but Fredric March makes a tiresome, even petulant, Vronsky. It's a measure of the film's misdirection that Basil Rathbone, icy-cold as the careerist husband Karenin, inspires more sympathy. At least he's entertaining. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A SCENE IS MISSING FROM THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, October 7, 2005

By 

M. Sharafyan "Artist from Armenia" (Glendale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Anna Karenina (1935) (DVD)

I am a huge fan of Greta Garbo, and I have seen all her movies more than once. I recently bought her Signature DVD collection and I was very happy to own it finally. I was watching "Anna Karenina" on the other day on DVD and I found out that a scene is missing from the movie. In that scene Greta Garbo's character Anna is with Frederic March's character Vronsky in Venice riding a gondola. Then, all of a sudden, a little boy comes to them and shows some tricks and Anna becomes very pleased to see him because he reminded her of her own son. She throws some coins to him. The missing scene is actually a part of this scene. That same boy brings all his friends from his neighborhood and they are all starting to do the same tricks as he was doing to get more coins. The whole scene takes approximately 5 minutes.
First, I thought that my DVD might have been defected, but I was so determined to find out that I actually bought another DVD just to prove myself that it is not defected. The production did skip that scene from the DVD. In May I went to see this movie on a big screen at UCLA and the scene was there. So if you are a picky person like me I would not recommend you to buy this DVD till the Warner Brothers will correct that mistake.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greta Garbo in one of her greatest roles, June 18, 2003

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Anna Karenina [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The classic 1935 adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's tragic masterpiece is still a joy to behold. Greta Garbo is breathtakingly-lovely in one of her greatest screen performances.

Anna Karenina (Greta Garbo) lives a life of dull monotony, broken only by the presence of her engaging son Sergei (Freddie Bartholomew). Her cold husband Karenin (Basil Rathbone) treats her more like a trophy than a wife, and she relishes her carefree visits to her relatives.

When Anna falls in love with the dashing - and younger - Captain Vronsky (Fredric March) she gives way to a great passion...and even greater tragedy.

This was in fact a remake of the hugely-successful silent film LOVE, again starring Greta Garbo with her frequent leading-man (and lover) John Gilbert. Both versions are splendid, but this version stays more faithful to Tolstoy's novel.

Also starring Maureen O'Sullivan, May Robson and Reginald Owen.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Second Time Around, January 8, 2006

By 

Samantha Glasser "Maliejandra" (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Anna Karenina [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Anna Karenina (Greta Garbo) is a married woman who finds herself falling in love with the man (Fredric March) her sister (Maureen O' Sullivan) is in love with. It is absolutely taboo for her to even consider taking her new love on as a lover, especially since she has a young son (Freddie Bartholomew) who she adores. However, it is difficult for her to live under the frightening gaze of her rigid husband (Basil Rathbone) so she submits to her feelings.

The novel Anna Karenina is incredibly long so it is obvious that a lot was cut to bring it to a 95 minute film. However, the formation of the relationship between Garbo and March is difficult to believe since there is so little time for it to develop. Their early scenes seem stiff and without feeling. The overall story is also muddled with various events probably important in the novel but seemingly insignificant in the film.

This is the second version of this classic story that Garbo brought to the screen, the first being the silent film Love. As a result, she is natural in the role. However, her performance does not change the dull script.