David Lean's Doctor Zhivago is an exploration of the Russian Revolution as seen from the point of view of the intellectual, introspective title character (Omar Sharif). As the political landscape changes, and the Czarist regime comes to an end, Dr.Zhivago's relationships reflect the political turmoil raging about him. Though he is married, the vagaries of war lead him to begin a love affair with the beautiful Lara (Julie Christie). But he cannot escape the machinations of a band of selfish and cruel characters: General Strelnikov (Tom Courtenay), a Bolshevik General; Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), Lara's former lover; and Yevgraf (Alec Guinness), Zhivago's sinister half-brother. This epic, sweeping romance, told in flashback, captures the lushness of Moscow before the war and the violent social upheaval that followed. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Boris Pasternak.

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Robert Bolt's screenplay balances the political upheaval with exquisite, heartwrenching romance--one of the few films to succeed at this level. Lean, who seemed to make a specialty of making films about illicit love (Brief Encounter, Summertime, etc.), also works a tightrope, giving the film the necessary grandeur and sweep required for an epic while never losing sight of the intimacy of the characters. He is aided considerably by a magnificent cast: Sharif, despite or perhaps because of his Egyptian background, provides the perfect perspective of an individual observing things around him, each time as if it were new--it's a wonderful performance; Christie is simply luminescent; Chaplin nicely understated; and there's terrific support from Alec Guinness, Rod Steiger, Tom Courtney, etc.

What makes Zhivago a must on DVD is the awe-inspiring cinematography of Freddie Young, who deservedly won the Academy Award. I was lucky to see Zhivago at a theater, on the big screen proper, several years ago when it was re-issued; unbelievably, the DVD transfer here is even BETTER!!! There are shots in this film that are simply jaw-dropping beautiful.

Doctor Zhivago is, like the book it's based on, a challenging film that will reward the viewer with one of their most extraordinary cinematic experiences.

72 of 74 found the following review helpful:

A BEAUTIFUL AND HEARTBREAKING LOVE STORYMar 25, 2000

This is one of the rare times when I actually liked the movie more than the book. Omar Sharif, Julie Christie and Rod Steiger, especially, are just wonderful in David Lean's adaptation of Pasternak's epic love story. The script was beautiful and lacked nothing; the actors couldn't have done a better job at delivering their lines. It was extremely well paced and never lagged or felt rushed. Maurice Jarre's haunting score is just beautiful and weaves throughout the movie like a tapestry. The cinematography is beyond compare. The views of the Urals, the frozen Siberian tundra and the countryside in springtime (especially the daffodils!) will never be forgotten. In my opinion, one of the greatest movies ever, never to be forgotten.

60 of 62 found the following review helpful:

Utterly breathtaking.Oct 17, 1999

I'm an avid movie watcher and when I heard my English teacher recommend this one while reading "Animal Farm", I just had to see it. I rented it, thinking it would be some ordinary movie. Little did I know it was a masterpiece. The academy award winning music score by Maurice Jarre was brilliant (I rushed out and bought the soundtrack). It caught every moment of the movie and added lovely Russian sounds (the balalaika was wonderful) in with it. One can not forget the beautiful & famous "Lara's Theme." The cinematography took my breath away, from showing the vast frozen tundra to the Ural Mountains rising out of the plains. The story was another well done point. It was intelligent and captivating. The acting was superb, the actors made the wonderful characters of Pasternak's novel come alive. All around it is one of the best movies ever made, period. I also learned a lot of historical facts, that helped with a report. The second time I watched it, I rented the 30th Anniversary Letterbox Edition. The theatrical preview and Omar Sharif were interesting before- try seeing that edition.

87 of 102 found the following review helpful:

A Tragic Love Story in the deep of winter!Jan 09, 2001
By Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review"
Film making at its finest!

Boris Pasternak's acclaimed novel could not have been portrayed any more beautifully on screen than in this epic movie drama. The bitterly cold landscape of Russia in the winter contrasts sharply with the fires burning within the characters. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie are magic together. The snowy scenes and sweeping scenery display an unequaled knowledge of cinematography. The popular music is instantly recognizable and winds its way through the movie, making the score all the more emotive.

Every scene in this movie feels real. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie along with the rest of the cast, make this movie so believable, you forget you are watching a movie. You enter their world and become fascinated with their lives. Yuri (Omar Sharif/Dr. Zhivago) is the main character and the story revolves around his passion for Lara (Julie Christie). Through the harsh realities of life during at the time, their lives seem eternally intertwined. Pasha (Tom Courtenay) plays Lara's political activist husband. Victor, an older gentleman, also has a passion for Lara. She is pursued by three men, but only loved by one. These three men, their stories, and the lives of their families fill out the story line in the movie.

The story begins when Dr. Zhivago's brother finds his niece (the daughter of Dr. Zhivago who is a writer/doctor/poet and Lara who becomes the love of his life). The scenes then flash back to the Revolution in Russia. As Red blood spills out onto the white snow, we also see two people needing each other perhaps more then their very life blood. Their desire is only fueled by the fires of the Revolution as they continue to have their lives intertwine in an almost sadistic way. They seem drawn to each other by a magnetic force of passion.

This is story telling at it's finest. Just remember, it is a story and is not meant to revolutionize your thinking on the sanctity of marriage. In desperation to just survive, the characters make many bad judgments. It makes a great story, but is a sad look at character. It is definitely one of the most romantic movies ever made. It will hold your attention for hours and at the end, you will wish it had been a longer movie.

You will love this movie and do look for the Christmas Tree with real candles. I also felt this movie truly brought history to life in a way no book could. Enter the snowy streets of Moscow and be amazed at the ice house in the country. The writers expected the viewer to fill in a few gaps with their own imagination, which makes this movie all the more enjoyable as you are not taken though endless visions of tedium. No moment is wasted. This is the most romantic movie of all time, besides Gone with the Wind.

~The Rebecca Review

45 of 52 found the following review helpful:

Blu-Ray Edition DTS Sound Quality LackingMay 05, 2010
By P. Miller
THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE DR. ZHIVAGO BLU-RAY, BOOK EDITION: I was very excited about this great movie being released on Blu-Ray and the advertised promise of the superb video and audio restorations it would offer. I couldn't wait to watch the movie when I received it from Amazon yesterday on the day of its release and I watched it in its entirety last evening. The video quality is truly excellent, but I could not believe the poor quality of the DTS audio. In order to get the sub-woofer to kick in I had to boost the volume to a level substantially higher than the range I normally use. Admittedly, this is a dialogue intense movie and not much will be going on with the sub, but one would expect a great deal more "punch" when the "drama emphasis" of the music score kicks in and when watching the sound intense action scenes. I have yet to experience this audio issue with any other DTS Blu-Ray disc in my collection and my collection ranges from very new, latest technology movies to select older classic movies such as Dr. Zhivago.

Overall, this movie as a theatrical experience has improved with age and I continue to rate the movie itself as a 5 Star production, including the wonderful music score. And, as another reviewer mentioned, the movie's subject matter has become more relevant when played against the backdrop of today's political events. So, to sum up here, because my review is intended for the Blu-Ray, Book Edition of the movie my 3 Star rating is based solely on the poor quality of the Blu-Ray's DTS audio which very much fails, as promised, to come across as "restored".

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