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This post has been updated to reflect Tuesday afternoon's showtime on TCM. (See the top post for details).
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This was an interesting review. A few points...
I think you're being a bit too analytical in your approach to this film. It's true that most of the characters don't behave in a consistent way throughout the story. But that's wartime for you. These characters underwent multiple significant emotional events, and they weren't the same people after such experiences. I would say this is a reasonable depiction of what happens to people when their lives are completely shattered by events beyond their control.
I saw Doctor Zhivago during its roadshow run in 1965, in 70mm on a huge screen and surround sound. The cinematography and production values were astounding. Watching the film on a TV screen does not do it justice. It's not the same experience. I remember feeling freezing cold during those winter sequences!
I remember my parents remarking how the film had audiences rooting for the adulterous affair between Yuri and Lara. We wanted them to be happy together. This was quite an accomplishment for 1965, when such relationships were still rather shocking compared to today. Kudos to Robert Bolt for pulling that off.
Thanks so much for reading my review and your considered comments.
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This movie is on Sky Cinema here in the UK, so if you subscribe you can watch it anytime at your leisure. Which I did a few days ago to pass an afternoon.
One thing I noticed that I haven't really picked up on before is the score in the film is mainly variations on Lara's Theme. I don't remember the CD being so repetitive, was the score butchered in the movie?
I don't know if the score was butchered per se, but going by the notes for the Rhino CD, there were a few passages cut from the film because Lean felt just sound worked better for the scenes they were to accompany, with the train ride through the Urals being a major example. I also noticed a few passages that were simply dialed out with no mention in the notes (e.g. The first half of Military Parade on the CD features a dark variation on the Revolution motif, while in the film, there's just band source music).
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Posted: |
Oct 11, 2018 - 11:03 AM
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By: |
Rozsaphile
(Member)
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I dispute the premise that ZHIVAGO was "overrated." The early reviews were decidedly mixed, noting especially the passivity of the protagonist, the omission of his poetic talent, the mixed acting styles of the international cast, the failure to achieve a fully convincing Russian setting, and the sentimentality of the central romance. That the picture became a huge hit stemmed from its genuine production values, the popularity of the source novel, and the undeniable brilliance of its new star (and Oscar winner), Julie Christie. Also, and not unrelated to the last, there was the inexplicable popularity of the rather puerile "love theme." Of course you are right that the film has a great deal of compensatory brilliance in many departments. It does reward repeated viewings.
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Just bumping this post to reflect TCM's latest showing: Wednesday, November 20 at (early morning) 3:15am PST.
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Just bumping this post to reflect TCM's latest showing: Wednesday, January 15 at 9am PST.
See the top post for a review, meant for those already familiar with this motion picture.
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I dispute the premise that ZHIVAGO was "overrated." The early reviews were decidedly mixed, noting especially the passivity of the protagonist, the omission of his poetic talent, the mixed acting styles of the international cast, the failure to achieve a fully convincing Russian setting, and the sentimentality of the central romance. That the picture became a huge hit stemmed from its genuine production values, the popularity of the source novel, and the undeniable brilliance of its new star (and Oscar winner), Julie Christie. Also, and not unrelated to the last, there was the inexplicable popularity of the rather puerile "love theme." Of course you are right that the film has a great deal of compensatory brilliance in many departments. It does reward repeated viewings.
In terms of the film's inclusion in the "overrated category", I am generally aware of the hostile reception the film received by many critics at the time of its release, although I purposely didn't read anything specific before writing my review. The critics at the time were as you say divided... (Time magazine, Variety, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune were all positive). What I am addressing (kind of like Casablanca) is its more popular reception at the time: nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Director, winning Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture (Drama), Best Director (Drama), Best Screenplay and Best Original Score. The film was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or (David Lean) and was an enormous box office success (ranked as one of the top ten highest-grossing films worldwide after adjusting for inflation). The film was once listed by the American Film Institute as 39th on their 100 Years... 100 Movies and by the British Film Institute as the 27th greatest British film of all time.
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Just bumping this post to reflect TCM's latest showing: Thursday, January 14 (2021) at 9:15am PST.
See the top post for a review, meant for those already familiar with this motion picture.
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Just bumping this post to reflect TCM's latest showing: Thursday, March 18 (2021) at 10:45am PST.
See the top post for a review, meant for those already familiar with this motion picture.
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Just bumping this post to reflect TCM's latest showing: Saturday, June 12 (2021) at 5pm PDT.
See the top post for a review, meant for those already familiar with this motion picture.
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