The Trouble with Tolstoy

This remarkable documentary about the life of Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) is built around a train pilgrimage made by host Alan Yentob, who explores the Russia immortalized by the author of Anna Karenina and War and Peace. Divided into two parts, The Trouble with Tolstoy looks at the writer's early life as an orphan, as well as a rebellious and preoccupied student, who also held high standards for himself as a moralist and intellectual. As an army officer and later a successful author, Tolstoy would grow increasingly uncomfortable living a better life than that of the peasants laboring for him on his land. In time, his views on class stratification in Russia—particularly the cruelty of a system supporting a monarchy while poverty was rife everywhere—made him a harsh and persistent critic of authority, albeit one who was beloved by the working poor. Also exploring his collisions with the Orthodox Church and his campaigns supporting religious freedom for persecuted Christian sects, the documentary examines parallels between Tolstoy's life and fiction, including the dark and painful chapters in his family life and the close relationship with Anton Chekhov that put a wedge in his marriage. Drawing on amazingly plentiful archival footage that exists of Tolstoy (including an incredible moment in which Tolstoy's estranged wife is turned away at the door as he lay dying), this fascinating and beautifully filmed portrait of a literary master is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (T. Keogh)