Both Boris Pasternak's extraordinary novel and David Lean's magnificent film version are among my favorites of all-time. The story is basically about a poet/physician (Omar Sharif) who loves two women--his adoring wife, Tonya (Geraldine Chapin), and his enigmatic mistress, Lara (Julie Christie)--through the events of World War I and the Russian Revolution. 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 blu ray 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 blu ray 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.Read full review
The Blue ray DVD has a Superb image on my HDTV, just like I saw in the theatre or may be even better. I have seen it 3 times already. Some of the dialogues are not clear or understandable but overall the technicalities of 50 year old movie are great. The music is already locked in my mind. I hear it every time I sit in my car(CD) The louder you hear the better it sounds. I have never come across music this fitting and impressionable. Sometimes I wonder, is it the music or the movie that is mismerimising or is it the the Director David Lean's hard work putting all things togather. Bravo.
This movie is what serious movie fans dream of... Heart-breaking drama of heart, incredible casting and soundtrack by the very best, unforgettable scenes in nature at its grandest... I have seen this movie over half-dozen time every few years, and it still gives me the rush to my heart with such nostalgia... Absolutely superb directing by David Lean, acting by Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, and ALEC GUINESS, and once-in-a-life time music by *** Maurice Jarre ***... And so many scenes that are etched forever in memory... I still remember the beginning of this movie when the music took all your present self away to the snowy northern country... like destiny... You must experience it yourself...!
My wife sat on the end of her seat for the whole show, this is one of the greatest love stories ever, 5 star rating and would tell a friend.
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I read the novel after seeing the movie when it came out in 1966 and found that (like Gone With the Wind) that they had consolidated characters to make the story flow. I am still amazed today at how they conveyed the emotions felt by the characters in the story through film. In my opinion, one of the best movies ever made.
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