In the 1960s the Cold War reached its apex. On land, at sea, even in outer space the Soviet Bloc and Western Allies duelled for physical and ideological supremacy. During this same period, Hollywood movies were more popular than ever, seducing the world with lush scenery, beautiful people and breathtaking spectacle. Sergei Bondarchuk’s massive adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s WAR & PEACE represented a cinematic counteroffensive to Western hegemony. Every available resource was provided to Bondarchuk and his enormous crew and the film, upon release, was seen by a quarter of a billion people worldwide where it was widely acclaimed and even won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.