War and Peace

Pierre Bezukhov returns from Paris to learn that his dying father has named him his sole heir, reshaping his status among the Rostovs and their circle. The news sparks both jealousy and opportunity as the social machinery of Moscow begins to turn in his direction. He also encounters Hélène Kuragina, who immediately sets her sights on him and the prospects his wealth offers.

Pierre falls under Hélène Kuragina's charm and becomes entangled in the estate politics that her family exploits. Hélène's father, Prince Vasily Kuragin, positions himself as the administrator of Pierre's vast holdings while manipulating events around him. The attraction deepens despite Pierre's own vacillations about marriage and duty.

Andrei Bolkonsky informs Pierre that his dying father is summoning him; Pierre visits the Bolkonsky home where relatives show him cold reception. After the old count dies, Andrei is deployed to the front as an adjutant to Kutuzov, while Lise and Mary manage the family losses. The separation intensifies the strains within both families.

At the Battle of Austerlitz, Andrei Bolkonsky rallies retreating units with bold resolve, grabbing the banner and charging the enemy. He is wounded and left for dead on the battlefield. Napoleon himself encounters Andrei later, approving of his courage and arranging care for him, a rare moment of personal recognition amid war.

As Russia begins negotiating peace, Hélène manipulates Pierre into returning to the country alone, seeking to keep her own social life in Moscow intact. Pierre agrees, sensing a shift in his fortunes and the pull of his new status. Their separation further complicates his feelings and foreshadows the turmoil to come.

Lise Bolkonskaya dies in childbirth shortly after returning to Andrei’s family, leaving him wracked with guilt. Andrei returns to the family estate, sharing a fragile moment of sorrow with his father and sister. The tragedy deepens the rift within the Bolkonsky household as war presses on.

During a countryside encounter, Andrei is enchanted by Natasha Rostova and begins to imagine a future with her. At a ball she finally meets him, and despite social hurdles, Andrei declares his desire to marry. Natasha promises to wait, even as the pressures of family expectations and class loom.

Anatole Kuragin seduces Natasha, despite being secretly married, steering her toward elopement. Pierre and Sonya work to foil the plan, while Natasha falls ill under the strain of the scandal. Pierre’s honorable defense of Natasha fractures his relationship with Hélène, culminating in a public duel with Dolokhov.

Andrei goes on a mission to Prussia, while the negotiations in Europe yield a peace treaty in June 1807. Natasha’s heartbreak and Pierre’s growing detachment from Hélène mount as life’s course seems to diverge for the two lovers. The fragile brief period of peace feels increasingly precarious.

Napoleon crosses the Nemán into Russia and Kutuzov orders a strategic retreat to stretch French supply lines. The scorched countryside is left behind to deny the invaders food and shelter. The Russian defense shifts to a long, exhausting war of attrition that will culminate at Borodino.

Pierre travels to Borodino to witness the siege and finds Andrei’s camp on the eve of the battle. He urges Andrei to forgive Natasha, but Andrei cannot, and the battle explodes into brutal slaughter. The vast chaos reveals the war’s costly, dehumanizing nature even to those who seek honor.

Napoleon’s invasion forces the Russians to withdraw and the wounded, including Pierre and others, are marched with the French. Petya Rostov is killed in action, and Dolokhov informs Pierre that Hélène has died, deepening Pierre's grief. Andrei dies soon after, leaving Natasha to face a devastated homeland.

The Rostov mansion is found burned, with only a wing standing. Natasha rallies her family, and finally she and Pierre meet again, acknowledging their shared wounds and stubborn endurance. Natasha and Pierre walk together in the garden, recognizing that love and resilience endure through ruin.