Despite being a lover of the novel Anna Karenina, I can accept and excuse many of the changes to the story that are necessary when adapting a novel of it's length and breadth. I also love Garbo and John Gilbert and they are wonderful here.
The part of the story I have trouble with is not even the ending. It is the removal of the entire motivation for Anna's self-destructiveness. In this version She has to be the self-sacrificing saint who will give up Vronsky because she loves him so much. Tolstoy's portrayal of Anna as a loving attractive person who resists Vronsky but who eventually succumbs to his love and is destroyed by the guilt over her son, her sorrow over losing her social position, and her grief over the loss of Vronsky's love is necessary to this story.
. We are expected to believe that she has lost her son and reputation and that now she will give up Vronsky entirely to save him. Neither her suicide in the European version nor the happily ever after Hollywood version take into account what a real woman would have done.
The talking version that Garbo did is a much more faithful to what is driving Anna. I 3recommend seeing it and then reading the book.
Also, about the version which was recorded live and has the odd moments of inappropriate laughter. I found it hard to believe that the music was supposed to be live. It was very repetitious as if it was on a loop.
The part of the story I have trouble with is not even the ending. It is the removal of the entire motivation for Anna's self-destructiveness. In this version She has to be the self-sacrificing saint who will give up Vronsky because she loves him so much. Tolstoy's portrayal of Anna as a loving attractive person who resists Vronsky but who eventually succumbs to his love and is destroyed by the guilt over her son, her sorrow over losing her social position, and her grief over the loss of Vronsky's love is necessary to this story.
. We are expected to believe that she has lost her son and reputation and that now she will give up Vronsky entirely to save him. Neither her suicide in the European version nor the happily ever after Hollywood version take into account what a real woman would have done.
The talking version that Garbo did is a much more faithful to what is driving Anna. I 3recommend seeing it and then reading the book.
Also, about the version which was recorded live and has the odd moments of inappropriate laughter. I found it hard to believe that the music was supposed to be live. It was very repetitious as if it was on a loop.