00:00Anna Karenina è una storia che ha dovuto molto fatto.
00:03What's the point in doing a safe adaptazione di it?
00:06Let's try to do something really extraordinary.
00:08It was going to be a relatively conventionally conceived Anna Karenina.
00:13We were going to be looking at shooting in Russia for about six weeks
00:16and building on the stages for the other six weeks.
00:19But at some point people started going, no, wait a minute,
00:22can we shoot country houses in England?
00:24So we were trying to make kind of English stately homes look like Russia
00:30Quindi and then I'd go to these places and they'd say, oh yes,
00:35we've made two films with Keira Knightley here.
00:37Or even worse, I'd go to locations in Russia and they'd say,
00:41yes, we have made seven nanakodoninas here.
00:43And you'd kinda go, oh God, am I just being very predictable?
00:48And then all of a sudden one day I get this phone call from Joe going,
00:51can you come round, please?
00:53He said, well, there's been a bit of a change of plan.
00:55So Joe said, why don't we set it all in a derelict theatre?
01:00It was pretty radical.
01:02And so that's what we did.
01:19The Russian aristocracy at that time,
01:21they were constantly looking to France and trying to emulate that kind of French way of being.
01:28They all spoke French, they dressed as French people,
01:32and they read books on etiquette of how to behave like a French person.
01:36And so the whole thing was a performance.
01:38It's not a play, but it's all set in a theatre.
01:43You know as soon as you enter a theatre that you have to use your imagination.
01:47So it's always a space that totally changes.
01:50It's fascinating. I mean, what he's doing is so clever.
01:54We always forget it's a theatre.
01:56And then there's just been set piece after set piece,
01:58this wonderful, glorious, often shot in one very long take.
02:05I found that the film became more cinematic because of theatrical limitations that I put upon myself.
02:12Well, that's where Joe, I think, is rather brilliant and created an environment where we are able to step up
02:18and play these strange sort of social games without feeling hindered by a sense of reality.
02:23With the theatrical backdrop, it actually enhances the themes.
02:29Ultimately, I think it's worked better for the film.
02:32It's certainly a more original perspective on the book.
02:36May I have the honour of bringing you a nice...
02:38What was really amazing when you saw the first couple of days rushes,
02:42you just think, well, actually, you know, this is still the story of Anna Karenina,
02:46but it stops being your conventional kind of set piece costume drama.
02:51It's more interesting.
02:53Occasionally, the characters turn their backs on this artificial society
02:57and we see them living a more authentic life in the real world.
03:11I find the whole process of making a film totally terrifying
03:15and so to have the support of people that I feel loved and accepted is really important.
03:23He loves having this notion of a theatrical troupe, almost,
03:27of people who go from project to project, and I think he likes the familiarity.
03:33I have lots of ideas, you see.
03:35What happens is I have lots of ideas, and out of 100 ideas,
03:39maybe on a good day, 10 are worth committing to film,
03:43and I need those people to help me decide which 10.
03:48Karen?
03:49We've all seen our period dramas,
03:50so I think this is going to be a completely radical interpretation of a classical novel
03:56and something that's immensely exciting to watch
03:59and radical and revolutionary in terms of its style,
04:02but also it has the heart of a love story,
04:04so I think it will be bold, beautiful and emotional and engrossing.
