I've heard of swings and roundabouts but this is ridiculous; what Julien Duvivier gained by having a near perfect Anna in Vivien Leigh he lost by being saddled with Keiron Moore as Vronsky. His presence can probably be explained by his status as a contract artist with Korda and though he did appear in one or two decent films - Mine Own Exectutioner, A Man About The House - they were good in spite of and not because of Moore; here he is given leading man status and a leading man who theoretically epitomizes passion yet Moore plays it like an under-rehearsed ill-prepared understudy in The Chocalate Soldier obliged to go on at half an hour's notice in a role for which he has no empathy. When fifty per cent of your leading characters is this bad there's not a lot even a genius like Duvivier can do but even so he manages to make a fairly decent fist of it and include some tasty set-ups. As is to be expected Ralph Richardson walks away with the acting honours leaving Leigh to slug it out with Martita Hunt for whatever scraps he left on the table. Trivia buffs will be fascinated to see Leigh caressing Jeremy Spenser playing her son some thirteen years before she would throw him the key to her bedroom in The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone. All Duvivier fans will want to see this but probably once will be enough.
Review of Anna Karenina
