The movie Doctor Zhivago has recently become a favorite of mine. Yes I tend to discover things long after their prime. In this case its been 55 years since the release of this landmark movie. God knows I never read the book, reading the Wikipedia article on it took long enough. Some absolutely fascinating tidbits were in the write-up. One of the films stars, Omar Sharif died 5 years ago. The other, Julie Christie, is now 80. Alec Guinness died 20 years ago, Rod Steiger 18. Film died about 40 years ago, but that’s another post.
For me the performance of Sharif was one of the Top 10 ever accomplished in film. My esteem of Steiger? Tops. Christie? Immense. Guinness? Who didn’t like the old boy. Perhaps the funniest aspect of Omar’s performance, the rest of his work I am only a so-so fan of. To me this was simply his seminal performance. That can be guessed from the photos below from the movie. I’m just glad Wikipedia explained the plot to me, I never would have divined it on my own. I’m not saying the entire 3 hours keeps me riveted, but the scenes pictured below do.
Director David Lean (who died 29 years ago) seems to have been a director of note, but I would argue Zhivago being his most beautiful, if not his most important. He has been described as a student of “pictorialism”, a camera technique of not just recording an image, but creating one. As a photographer myself, that would explain what captured me about this movie. It is truly a visual feast. I remember hearing later Omar’s description of what the director told him he wanted before filming. To the effect: “I want nothing. I don’t want you to act. I just want you to feel what you are seeing.”
This is seen especially in the scenes where Omar is contemplating the yellow flowers, and the frost patterns on the glass. It all came together, the skill of the director, the actor, the cameraman, and the emotional manipulation of the film’s score. The song “Somewhere My Love” (Lara’s Theme) was French composer Maurice Jarre’s biggest hit. Easily one of the most recognizable of the 20th century, and definitely one of the most beautiful. I suppose that’s a key point of the film. Yuri Zhivago (Sharif) is surrounded by this unfathomable beauty (the landscape, the flowers, Julie Christie, his children, life, the music) against the harsh realities and ugliness of the war.
The 1957 novel was of course banned in the Soviet Union. So most of the filming took place in Spain, Canada and Finland. The director thought sure they could do the winter scenes in this one location in Spain where they “always” had snow, but that winter of 1964 was the warmest on record. Necessitating Canada and Finland. My standard of a noteworthy film is that it has to have either superb cinematography, acting or script. I would say Zhivago had all 3.
Omar Sharif in one of his signature roles, the revolutionary poet Doctor Zhivago in the film of the same name.
Iowa life 
I’ve loved this movie since it came out. I saw it on the big screen with my parents. The photography is stunning, the music is absolutely beautiful, and the story line is fabulous. The movie also highlights the misery which occurred in Russia as the result of the Russian revolution. In fact, this movie should be resurrected for the younger generation to see.
I envy you having seen it (first run?) on the big screen. I wouldn’t have gotten a thing out of it at that age. Your mention that it should be shown to young people just hit me like a ton of bricks. The Russian people did not deserve the misery handed them by their government.
I just re-read this post because it’s still one of my favorite movies. David Lean was known for his cinematography. Have you seen “Lawrence of Arabia?”
I’ve seen bits and pieces of it, is it one you like? I like Anthony Quinn, Jose Ferrer, Peter, Alec Guinness, Claude Rains, but I could not get into it. What did you like about it? I’m surprised, on the surface it seems like a testosterone filled epic that wouldn’t appeal to women. (Jose Ferrer at the end of The Caine Mutiny where he chews out Fred MacMurray is one for the ages. Then I saw him in an episode of Magnum and I said this guy is good.)
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO is a great film. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is also a great film; the first film for Peter O’Toole.
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is important because it takes place during World War I; it is about the Arab Revolt against the Turks. To me, World War I was the beginning of the 20th Century. The old ways died out in World War I: how war was waged, the end of aristocracies, the end of the Russian Empire, the rise of Communism and Fascism, the first major foreign war where the United States gets its nose bloodied.
When Lawrence planned the attack on that Turkish stronghold at Aqaba, it was crazy/brilliant and it worked. The last scene where all of the Arabs were fighting and arguing in Damascus reminds me of this scripture:
Genesis 16:12: “And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.” (KJV)
Here is another interesting scripture:
Genesis 25:18: “And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.” (KJV)
or
Genesis 25:18: “His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them.” (NIV)
“And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them” is a lot different from “and he died in the presence of all his brethren”. I like the King James Version the best, but it is good to look at other translations.
Great insight about WW I being a turning point in history. I could never get into Lawrence of Arabia simply because I can’t abide Arab culture.
The Genesis 25:18 example proved interesting. Holman, God’s Word Translation, New Century, were all in line with your preferred text. The one that was also (and blew me away from all the criticism it takes) accurate was The Message Bible!
You probably have heard of Bible Hub. It is a great resource.
https://biblehub.com/genesis/25-18.htm
Maybe, the one I got the above from was Bible Study Tools dot com. Yeah I’ll check it out. Your first book was talking about your trip through Philadelphia. Seeing as that was like 25 years ago it was sad it was a unsafe and crime infested even then. I always assume its from the jobs leaving in the 70’s like Detroit and the ‘Rust Belt’.
I remember walking and hitchhiking through Philadelphia. I was lost for a little while. I met some very friendly and helpful people, so I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t want to have to sleep somewhere in the city–like a park or an alley. I was grateful that I could sleep out in the country on some grass.