故事发生在十九世纪的圣彼得,安娜(葛丽泰·嘉宝 Greta Garbo 饰)嫁给了拥有显赫身世的丈夫卡列宁(巴兹尔·雷斯伯恩 Basil Rathbone 饰),尽管过着锦衣玉食的生活,但安娜和丈夫之间并没有爱情,一颗渴望滋润的心灵在日复一日的困顿生活中逐渐走向枯萎。 之后,安娜遇见了名为沃伦斯基(弗雷德里克·马奇 Fredric March 饰)的英俊军官,沃伦斯基的存在点燃了安娜心中的火焰,她熊熊的燃烧着,奋不顾身地投身于这段为世间伦理所不容的恋情之中。卡列宁强烈的谴责了安娜的不忠,勇敢追寻内心情感的安娜离开了丈夫,投向了沃伦斯基的怀抱,让安娜没有想到的是,她和沃伦斯基的幸福生活只维持了极为短暂的一段时间,当沃伦斯基将他的虚伪和自私暴露无遗之时,绝望的安娜亦来到了生命的尽头。This version of the Tolstoy classic lingers longer in Moscow during the weeks that follow the initial meeting of the starstruck lovers-to-be Vronsky and Anna Karenina. The story -- as it unfolds -- also focuses on Kitty, a young woman who is related to Anna's sister-in-law whose marital rift has brought Anna to Moscow. Until Anna shows up, Kitty had hopes of getting Vronsky, who is single and well connected, to propose to her. Ignored by Vronsky, Kitty turns her attention to another suitor, a man who seems to have a lot in common with Tolstoy.