Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Written by Robert Bolt
Directed by David Lean
1998 List Ranking: 39
2007 List Ranking: NA - Removed
My only interaction with Doctor Zhivago came probably about 20 years ago, when my mom received a VHS copy of the film (on two cassettes, if I remember correctly) for Christmas. I recall that a big deal (at least, to me) was made about it, but I also can’t recall if my mom ever actually watched the film or not (I suppose she did, but who knows). For some reason, that memory led me to approach this film with a bit of apprehension, although I really can’t explain why.
The start of the revolution in Moscow
The film follows the titular Doctor Zhivago (Omar Sharif) as he grows up in Russia during the time of WWI and the Russian Civil War around 1920. He is married to Tonya, but falls for Lara. Affairs are had, fortunes are lost, communism ruins everything. It’s three-plus hours and…that’s really about it. There’s also a frame story led by Alec Guinness of trying to find the daughter of Lara and Zhivago which…well, we’ll get to that.
Julie Christie as Lara and Omar Sharif as Zhivago
As the leads, Sharif and Julie Christie, who plays Lara, are great to watch; indeed, while the film from a plot perspective is rather thin and somewhat episodic, the performances, pretty much across the board, are excellent. Sharif remains irresistible to the eye and just has a nice hypnotic quality, and even though he sometimes does things that are morally wrong (like cheating on his wife), the viewer still finds themselves rooting for him. We root for Lara even more, whose role in the plot seems muddled at first, but as she emerges as “the other woman” (if one has to simplify her as such), she actually garners more sympathy than Zhivago. The film does, however, miss a chance to explore her emotions about her husband, feared dead in the war, actually becoming the villain of the story (kind of? He’s set up like some Big Bad (after initially just being an idealistic revolutionary), but we only get two scenes with him in that role and then we never actually see him again).
The ice palace at Varykino
There is one bright, shining positive in this film, and that is its production design, which is gorgeous. It rightfully won Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design over The Sound of Music (which would go on to beat Doctor Zhivago in the Best Picture race), and it’s just beautiful to look at. The first third of the film takes place in opulent Moscow, full of deep rich color and dark, snowy streets. Later, after the rise of communism, it’s amazing to see the degradation of places we’re familiar with: the luxurious Zhivago home is reduced to ruined tenements, all of its glitter and gleam reduced and carried away. Later, as the film moves more to the rural areas of Russia, the completely snowed-in home is dazzling in its haunting chill.
The film also beat The Sound of Music in Best Cinematography, another well-deserved win. The camerawork in the film is really fantastic, full of subtle moves and stunning imagery (I’ve often seen mention of the train plowing through the snow and indeed that is a great shot). Where many films of the era have static shots or the camera moves are jerky and used to drive attention (in a LOOK AT THIS THING sort of way), the camera here moves in a gentle, fluid, sophisticated way. The movement of the camera supports the story, not becoming distracting.
Alec Guinness in the pointless frame story
Not that there aren’t flaws with the film. First, and perhaps most annoying from a nitpick-y standpoint, is why, in a film set in Russia and about Russians, does everyone have a British accent? It’s incredibly distracting to have them ALL with British accents; I get not wanting everyone to have Russian accents (although I’d have preferred it), but why all BRITISH? If you’re not going to use the accents of the actual region, then why not just let everyone have their normal accents? Also, the frame story of the film goes absolutely NOWHERE. Alec Guinness is trying to find his niece, for reasons that are never explained, and once he thinks he’s found her, goes on a long (LONG) story in which many pieces are tangential to his goal of FINDING HIS NIECE. In the end, he’s convinced he’s found her, but she isn’t sure, so he just…lets her go, and I’m just like what was the POINT? The movie is long enough as it is, why do we need this extra frame story that resolves nothing?
I’m left feeling, strangely, rather ambivalent about the film. It has some great qualities, but a few missteps. For me, what the film lacks is passion: it tells a potentially-compelling story, but it almost feels as if there’s no heart in it. The book the film is based on was a success before the film’s release, and the film just feels like an adaptation that falls flat. There are some great technical elements, but those don’t save the film from feeling lacking.
FINAL GRADE: C
