Dr. Zhivago
Category
Drama / Romance / War
Director
David Lean
Cast
- Omar Sharif
- Julie Christie
- Geraldine Chaplin
- Rod Steiger
Release Date
22nd December 1965
Synopsis
“Dr. Zhivago”, a 1965 epic romance film by director David Lean, tells of a love story between Russian poet and doctor Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), and his mistress Lara Antipova (Julie Christie), set during the turbulent years of the Russian Revolution. The film is an adaptation of Boris Pasternak’s famous novel which bears the same title.
Yuri was orphaned at an early age. He lived with his adoptive parents Alexander and Anna Gromeko, and later on married their daughter, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). Although he was already gaining recognition as a poet, Yuri decided to become a doctor with the belief that poetry cannot support him. Yuri has several encounters with Lara and later on falls in love with her. He eventually became torn between his pragmatic married life and his passionate love affair.
After several personal and political hurdles, Yuri and Lara were reunited, but were soon torn apart once more by the Bolshevik Revolution. Yuri’s half-brother, Yevgraf, later on searches for Lara and Yuri’s daughter. He eventually tells his brother’s story to Tonya Komarov, a young girl he believes to be one he’s looking for.
Aside from being classified as one of the best war romance movies, “Dr. Zhivago” is noted for its lavish settings and costumes. The multi-awarded film boasts of Academy Awards for writing adapted screenplay, art direction, cinematography, costume design, and musical score. David Lean received a Golden Globe award for best director.
Boris Pasternak’s classic writing comes to life with David Lean’s breathtaking rendition of wartime Russia, and Omar Sharif’s excellent performance as Dr. Yuri Zhivago. It is important for novel-based movies to remain faithful to the original, and the film version was able to pull it off despite some adjustments to suit the silver screen.
The timeless and central themes of love, infidelity, and tragedy portrayed in “Dr. Zhivago” continue to mesmerize viewers almost forty years later. The classic story of war-torn lovers remains to be a memorable romance theme, and the film certainly deserves to be counted as one of the best in the genre. Although highly criticized for its lengthy portrayal of the Yuri-Lara romance, many critics still lauded it for the stellar cast performance and unforgettable “Lara’s Theme” by Maurice Jarre.