Doctor Zhivago

1965 "Turbulent were the times and fiery was the love story of Zhivago, his wife and the passionate, tender Lara."
7.9| 3h20m| PG-13| en| More Info
Released: 31 December 1965 Released
Producted By: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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The life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution.

Genre

Drama, Romance, War

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Director

David Lean

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

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Doctor Zhivago Audience Reviews

Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.
Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
lukechong "Dr Zhivago" represents a sort of last hurrah for David Lean, whose works after that have spluttered into insignificance (including 1984's "A Passage to India"). The British-Italian production is an adaptation of Boris Pasternak's Russian novel, first published in the West after being smuggled out at the height of the Cold War--an intimate, sweeping, panoramic narrative which Lean specializes in, much like his earlier critical hit "Lawrence of Arabia". Lean was never the tightest of directors, his direction often have a stagey, theatrical feel to them; even in 1965 this movie feels just a bit old-fashioned, coming at a time when the French New Wave was in vogue. Overall the film delivers as the romance in Pasternak's novel is intriguing, production value is high, the musical themes are memorable, and many actors like Omar Sharif are well cast. Certainly "Dr Zhivago" isn't perfect but still works for moviegoers used to sumptuous, well crafted spectacles.My main criticism is that the movie feels more British than Russian. Pronounced British accents proliferated throughout, distracting to the very Russian narrative: Alec Guinness never really convinces as a "Russian" bureaucrat in his stiff upper-lip enunciations, while Ralph Richardson is also more English than Russian. While Omar Sharif and Geraldine Chaplin are excellently cast--Sharif especially bringing an earnest romanticism as the leading man--Julie Christie isn't at her best as capricious Lara. The rest of the cast are adequate. Zhivago's screenplay, penned by British playwright Robert Bolt, is on the long-winded side. The movie pits together massive resources--some which deliver onscreen, others which don't; the end product though, in 3 hour 20 minutes. still holds much attention. An old-fashioned, romanticized flick, "Dr Zhivago" feels more like a 1930s movie, but is nonetheless Lean through and through.
TheNabOwnzz While not quite as good as David Lean's other masterpieces The Bridge on the River Kwai or Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago is still a stunning cinematic achievement. It has, much like the previously named titles, beautiful cinematography & an excellent score by Maurice Jarre once again.The most obvious and greatest thing about this film is definitely the cinematography. It is a beautiful film to look at, with many memorable scenes and extraordinary camera techniques ( Such as the one where it follows Rod Steiger's character sideways from room to room ). The shot right before Zhivago is picked up by the reds when trying to return to his wife is also one that springs to mind, a bit reminiscent of the final scene in The Third Man (1949), the shots of Varykino, the train ride, or any other shot in general of the beautiful winter scenery. It has critically acclaimed cinematography, and for good reason since it is one of the most beautiful movies you could ever see.However, i found that the performances seemed to be a bit flat in general. Omar Sharif doesn't have that ability to absord you as the audience into feeling a lot of sympathy for his character like Peter o'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia could or the raw natural acting talent that Alec Guinness and William Holden show in The Bridge on the River Kwai, except for the couple of teary eyed scenes which he pulled off extremely well. The two women in Zhivago's life, played by Julie Christie & Geraldine Chaplin, also seemed to be able to lack this strong screen presence most characters had in Lean's previous films. The only actors that really had excellent performances were probably Rod Steiger & Ralph Richardson, especially the former as the intelligent businessman. Ofcourse Alec Guinness is in this film too, but surprisingly he also seems a bit flat and does not quite compare to his great role in The Bridge on the River Kwai.The first half of the movie is a character piece whereas the second is more of a romance picture. It does a tremendous job of taking its time to properly set up its characters in the first half of the film, something that if often way too hasty these days. The second probably features more great shots, but still seems inferior to the first as a character development piece. Still, the second half is beautiful enough on its own and as a motion picture it is a stunning achievement.In the end this creates an epic atmospheric historical epic of a film, unfortunately devoid of the performances that made Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai stand out, but still a very worthy picture.
Brandin Lindsey Doctor Zhivago is a 1965 drama film with elements of the romance and historical drama genres. The story follows Dr. Yuri Zhivago, whose parents die when he is a young boy. Zhivago is raised by the Gromeko family and studies to become a doctor. The doctor spends the rest of his life torn between romance, war, poetry, and a desire to have a peaceful life.Doctor Zhivago is a powerful film that is entertaining throughout its entirety. The acting and writing are amazing and the dialogue between the characters is extremely thoughtful and insightful. It is also nice to see a film that includes such historical events as the Great War and the Russian Revolution from the perspective of Russian characters. The effects of war, anarchy, civil unrest, and collectivism are illustrated very well. With such beautiful scenery and a fantastic plot, you never want to the film to end.If there are any complaints that could be made of Doctor Zhivago, it is the length of the film. Even though the film is enjoyable, it is almost three and a half hours long. It feels as if you have accomplished something when you finish the film because of the massive amount of time it consumes. I think the movie could have been shortened without hurting the overall story. Also, the ending is extremely underwhelming in my opinion, but I will not give away any details.Overall, Doctor Zhivago is a great film. Audiences of all tastes will enjoy the beauty, passion, and insight this movie offers. If you have yet to watch this classic film, I recommend it. You will not be disappointed.
spencergrande6 Breathtakingly gorgeous. The score (and its fitting use of the balalaika) and the acting are superb. Its sweep is unsurprisingly epic. It's a fascinating look at a particular time period of Russia, the birth of Communism and the turmoil it caused.I'm not sure I buy all of its machinations however. Julie Christie is fabulous as Lara but their love together wasn't passionate enough for me. He abandoned his wife and kid quite easily (go to Paris and look for them! damn you). And even his giving up on Lara was weak and reeked of plot manipulation for the wraparound story.There are scenes I will never unsee, rooted deep in some Russian compartment of indelibility in my mind. A train blasting through the snow in the countryside. Frost creeping and cracking along a window pane, softly illumined by a candle inside. Houses literally covered entirely in snow. Stunning, truly, in its believability and grandeur.