"War and Peace", a 1956 epic historical drama film based on Leo Tolstoy's 1869 novel "War and Peace", was directed and co-written by King Vidor and produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Carlo Ponti for Paramount Pictures. This film stars Audrey Hepburn as Natasha, Henry Fonda as Pierre, and Mel Ferrer as Andrei, along with Vittorio Gassman, Herbert Lom, Oskar Homolka, Anita Ekberg (her first breakthrough role), Helmut Dantine, Barry Jones, Anna Maria Ferrero, Milly Vitale and Jeremy Brett in astute support roles. The musical score was composed by Nino Rota and conducted by Franco Ferrara.

"War and Peace" opened in August 1956 in the US to a mixed reception, with some reviewers/pundits critical of the film truncating much of Tolstoy's novel, and the casting of 50-year-old Henry Fonda as the 20-year-old Pierre Bezukhov. It did, in light of concerns, still receive Academy Awards nominations for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design. It was also nominated for four Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama (Hepburn). It won this award Best Foreign Film.

As a point of interest, It can also be noted that the film "War and Peace" was one of the most popular and successful films of all time at cinemas in Italy by box office sales, in euros and admissions.

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