Doctor Zhivago (1965)

 David Lean's "Doctor Zhivago"


By 1965, David Lean had come to be known for his expansive epics, like 1957's "The Bridge on the River Kwai" or 1962's "Lawrence of Arabia." So, his 1965 film "Doctor Zhivago" was nothing out of the ordinary. Based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Russian poet Boris Pasternak, the film details the fictional accounts of a Doctor Zhivago (also a poet) through the very real historical events involving the Russian Revolution.

Despite the film depicting the tsarist rule and the eventual Bolshevik state as both being hostile and terrorizing, the Soviet Union felt the film was anti-Soviet all together. In the film, Doctor Zhivago is constantly caught in the middle between the factions, ultimately trying to keep himself and his family safe (along with his mistress). Once the Bolsheviks take power, they are portrayed as cold and villainous which clearly upset the Soviet state.

The titular character of Zhivago was played by Egyptian actor, Omar Sharif. While there are many, including Sharif himself, who say that his performance in the film was "too emotional" given the lack of emotionality from typical Soviet characters, I feel as though his performance was the driving thematic force for the film. After all, Zhivago was a poet - he is a bleeding heart. His emotionality in a cold, Soviet landscape of terror acts as a defiant reflection. The entire thematic point of the film is that love and emotion are far more valuable in a hollow landscape of death and terror.

Despite this specific thematic point being made, I feel as though the rest of the film lacks thematic points all together. At times, it simply feels like "a David Lean film" with no resolute objective. Obviously, there is a certain level of loyalty to its source, but even films that adapt a source material view that material through a thematic lens that either enhances or changes its meaning. With this adaptation, I felt as though we were simply observing the historical context with no observations other than a moral judgement of them.

Because of this, the film does feel its length at times (clocking in at over 3 hours). However, there are enough characters to connect with and a familiar historical landscape to understand to make most of the film feel worthwhile. I can still look to the film as a technical achievement with various positive qualities. However, the single aspect of the film I will reminisce on the most is the rightfully emotional performance of Omar Sharif.



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