My friends and I enjoyed this movie immensely, the cast and cinematography were excellent. Tolstoy led a privileged life and was considered a saint in his country; his wife was, like all women of her time, held in less esteem although she was a full partner in their intense and emotional marriage. The interplay between this marriage and the love affair of his secretary and one of the commune women emphasized the way man-woman relationships would change in the new century. I had not realized that Tolstoy was such a believer in socialism and had founded a commune. Although I've never read his books, I will now.