Anna Karenina (1985 film)

The 1985 film Anna Karenina is a made-for-television adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's 1877 novel of the same name. It stars Jacqueline Bisset as Anna Karenina, Christopher Reeve as Count Vronsky, and Paul Scofield as Karenin. Directed by Simon Langton and adapted by James Goldman, the film attempts to condense the sprawling novel into a shorter, approximately three-hour runtime.

While striving to remain faithful to the core plot points of the novel – Anna's unhappy marriage, her passionate affair with Vronsky, and her tragic end – the television film necessarily omits or simplifies many of the novel's subplots and character developments, particularly those related to Levin and his exploration of Russian society and agriculture.

Critical reception was mixed. Some praised Bisset's performance and the film's visual appeal, while others criticized it for lacking the depth and complexity of the source material and for its perceived superficiality. Reeve's performance as Vronsky was also a point of contention for some critics.

The 1985 Anna Karenina is one of several film and television adaptations of Tolstoy's novel, which has been interpreted and reinterpreted across various mediums and time periods. It is notable for its cast and for being a relatively early made-for-television adaptation of a major literary work.