Who directed the Soviet film series War and Peace, released in 1966 and 1967?

Sergei Bondarchuk directed the Soviet film series War and Peace, released in 1966 and 1967.

Bondarchuk’s adaptation was produced by Mosfilm and presented as a four-part epic based on Leo Tolstoy’s novel. The installments followed the major movements of the story, from the aristocratic world of Saint Petersburg and Moscow to the Napoleonic campaigns and the 1812 invasion of Russia.

The production was extraordinary in scale. Soviet authorities and the Soviet Army supplied large numbers of soldiers, horses, and military resources for the battle sequences. The completed version runs for about 431 minutes, making it one of cinema’s most ambitious literary adaptations.

Bondarchuk also played Pierre Bezukhov, the novel’s philosophical and emotional center. The film became internationally celebrated, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the Golden Globe in the same category. It is sometimes dated 1965–1967 because the first two parts premiered in 1965, while the broad release history is commonly given as 1966 and 1967.