Doctor Zhivago

Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness
Directed by: David Lean
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
Box Office:$
1965

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Married Doctor Zhivago (Omar Sharif) falls for another woman during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Review:

Tim: This is a classic film about love set against the Russian revolution. This is such a beautiful, moving film because we are shown something so good- real, true love, while everything around it is dark, evil, and rotten. Can love survive in such a wasteland? Can some good come from the most terrible situations? These are the questions this movie poses. There is obviously tragedy here, but amidst our tears, we also have to smile, because of the beauty in every corner of this heartbreaking story.

As you might expect, the cast is very strong. Omar Sharif is quite good as the titular doctor. The man can act, and he had plenty of chances to showcase that talent here. Julie Christie gives a very good performance as Lara, and she interacts well with Sharif. The supporting cast is extremely good, with Rod Steiger and Alec Guinness giving strong performances as well. The cast is all quite good.

This film won 5 out of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for, although they were generally in less prestigious categories like Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Musical Score. It might have won more, but it faced a different opponent in The Sound of Music. It did win the Academy Award for Best Screenplay, which is pretty impressive.

This film is entertaining because it puts its love story in a very exotic location and time. Against the backdrop of Russia, everything seems more colorful and larger than life. This all comes to very vivid life, in large part due to the impressive adaptation from the complicated novel to the film's screenplay. This was the most precarious point, and the transition was nearly flawless. This was so very important.

Doctor Zhivago is a classic, solemn, heartwarming and heartbreaking love story. It is a superbly made film in every way.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind