The heroine would be completely different.
The Soviet “Anna Karenina” is still considered one of the best adaptations of Tolstoy’s novel. The main role in the film by Alexander Zarkhi was played by Tatyana Samoilova, who had previously shone in the drama The Cranes Are Flying.
The director himself defended the candidacy of the actress. He did not see anyone else in the role of Anna, only Samoilova. However, the artistic council opposed the choice of Zarha. Perhaps the reason was in the “Western” appearance of the actress and her mysterious role. The management offered their list of candidates, which included Tatyana Doronina.
It is extremely difficult to imagine the “chief Soviet peasant woman” in the role of the aristocratic Karenina. Doronina perfectly fit into the image of the village Nyura from the drama “Three Poplars on Plyushchikha”, she also brilliantly played the rustic Shura in “Stepmother”. But the role of a confused lady from high society would hardly suit her.
The director understood this very well and refused the artistic council. By some miracle, he managed to win back Samoilov.
Fans of the film, having learned about this fact, spoke about the “lost” Karenina.
“Doronina would have done a great job, but it would have been another Anna,”
— wrote one of the netizens.
