Great epic about Russian Revolution by David Lean. Omar Sharif plays very well and Julie Christie is marvelous. I think the movie aged very well, those Bolsheviks always looked and always will look pathetic.
Finally watched this and did not find it as compelling as I expected based on reviews etc. However, its not a bad movie, just very uneven pacing (although I thought the same of Lawrence of Arabia, I found Lawrence's character arc more convincing).
As for the IMDB lists, it currently has an 8.0 rating while the Drama, Romance, and War lists currently bottom out at 8.4, 8.2 and 8.1 respectively so its only just off each of those lists. Go give it a 9 or a 10 rating on IMDB and it might eventually make it. :)
I'd seen Doctor Zhivago on television when I was a kid, as it was my mother's favorite film. Looking at it, in every way that counts as if for the first time, I'm taken by how important this was to my parents. My mom did end up marrying a mustached doctor who kind of looked like Omar Sharif. She had Julie Christie's hair style back then, and my dad used to whistle Lara's Theme all the time. It's a film romance that left a mark. I might even be the result. The story, told in the shadow of the Bolshevik revolution (indeed, Zhivago's role as mostly observer/pawn reveals his role in the original novel as a point of view character to talk ABOUT that part of history), is that of a doomed romance, circumstances and events preventing the leads from ever being together for long. The striking cold imagery - the iced houses, the pane of ice on the train, etc. - are at the heart of the film's themes. Cold Russia, cruel and distant love, and a barren philosophy (Lenin's communism) that replaces the personal with the State. I was wondering how a romance set around the birth of the Soviet Union was made and became a hit at the height of the Cold War. Well, by showing the worst side of the Revolution, and the protagonists as its victims, it served as an indictment of everything the West was told to fear. The focus on romance hid Pasternak's more blatant propaganda. Not to say the country's political turmoil didn't cause these very problems or adversely affect its national psyche, but there's definitely an agenda at play. I don't think it's one that registered with my mom though.
Add your comment
Comments 1 - 15 of 16
nicolaskrizan
monumental – and in the bookhttp://beyond1001movies.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/backtrack-doctor-zhivago-1965/
boulderman
The fox quote comes from my original posting:[urlhttp://www.icheckmovies.com/movie/the+kings+speech/page+2/#comments[/url]
Dieguito
Great epic about Russian Revolution by David Lean. Omar Sharif plays very well and Julie Christie is marvelous. I think the movie aged very well, those Bolsheviks always looked and always will look pathetic.CDF
Too low, George, old boy. This is a solid 9.shreygoyal
Beautiful, beautiful film!Unfortunate Synopsis
Great story. I just wish they condensed it to two hours and it would have kept an even pace.danisanna
So very long.flaiky
Marvelous film!rvandam
Finally watched this and did not find it as compelling as I expected based on reviews etc. However, its not a bad movie, just very uneven pacing (although I thought the same of Lawrence of Arabia, I found Lawrence's character arc more convincing).As for the IMDB lists, it currently has an 8.0 rating while the Drama, Romance, and War lists currently bottom out at 8.4, 8.2 and 8.1 respectively so its only just off each of those lists. Go give it a 9 or a 10 rating on IMDB and it might eventually make it. :)
jhhayes
A well made film, but way too long.Siskoid
I'd seen Doctor Zhivago on television when I was a kid, as it was my mother's favorite film. Looking at it, in every way that counts as if for the first time, I'm taken by how important this was to my parents. My mom did end up marrying a mustached doctor who kind of looked like Omar Sharif. She had Julie Christie's hair style back then, and my dad used to whistle Lara's Theme all the time. It's a film romance that left a mark. I might even be the result. The story, told in the shadow of the Bolshevik revolution (indeed, Zhivago's role as mostly observer/pawn reveals his role in the original novel as a point of view character to talk ABOUT that part of history), is that of a doomed romance, circumstances and events preventing the leads from ever being together for long. The striking cold imagery - the iced houses, the pane of ice on the train, etc. - are at the heart of the film's themes. Cold Russia, cruel and distant love, and a barren philosophy (Lenin's communism) that replaces the personal with the State. I was wondering how a romance set around the birth of the Soviet Union was made and became a hit at the height of the Cold War. Well, by showing the worst side of the Revolution, and the protagonists as its victims, it served as an indictment of everything the West was told to fear. The focus on romance hid Pasternak's more blatant propaganda. Not to say the country's political turmoil didn't cause these very problems or adversely affect its national psyche, but there's definitely an agenda at play. I don't think it's one that registered with my mom though.Marazmatique
Non-russians had no business making this film. It shows a complete lack of understanding of the russian mentality and life.garvey
Great movie but what a mess with details of Russian life and geography! And a timeline is very confusing too.lahiru
Wow, what a movie. I did not felt that it was 200 minutes.george4mon
superb!Showing items 1 – 15 of 16