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Doctor Zhivago
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Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago

1965
Romance, Drama
3h 17m
Life of a Russian doctor/poet who, although married, falls for a political activist's wife and experiences hardships during the Bolshevik Revolution. (imdb)

Directed by:

David Lean
David-Lean
26 total credits
Sir David Lean CBE was an English filmmaker, producer, screenwriter and editor, best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter, and A Passage to India. Acclaimed and praised by directors such as Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Lean was voted 9th greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute Sight & Sound "Directors Top Directors" poll 2002. (Wikipedia)

Writers:

Robert Bolt
Robert-Bolt
10 total credits
Credits include: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, The Mission, A Man for All Seasons and The Bounty
,
Boris Pasternak
Boris-Pasternak
5 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, Gamlet, Korol Lir, Doctor Zhivago and Doktor Zhivago

Starring:

Julie Christie
Julie-Christie
39 total credits
Credits include: Finding Neverland, Dragonheart, Don't Look Now, Doctor Zhivago and Fahrenheit 451
,
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine-Chaplin
99 total credits
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an American-born British actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin and Oona O'Neill. She made her film debut in the elder Chaplin's Limelight (1952) as a dancer. She also played a small role in her father's last film, Countess From Hong Kong (1964). In addition to her busy film career, Chaplin also appeared on-stage and in television miniseries such as Gulliver's Travels (1996) and The Odyssey (1997). Though she has often played leads roles in many films.
,
Tom Courtenay
Tom-Courtenay
45 total credits
Credits include: The Golden Compass, Doctor Zhivago, 45 Years, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
,
Rod Steiger
Rod-Steiger
94 total credits
One of Hollywood's go-to character actors for years, Steiger appeared in over 100 films and won the Academy Award for 1967's In the Heat of the Night. His big break came in On the Waterfront, for which he garnered his first Oscar nomination. Steiger was married 5 times, and died in 2002 at the ripe old age of 77.
,
Omar Sharif
Omar-Sharif
74 total credits
Credits include: Lawrence of Arabia, The 13th Warrior, 10,000 B.C., Hidalgo and Top Secret!
,
Alec Guinness
Alec-Guinness
59 total credits
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (2 April 1914 - 5 August 2000) was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai. His most prominent role in his later career was as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy...(Wikipedia)
,
Klaus Kinski
Klaus-Kinski
125 total credits
Though he invariably looked sickly and tubercular, Polish/German actor Klaus Kinski rose to fame in roles calling for near-manic aggressiveness. His war career consisted primarily of a year and a half in a British POW camp. After this experience, Kinski took to the theater, where he rapidly built a reputation for on-stage brilliance and off-stage emotional instability. International stardom came Kinski's way via his off-the-beam appearances in the films of director Werner Herzog. With 1989's Paganini, he proved to be as colorful and chaotic a director as he was an actor. He was the father of actress Nastassja Kinski; died in 1991.
,
Ralph Richardson
Ralph-Richardson
68 total credits
Credits include: Time Bandits, Doctor Zhivago, Watership Down, Rollerball and Chimes at Midnight
,
Rita Tushingham
Rita-Tushingham
31 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, Last Night in Soho, A Taste of Honey, The Knack ...and How to Get It and The Bed Sitting Room
,
Siobhan McKenna
Siobhan-McKenna
7 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, King of Kings, Of Human Bondage, The Last Days of Pompeii and The Adventurers
,
Bernard Kay
Bernard-Kay
11 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman, Trog, The Hunting Party and They Came from Beyond Space
,
Jeffrey Rockland
Jeffrey-Rockland
1 total credit
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago

Franchise:

Doctor Zhivago

Genres:

Romance, Drama, War

AKA:

Il dottor Zivago

Countries:

Italy, USA

Languages:

English, French, Russian

Doctor Zhivago

1965
Romance, Drama
3h 17m
Your probable score

Ratings & Reviews

Compact view
Compact view
Average Percentile: 65.62%
20 Aug 2010
70
36th
I just don't see nothing special about it. I don't mind it's a good and beautiful adaptation. But it does not posses even a small amount of emotion the book has. Pasternak's novel is a kind of a book that cannot be transferred to the screen in a proper way.
05 Jan 2010
90
86th
This may seem like an odd comparison, but just like the Harry Potter books, ZHIVAGO works hard at being totally immersive, and it requires an audience that's willing to just sink into it and soak. So beautiful, and so sad and depressing. Sharif has the most thankless task in this picture, as Zhivago himself is so deeply passive and spends most of the movie reacting and suffering. The two decisions that he does make basically ruin his life and everyone else's. Steiger is marvelously hateful.
14 Feb 2008
90
89th
Doctor Zhivago is a classic film from master filmmaker David Lean. Although it is not as gripping or compelling as Lawrence of Arabia or Bridge on the River Kwai, it still has a beautiful story that takes hold of you. This film has a fantastic cast, Julie Christie was magnificent in her first feature role as well as Sharif, Guinness and Chaplin. Klaus Kinski also had a memorable scene in the film. All in all, Doctor Zhivago is a marvelous romance of epic proportions, Definitely worth a look.
19 Jun 2020
80
88th
I love sweeping historical epics. There aren't that many memorable scenes here, but you really get a sense of movement through the tumultuous periods in Russian/Soviet history. I don't usually care for overtures, intermissions, etc., but here it really brought the experience together since real life, even during important times, doesn't get condensed at the moment. I found the embracing and reprises of the theme a bit repetitive, but it's so good that it's forgivable. Fav scene: cavalry charge.
10 Oct 2009
78
66th
the only real downfall of this movie is it is so long winded, without even really seeming epic that it slows down to a near halt in certain places making it really hard to sit through the whole thing. now if it were abbreviated to about two and a half hours we would have a masterpiece on our hands.
01 Aug 2009
94
99th
Another film that demonstrates David Lean's right to mentioned among the greatest directors of all time. A visually beautiful, engrossing tale about people and the choices they make. The wonderfully delicate and engrossing plot is fulfilled by a cast in great form and director at the top of his game. Watching Doctor Zhivago is a great way to spend an evening. A true classic.
11 Nov 2007
88
90th
An excellent well told epic, with the wonderful cinematography you'd expect from Lean. I actually thought the love story between Sharif and Christie was the weakest part, but there's so much more to the movie that it doesn't hinder it much.
07 Apr 2007
100
95th
Now THIS is an epic. Nothing short of terrific on every level
03 Nov 2022
76
67th
An okay story with good actors, great musics and excellent directing. Zhivago really is a disgusting bourgeois. Communists are not better, however praising a cheater because he lives “free” and follows his feelings in the communist regime is not the message to convey. İfrat da tefrit de zarar.
31 Mar 2021
63
67th
Klaus Kinski out of nowhere.
14 Nov 2017
70
88th
a truly epic film. When I was a kid the UK only had 3 tv channels & this seemed to be on a lot so I guess some of my love for it is nostalgic. Yes I was probably one of the few 8 year olds to appreciate it but f*** those other kids
25 Mar 2014
62
32nd
Like many Russian stories, it is long and angsty. The film provides plenty of interesting perspective on Russian history and culture. But even though the 60's was the era of the epic films, modern viewers will be hard-pressed to agree there was 3.5 hours of material here. The immersive experience this attempted to be waned as scenes (especially toward the end) were obviously stretched to increase the running time. Thankfully the scenery and acting are great; worth seeing for those alone.
28 Jul 2013
61
27th
I can appreciate that it is a huge undertaking and also enjoyed the meticulous work on visual details, but both emotionally and intellectually this movie did not speak to me at all. There was something inherently unauthentic and awkward about it. Honestly, I enjoyed more watching the "Making of.." documentary than the movie itself; in which you learn how Franco's police (The movie was shot mostly in Spain) showed up during the scene where the extras sang Internationale;that is irony at its best.
18 Feb 2010
66
26th
I thought I was mistaken, so I watched it again. On both viewings I've had the same reaction as the initial critics. With the addition: the performances throughout the beginning seem out of sync and unnatural. Also, as lovely as the main theme is, the actual use of soundtrack was mystifying and distracting. I think the film is technically poor, which is difficult - no - shocking to say as a Lean fan.
10 Apr 2009
75
82nd
Beautifully photographed and meticulously directed, this complex epic has been so reduced from the original novel that many parts of the script simply do not make any kind of sense. What remains is a collection of expensive set-pieces, great for looking if not listening.
27 Mar 2009
85
86th
Beautifully photographed and has extremely haunting music. The story is also very compelling. However, the film suffers because it desperately needs to lose at least 45 minutes of runtime, and often the narrative focuses too much on showing instead of telling.
15 Mar 2009
70
31st
An okay adaptation, but overly long and melodramatic. Side Note: My mother would have named me Lara after the movie character and not the book, had I been a girl. Yeah.
31 Dec 2008
8
82nd
Overwhelming and incredibly depressing. When Julie Christie says "this is the worst time to be alive" it was true and resonated throughout the whole film. Not my favorite from Lean but definitely worth a watch.
12 Aug 2008
85
91st
Romance, Russia, Communists, Train Rides, Julie Christie, what's not to love?
12 Jun 2008
80
77th
Though at parts artificial, it's both a visual wonder and a precise work of direction. The performances are now classic.
27 Apr 2008
89
92nd
Thoroughly engaging from start to finish. Lean was quite gifted at taking his sweet time to tell an epic tale without making you look at your watch. Somewhat overlooked these days, probably because it's a romance (yuck, icky girl stuff!), but it's just as good as Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai. A great and memorable cast of characters.
13 Aug 2007
95
95th
This is one of David Lean's great epic romances - poignant & tragic. Rod Steiger is riveting. Julie Christie is absolutely glorious.
26 Feb 2025
6
43rd
Epic and sweeping storytelling but too glossy to have any sense of authenticity of feeling.
26 Feb 2025
60
24th
Shamefully a snoozefest with some highlights.
20 Feb 2025
80
81st
Super slow, but ultimately beautiful.
18 Nov 2024
7
84th
I saw this for the first time tonight in a movie theater, I thought it was pretty darn good, nice sweeping scope, epic timeframe, big events, magnetic central performances etc. Only kinda weird thing was the otherwise sympathetic main dude cucking his agreeable, pleasant, pretty and loyal wife like wtf dude that's not cool...
20 Jan 2022
67
69th
Maybe it's my general dislike of romance films, Doctor Zhivago just didn't hit me as hard as some of Lean's other epics. I can still appreciate the effort though and the performances are stellar.
10 Jan 2022
82
85th
Although slow and meandering, the story is told in a way that tedious moments and boring scenes are not present. Not worth its reputation, but better than what I expected.
25 Nov 2021
100
73rd
One of the most moving tales of love and historically-based fiction I've ever seen. July Christy is radiant. Omar Sharif portrays the struggle so brilliantly. Music, scenery, supporting cast. Everything works.
05 Oct 2021
2
22nd
Leisurely, which makes it exhausting and irritating.
02 Jul 2021
92
92nd
David Lean epics just have a special feeling that's so engrossing. His world creating is so big and believable. Tons of emotion here.
02 Feb 2021
95
84th
Finally got to this one. Beautifully shot, nice music, interesting plot and setting and excellent performances. I didn't feel the long running time as much as I thought I would.
05 Jan 2021
90
84th
Doctor Zhivago is one of those films I had heard about forever. I had heard it was a classic which can mean one of two things. Either it's unequivocally fantastic or it was fantastic and it has some important merit that keeps it part of film canon more as a history piece than entertainment. Luckily Doctor Zhivago is the former. I enjoyed the movie throughout. The dueling love stories were touching. The music and cinematography was engaging. I fell in love with the places. The acting was superb.
09 Nov 2019
93
94th
A visually stunning film, hampered by intractable source material, leading to an excess of opacity in story and static emoting in acting.
11 May 2019
32
19th
This really felt more like a propaganda film rather than a story. Maybe I'm the only one who feels that way...
28 Nov 2018
60
28th
Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago: "I told myself it was beneath my dignity to arrest a man for pilfering firewood. But nothing ordered by the party is beneath the dignity of any man, and the party was right: One man desperate for a bit of fuel is pathetic. Five million people desperate for fuel will destroy a city. That was the first time I ever saw my brother. But I knew him. And I knew that I would disobey the party."
26 Nov 2018
75
44th
Not as brilliant as I'd hoped.
30 Aug 2018
85
92nd
sırf müziği olsa bile yeter ...
19 Mar 2018
82
60th
It may not be the best of David Lean's epics, but Dr. Zhivago is still brilliantly photographed and sweepingly romantic.
18 Jan 2018
95
98th
klasik nedirin yaniti...
06 Jan 2018
80
94th
2. Zhivago is a magnificent Hollywood epic. The admiration I have for such productions and their sheer volume and vast number of people involved and orchestrated in the telling of compelling stories never fails to kick in. Zhivago possesses several memorable scenes, a great cast and inspired performances - Sharif and Christie notably - as well as a wonderful score. All the factors add in to ease what would otherwise be an unbearable run time. Oh, and Klaus Kinski is crazy and enigmatic as usual.
21 Aug 2017
37
8th
Gives the term "overacting" a new meaning. I don't mind that particular acting style, I do however mind cheap storytelling and empty clichés. Meaning Leans directing style. The lame on-the-nose dialogue makes the performances feel all the more awkward, almost turning it into a B-movie. I think it ultimately suffers from trying to stuff too much of an epic novel's plot into a movie, rendering every supposedly emotional moment and all the back-and-forth boring and borderline ridiculous.
10 Mar 2017
80
81st
David Lean tackles Pasternak's sweeping epic admirably, relaying its tragic romance with enough energy and style to be sufficiently engaging over the three hour runtime. Fine photography and terrific production values bestow it a wonderful visual quality, and there are strong performances from Sharif, Courtenay and the immense Rod Steiger.
20 Apr 2016
81
94th
Marvellous storytelling on a grand scale that died out sometime in the 1970's. The casting is among the best in movie history. The first part is however particularly stronger than the second.
28 Dec 2015
8
78th
I need a drink.
26 Apr 2015
71
58th
Mother Russia, turns your life into a tasteless joke.
26 Oct 2014
70
64th
I think it's overrated and does not deserve to be mentioned as masterpiece!
12 Oct 2014
97
98th
Perhaps Lean's best film, it is pure poetry onscreen, and certainly one of those films that can never be remade (though Hollywood still tried).
26 Mar 2014
46
25th
It seems that every aspect of book is very shallow shown on screen. There is no even any deep perspective of main characters except close-ups of Omar Sharif and his reactions...
23 Mar 2014
84
79th
84.000
18 Sep 2013
65
66th
As painstakingly, meticulously directed, and consistently engaging, as any of David Lean's epic films, but to be honest, his epics aren't necessarily his best efforts. Doctor Zhivago (the movie adaptation, anyway) is essentially a melodrama (a somewhat political one), and its fine craftsmanship doesn't entirely make up for its lack of depth. It is still well worth watching. Rod Steiger's is the most stunning of several formidable performances.
19 Aug 2013
70
72nd
An epic movie very well done, the story is very interesting, also the characters. The only thing is that in the middle of the movie the story drags.
01 Aug 2013
77
73rd
A beautifully shot epic by Lean that I found just a tad bit inferior to his Lawrence of Arabia and The Bridge on the River Kwai. The acting is good and the story was interesting for the most part, but the romance is a bit too much of the film IMO and I didn't much care for the framing device.
11 Mar 2013
80
83rd
An epic story of honor, love, pride, political upheaval and the struggle to survive. A poet educated as a doctor is conscripted into the military. After his discharge he must flee from his hometown. The military reclaims him and he eventually must dessert in order to return to his loved ones. Brief happy times and many tragic separations. Julie Christie was absolutely marvelous. Omar Sharif was charismatic but a bit stiff. The movie is too long.
08 Dec 2012
68
34th
boring as hell.
10 Sep 2012
15
4th
Everything about Doctor Zhivago reeks of middlebrow compromise; nothing is direct or authentic. The Russian Revolution is an aberration in Zhivago, not an understandable and tragic response to the despotism of Russia. It is all part of a condescension and willful ignorance that has separated Britain (and the West) from real knowledge of other parts of the world. Over the years, spectacle rises up and drowns Lean. The performances, as always in Lean, are secondary to the casting.
20 Aug 2012
87
85th
87.375
10 Aug 2012
90
86th
VHS
20 Feb 2012
80
87th
Classic, epic.
16 Jan 2012
92
76th
i don't know how real it is, but good job.
30 Nov 2011
84
68th
#330
10 Oct 2010
87
82nd
Some of the best cinematography, if not the best, I've ever seen. Loses some momentum about 160 minutes in, however.
21 Aug 2010
71
61st
Well above average.
27 Jun 2010
70
63rd
3 plus hours man that was rough.
14 Jan 2010
80
60th
394
06 Nov 2009
9
91st
At times it reeks of beauty which is why I'll remember "Doctor Zhivago". It also had a great score and equally good performances from numerous actors. Fulfilling on all levels.
28 Apr 2009
75
51st
Epic and monumental
22 Apr 2009
20
15th
Takes one of the greatest events of the 20th century and makes it into a snooze fest.
04 Jan 2009
97
96th
A classic everyone must see!
18 Dec 2008
76
52nd
476
15 Dec 2008
5
96th
Never would have thought that Bolshevik Russia would have spawned a romance of epic proportions!
01 Dec 2008
37
49th
Jeg er ikke til kærlighed, men franskmændenes nederlag er ok
30 Aug 2008
80
67th
Sometimes artifically melodramatic, but still a great work in movie history. Worth a look.
26 Mar 2008
34
15th
I just didn't care for this one... I know its a classic, but I didn't like it.
01 Mar 2008
73
56th
# 541
24 Aug 2007
40
35th
I've tried and tried to get through this movie. I know it's great, but I can't rank it any higher until I actually have the patience to sit through it.
26 Feb 2007
70
82nd
Great film.

Cast & Info

Directed by:

David Lean
David-Lean
26 total credits
Sir David Lean CBE was an English filmmaker, producer, screenwriter and editor, best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter, and A Passage to India. Acclaimed and praised by directors such as Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick, Lean was voted 9th greatest film director of all time in the British Film Institute Sight & Sound "Directors Top Directors" poll 2002. (Wikipedia)

Writers:

Robert Bolt
Robert-Bolt
10 total credits
Credits include: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, The Mission, A Man for All Seasons and The Bounty
,
Boris Pasternak
Boris-Pasternak
5 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, Gamlet, Korol Lir, Doctor Zhivago and Doktor Zhivago

Starring:

Julie Christie
Julie-Christie
39 total credits
Credits include: Finding Neverland, Dragonheart, Don't Look Now, Doctor Zhivago and Fahrenheit 451
,
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine-Chaplin
99 total credits
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an American-born British actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin and Oona O'Neill. She made her film debut in the elder Chaplin's Limelight (1952) as a dancer. She also played a small role in her father's last film, Countess From Hong Kong (1964). In addition to her busy film career, Chaplin also appeared on-stage and in television miniseries such as Gulliver's Travels (1996) and The Odyssey (1997). Though she has often played leads roles in many films.
,
Tom Courtenay
Tom-Courtenay
45 total credits
Credits include: The Golden Compass, Doctor Zhivago, 45 Years, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
,
Rod Steiger
Rod-Steiger
94 total credits
One of Hollywood's go-to character actors for years, Steiger appeared in over 100 films and won the Academy Award for 1967's In the Heat of the Night. His big break came in On the Waterfront, for which he garnered his first Oscar nomination. Steiger was married 5 times, and died in 2002 at the ripe old age of 77.
,
Omar Sharif
Omar-Sharif
74 total credits
Credits include: Lawrence of Arabia, The 13th Warrior, 10,000 B.C., Hidalgo and Top Secret!
,
Alec Guinness
Alec-Guinness
59 total credits
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (2 April 1914 - 5 August 2000) was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai. His most prominent role in his later career was as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy...(Wikipedia)
,
Klaus Kinski
Klaus-Kinski
125 total credits
Though he invariably looked sickly and tubercular, Polish/German actor Klaus Kinski rose to fame in roles calling for near-manic aggressiveness. His war career consisted primarily of a year and a half in a British POW camp. After this experience, Kinski took to the theater, where he rapidly built a reputation for on-stage brilliance and off-stage emotional instability. International stardom came Kinski's way via his off-the-beam appearances in the films of director Werner Herzog. With 1989's Paganini, he proved to be as colorful and chaotic a director as he was an actor. He was the father of actress Nastassja Kinski; died in 1991.
,
Ralph Richardson
Ralph-Richardson
68 total credits
Credits include: Time Bandits, Doctor Zhivago, Watership Down, Rollerball and Chimes at Midnight
,
Rita Tushingham
Rita-Tushingham
31 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, Last Night in Soho, A Taste of Honey, The Knack ...and How to Get It and The Bed Sitting Room
,
Siobhan McKenna
Siobhan-McKenna
7 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, King of Kings, Of Human Bondage, The Last Days of Pompeii and The Adventurers
,
Bernard Kay
Bernard-Kay
11 total credits
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago, Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman, Trog, The Hunting Party and They Came from Beyond Space
,
Jeffrey Rockland
Jeffrey-Rockland
1 total credit
Credits include: Doctor Zhivago

Franchise:

Doctor Zhivago

Genres:

Romance, Drama, War

AKA:

Il dottor Zivago

Countries:

Italy, USA

Languages:

English, French, Russian
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