Dr. Zhivago IS one of the BEST movies of ALL TIME. A CLASSIC in drama, and the haunting "Lara's Theme" is ever popular music. Acting is superb, and movie should have won OSCAR for best film.

Dr Zhivago, does any film have a more "classic" reputation? I saw this last night and to my surprise, really didn't enjoy it at all.

Granted, the cinematography is amazing. The scenes of snowy night-time Russian streets are incredibly atmospheric even on a TV- it must have been enthralling on a big screen. The music score too is very good, albeit a bit repetitive.

The problem I really had with this movie is that I found the characters so fundamentally unlikeable that getting immersed into the movie impossible. From a greasy goateed mumbling Rod Steiger calling Julie Christie a slut, to the doctor assuring Dr Zhivago that he'll "put the b*tch in hospital" (nice), to the young idealist who says he loves Marxism more than Lara (who said romance is dead?) to the expressionless policeman Alec Guiness who seems to be a perambulatory window dummy. Then Dr Zhivago himself, a young man who marries his stepsister and then makes it quite clear that he fancies Lara. Marrying your stepsister? That's pretty sleazy.

Apart from that the film is so obviously a product of the 1960s, both visually and stylistically that the kitsch factor is hard to ignore.

I really liked this movie.It had all the emotions that a normal person would have in their life.It is a must see movie.

Oustanding purchase price, packaging and delivery .
The Movie ain't bad either !!! Real tear-jerker . Put it on and watch the wife/lover cry .

Not much to add to the positive reviews, this is a truly great movie, and one of the few love stories I care to watch.

That said, Julie Christy transcends the term 'beautiful' in this film. She is so radiant, so gorgeous, so stunning that she is worth the price of admission alone.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

It is easy to see why this is one of the movie classics of 20th century film based on the book by Boris Pasternak of the same name.
This drama-romance-war film is set for the most part in early twentieth century Russia and the Russian Revolution and Civil War.
The first scene in the film which will be used as the framing device involves Police General Yevgraf Zhivago (Alec Guinness), some time in the 1950s searching for information about his late brother Yury Zhivago (Omar Shariff) and his paramour Lara (Julie Christie).
He questions a young woman Tonya Komarovskya (Rita Tushingham) who seemingly remembers nothing.
The movie then takes us the opening scene of the little boy Yury (Tarek Sharif)at his mother's funeral in the early twentieth century. Yury go's to live with the Gromykos and their daughter Tonya whom he later marries.
The movie, which departs slightly from the book in various ways, takes us to the life and career of Yury and the turmoil of pre-revolutionary Russia and the First World War and finally of the cruelties and horrors of the Russian Revolution and the Civil War.

The movie focuses on Dr Yuri Andreyevich Zhivago and several friends and associates of his including his loyal and strong wife Tonya, the beautiful and mystifying Laryssa Fyodorovna (Lara),her husband, the self-righteous revolutionary Pavel "Pasha" Antipov (Tom Courtenay), who later reappears as the cruel and mass murdering Red Army officer Strenikov. Young revolutionaries either grow out of their revolutiary ideals or become coldblooded fanatics.

Lara has been involved romantically involved with the villainous lawyer with political connections Victor Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), who tries to dissuade her from marrying Pavel and rapes her.
She then attempts to shoot him at a Christmas party.
Zhivago -disgusted by the poverty and injustices of Tsarist Russia - initially supports the high ideals of the Bolsheviks but after their bloody seizure of power it soon becomes clearer and clearer that the Bolsheviks are far and away crueler and more steeped in hypocrisy than even the worst elements of the Tsarist order.


The love of Yuri and Lara is one of the great romances of literature like that of Romeo and Juliet ,Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights , and Lancelot and Guinevere

Lara describes it a something ordained by the very forces of nature but at the same time something predestined to be destroyed

He sends a few brief , ecstatic but fearful months with her after the Civil War but hey are again cruelly separated. By this time Yuri's wife Tonya and their children have gone into exile.

Komarov then reappears and Lara is forced to accompany him to the east.
They are never to meet again but
SPOILER WARNING
Zhivago sees her briefly in Moscow before suffering a heart attack.
We learn later that Lara died later inn a labour camp.

Some very memorable scenes that will be familiar to those who have read the book including the scene where Zhivago meets Lara for the first time after Lara's mother has tried to commit suicide by swallowing iodine, Lara's attempt on Komarov's life and Lara and Yury's life in the cottage in Siberia.

Strikingly done and very life like, with beautiful musical background to accompany the entire range of emotions, including the well known Lara's theme by composer Maurice Jarre.

The depth of this master piece is timeless for all generations to come. Compared to what we are having on the market today, most of them are cheap, superficial and rediculous, I recommand this movie to everyone; at least watch it once to experiece what real love and real life are.

I wish I could live a life as full as Dr. Zhivago. Every so often one realizes that when events in history happen, it changes the lives of people to the extent that can only be read about or viewed to believe. The loneliness, and then joy, Fear,uncertainty, and ultimately sorrow.

I just saw this last night and was almost immediately extremely emotionally expressive throughout the whole film. The juxtaposition between the rich and the poor and then the fall of society into communism is absolutely heart wrenching. But Omar Sharif's portrayal of Dr. Zhivago is all about hope during this depressing time and his bright attitude toward life is felt throughout by the viewer as well as many of the characters, but the despair is always there. Shadows of fear, violence, betrayal, and hatred lurk all around him and Lara, played by Julie Cristie. But Dr. Zhivago is driven by hope and tireless perseverance to build a better life for his family. Their love for one another keeps them strong and keeps them going.

I must warn you that this movie is not for the faint of heart. My husband, who had seen it a few times before, was emotional because of my sorrow filled emotion. Yes, it took a monumental toll on me as a viewer and I continued to be affected by it hours after watching the film. But make no mistake: THIS MOVIE IS WORTH WATCHING. It is a long film (3 hours, 20 minutes), but it is at the pinnacle of genius. Its star-studded cast performs brilliantly and in a believably disturbing way that pulls the viewer in and holds him for the length of this epic film.

This is such a powerful movie that I should think that everyone must be able to watch it before they go off into that goodnight of existence. In fact, I encourage it. This film will have such a powerful effect on the viewer for the rest of his life, it is so powerful.

Doctor Zhivago is romance and history and struggle all wrapped up in one tremendous piece of art!

Based on Pasternak's excellent novel, this is one of the truly great movies. It is strong in all areas. The story is powerful, the actors excellent, the editing appropriate, the sound track wonderful and the cinematography breathtaking.

Even the scene in which the child Zhivago's mother is buried on a bitter Winter day is fabulous. We are actually permitted into the coffin of the beautiful young woman as her orphaned child watches ice crystals forming on his window. Unique, powerful and breathtaking. It's all breathtaking.

Zhivago sees beauty where others see only grief and ugliness. He tries to understand when his family home is subdivided and administered by tight-lipped Communists hacks. Personally apolitical, Zhivago is a witness and victim of the political events of his time. He serves as a physician in the crumbling Russian army; he's a witness to the revolutionary collapse of an army and old Russia; he and his farmily travel in a cattle car to the now-Soviet East, hoping to find food and a little peace. It doesn't happen. He encounters Strelnikov, a Communist fanatic, butcher and old acquaintance. He betrays his wife and falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful Lara.

Idealistic and moral, he tries to control himself and tells the tearful Lara that they must never meet again. Too late. On the way back to his dutiful wife he is captured by the Red Guards and forced to become their physician. He has no love for the Communists but he treats the sick and wounded. In the midst of a terrible Winter he deserts in a futile effort to find his family.

What ultimately happens to Lara? We never find out. A Communist officer cynically speculates, "She was probably one of the millions who "disppeared" and were sent to Sibera, her name on a list, later misplaced."

An interesting aside is that I personally became acquainted with a very old man who had a history remarkably similar to the mythical Zhivago. He was a Russian physician who joined the anti-Communist "White Guards." The anti-Communist forces were pushed further and further East toward Vladivostock. When this port city fell, he and other Russians fled to Harbin, Manchuria. His son, Alex, was born in Harbin but, following the Japanese invasion, came to the U.S. It was through Alex that I got to know the old man. The "long ago" sometimes touches the present.

Ron Braithwaite author of Mexican Conquest novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"

This film together with "Bridge On the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia" represent a hattrick of director David Lean's best ever work as well as among the best films ever made. Although "Lawrence of Arabia" is clearly the best of the three, "Doctor Zhivago is a close second. This film has been described quite aptly as Russia's "Gone With the Wind" as the loves and lives of the people close to Doctor Zhivago gets told amid the backdrop of World War 1 and the Russian Revolution all the way to the Russia of the 60's. No one can quite tell an epic story as well as David Lean does and his films are so good that they transcend time and as true classics should they age very well and hold up very well to repeated viewing. The cast is excellent and so is the brilliant camerawork and the haunting score by Maurice Jarre.

This dvd version is a real treat as the second disc is chockful of bonus extras like interviews with the cast and a good making of documentary while the main course on disc one has very good picture quality and especially good Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound quality as well. This dvd represents a remarkably well done restoration of the film which makes it an extremely enjoyable film in this day and age. Even the digipak cardboard packaging is very well done and aesthetically appealing in design.

If you are looking for David Lean's best work, you need look no further than "Lawrence of Arabia", this film and "Bridge On the River Kwai" and in that order.

Highly recommended!

Great movie to begin with and this 2 disc set was especially nice. I enjoyed watching the old interviews with Omar Sharif and Julie Christie which were conducted back at the time of the original theatrical release.

I am a woman of a certain age. I had never seen this film before, and sat down to view it with absolutely NO preconceptions or knowlege beyond that it was a 'really famous movie about people living at the time of the Russian Revolution."

4 hours later (allowing for some locking up of the scratched library copy I viewed) ... I slapped myself awake and went off to get a snack.

My reviews will pretty much echo most of the other 2-3 star ones.

It's a very pretty film. The cast is attractive, the cinematography lush, the sets well done. (But the cast may be a bit TOO attractive. I found it very hard to swallow the image of Geraldine Chaplin looking like she's just stepped out of the local beauty parlor after spending 2 weeks in a cattle car with 49 other unwashed people!)

But pretty will only take you so far. The script and direction waver between utterly confusing and utterly boring and utterly unbelievable. The minor characters are almost all two-dimensional ciphers. (The evil Bolsheviks ... very cold-war indeed.) And the major ones are mostly unlikeable and uninteresting. I couldn't really care about either Zhivago OR Lara. Why should I root for their star-crossed love affair? Why should I LIKE this man who is cheating on his pregnant wife for no apparent reason. If they were able to resist their attraction/temptation while working together for 6 months in an isolated army hospital, why couldn't they resist when they met again ... 5 miles away from Zhivago's pregnant wife and beloved son?

The only really interesting characters were the few 3 dimensional ones -- Alec Guiness, Geraldine Chaplin and Rod Steiger's characters. (The last of whom is at least SUPPOSED to be unlikeable.)

At 2 hours this might have been a tolerable chick-flick. But at 3 1/2 it's too long, and far too boring.

Doctor Zhivago is a gorgeous and complicated war and love story. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie are heaven together, they have intense and natural chemistry. David Lean directed this epic, he sure likes to make long movies. This film has lovely cinematography and an Oscar-winning score. Check out this classic sometime, enjoy!

First off, this is an epic masterpiece of classic proportions.

1. My wife doesn't like this movie at all as she's often disturbed by the theme of the cheating husband who dotes on some younger, prettier thing, gushes over her in poetry and then abandons his wife and family who stick with him in times of trouble and who actually rescue him as a young child. If this movie is ever on the television when she's home, she either just quietly turns it off or changes the channel. Some people are probably like that though and have little tolerance for the level of tomfoolery that goes on in this movie. To say that the adultery angle is mild in Dr. Zhivago is an understatement. People with faint hearts be warned. Adultery is the soup de jour here.

2. As a published poet and someone who has probably lived a life that often rings similar to Yuri Andreivich Zhivago, I am affected by this movie in a different way altogether. It's actually quite haunting. Saying I'm a romantic is another understatement. I've got a romance habit that could burn down concrete buildings. I've also written my fair share of 'Lara Poems', too, but glad that I went through it and have moved on.

This movie has been a favourite of mine ever since I was a boy, sitting too close to the television late at night, still awake and watching the Monday Night Movie at 11pm. It meant more to me then than I ever realized and probably etched something within me that made my fate similar to Yuri's. I've never abandoned anyone, so let's get that clear for one, but in other regards it's interesting, or at least to me.

Is this review helpful to you? Will it help your decision to purchase this DVD set? Probably not. It's a personal account of how Dr. Zhivago has made an impression in my life and what it means to me.

Great product, especaily with he extra, How it was made scenes.
As much if not more enjoyable that the feature.
Highly recomend.

I always loved that movie, all the actors are excellent and I would never have change the cast or visionned anybody else in it. It's one of David Lean's best movie if not the best. It deserved all the oscars it reaped.

Dr Zhivago is a fascinating love story set in the Russia of the Revolution. The lovers are thrown together by circumstance. Sound trite & overdone? Not this version.
The book is riveting and I was doubtful that the poetry of the book would reach the film. It does. The cinematography is stunning. Each scene is like a wonderful painting that only enhances the drama of the lives of these people caught up in the turmoil of the time.
Yuri,a doctor who also writes beautful poetry, marries his childhood sweetheart, daughter of an upper-class family. Lara is the daughter of a mere seamstress who marries her lover, an impoverished student, Sasha. She has had an affair with an older man in Moscow but Sasha forgives her and they move away from Moscow.
When WWI hits, all men are conscripted but the Czar's Army is a brutal place to be. Pre-war revolutionary feelings ripen into full-blown rebellion.
Yuri has been inducted into the army due to his medical experience. He meets Lara in a field hospital. She is a volunteer nurse, searching for her missing husband.
Having found each other, and not knowing where their respective spouses are, they fall in love but they are loyal to ther marriage vows. Unfortunately the time comes when they part only to be swept up into the chaos of the Revolution.
Yuri's family is now in the country for safety and ironically their dacha is near a town where Lara has settled. Yuri enters the town one day and they meet again. This second meeting is more than they can resist and they begin their love affair but Yuri is kidnapped by the Red Army to supply medical aid. He doesn't see his family or Lara again for many months.
When he is able to return he only finds Lara and they spend an idyllic time together before the revolution pulls them apart again.
The combination of love and loss set in this turbulent time is engrossing. You will love this picture if you love a good story. And you will even learn a bit of history, too. Worth watching many times.

David Lean's extraordinary, expansive telling of Boris Pasternak's love-triangle story, set amidst the Russian Revolution. Omar Sharif is stunning as the title character (he's a doctor and a poet so how can he miss?) and Julie Christie is very lovely as Lara, the politically committed nurse he falls for over wife Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). It is at once an intimate epic, superbly acted and impeccably crafted in every department. With Alec Guiness, Rod Steiger, Ralph Richardson, Tony Courtenay, Siobhan McKenna, Rita Tushingham, Klaus Kinski and many others. The highly memorable, Oscar-winning score is by Maurice Jarre. Other Academy Awards included screenplay (Robert Bolt), cinematography (Freddie Young) and art direction (John Box). Director Lean's particularly dynamic use of the wide Panavision screen means inevitably some loss of impact of television.

I will not count myself near the orator nor the writer as some of those that have reviewed this movie previously, however, as a fan of the writer and the movie... I wanted to say that as far as sentiment and depth are concerned? It captured A LOT. This was indeed a beautifully written, scripted, acted, and directed movie... certainly worth your time and open-minded hearts. A lot to be learned from Boris Pasternak... from what I've read? He, himself, went through a lot of dramatic history in his day... and was humble enough to share his learning experiences through writt and poetry... the least we can do is read his books or watch movies that were so diligently created to respect his stories... Again, this movie was amazing.

Lavish film about the Russian Revolution of 1917. Russia pulled out of World War I when it went Communist. Omar Sharif is Zhivago, an idealistic doctor torn between his wife and Julie Christie. Zhivago's ambiguity is mirrored in his poetry, judged too personal by the new order. We see the paradox of art and science. Zhivago's half-brother tells the story to a girl believed to be the offspring of the illicit affair. It is the formula for historical fiction, made up characters living their lives against sweeping events. There are some hauntingly beautiful scenes, snow and springtime flowers.

This DVD is a great story about two people during a revolution who fall in love. It's a wonderful story.

"Doctor Zhivago"is rightly considered one of Sir David Lean's greatest epics. From Maurice Jarre's romantic "Lara's theme" on the balalaika to the believable love triangle of Zhivago-Lara-Tonya,it is a masterpiece. "Doctor Zhivago" is about the good doctor (Omar Sharif) who wants to live a quiet,peaceful life as a poet. He is swept into the turmoil of revolutionary Russia.

Along the way,Zhivago marries his childhood friend Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin),but is smitten with the mysterious Lara (Julie Christie) At the same time,Lara is desired by a revolutionary (Tom Courtenay) as well as a villainous man who constantly plays the system (Rod Steiger). Zhivago&Lara long for each other,despite the barriers of marriage,distance,and war. Zhivago is swept into WWI as well as the Russian Revolution,an unwilling participant in both. For a time, Zhivago&Lara have a sensuous idyll in Siberia. Their time in Eden is too brief. Again, they are separated. The ending is heartbreaking when the elderly Zhivago beholds the beautiful,silver-haired Lara from a distance. He sees her,but cannot attain her. Alec Guinness provides the coda as Zhivago's brother,telling Zhivago&Lara's daughter of her parents' forbidden passion.

David Lean's romantic epic is the gold standard of romantic epics. There is no need for it to be explicit to be erotic&sensuous. There is chemistry between the leads,flawless production,and a fabulous soundtrack. "Doctor Zhivago" is not only a romance,but about the desire for freedom burning in the midst of tyranny. It's a timeless classic.

the kind of story that you never get finished with...Epic, profound, makes you feel like Russia is a real and warm country despite the brutal winters. Don't mind the four seasons anyway..

This two dvd set is so much more enjoyable to watch than the original movie, if you have a home theater system, then it is even better. The second dvd with all the additional coments, etc. is a real bonus. I would recommend this movie to any one who likes love stories, great acting, great music and scenery.

I was thrilled to find this on Amazon! It was a gift for my parents and I had looked at all our major retailers, nobody even carried this DVD, only the soundtrack. My parents were so excited and it brought back wonderful memories for them!

A little backstory about this film that most don't about....

Bob O'Brien, head of MGM at the time this film was made, was the man who greenlighted this film. Lean was one of the most famous, powerful men in Hollywood at the time, so he was given carte blanche for this film. However, Lean was known for going over budget, and this film was no exception. It took a year to shoot, and it got a reputation of a trouble production from the merciless press. When it finally appeared, the reviews were very, very mixed. It did very little business during its first week. Many would have caved and pulled the film. It would have been written off as a disaster, and Lean's reputation would have seriously wounded, possibly damaged irreversibly. But Robert O'Brien, a man who was not a stranger to tough decisions (he greenlighted 2001: A Space Odyssey), stood his ground. He said to Lean "it's a good picture, David. I'm going to put some more money into it and try and get some solid publicity." Essentially, MGM paid theater owners to keep the film on in their theaters. The 2nd week of its run business picked up. The third week it got even better, and the fourth week of its release screening were being sold out. I love the fact that O'Brien didn't panic, didn't give in to ignorant critics, who looked like they wanted to cut Lean down to size rather than watch his film. Lean just came off Lawrence of Arabia, considered one of the greatest films ever made, so critics were out for blood. It shows you what standing your ground can do sometimes. If we only had more executives like that these days.

As for the film, it's a passionate, epic journey. Visually, it's almost as extraordinary as Lawrence, except it's the snow covered vistas (shot in Finland and Spain) instead of the desert. It's a really deeply felt, romantic film where the politics don't get in the way of the story too much. In other words, we don't hear tons of political speeches (like in Beatty's film Reds), and we get a much more humanistic story, and the trauma of revolution and strife have upon human relationships. Lean is a master, a genius, and the fact that he followed Lawrence with a film that can stand right next to it is remarkable.

What a beautifully restored set! This one is full of images that fill the screen with color,history and the vastness of Russia,just Pre,and Post Russian Revolution.
It follows the book better than most movies do { I read the book in college} and the story is filled with characters,twists and turns;Good vs. evil,rich vs. poor:Lessons that apply to ANY generation.
Scenes that will blow you away,as any David Lean film wiil do.
A film to watch many times,and see more each time you watch.

They dont make them like this any more, even the kids say and watched it.

Wow! Where does one begin with a film as astounding as this one? Perhaps, to say that Omar Sharif was perfectly cast in the role of Doctor Zhivago is a good start.

This film is really a love story, (but not a boring one!), with the Russian Revolution of 1917 serving as the background. Doctor Zhivago loves his wife.... but he loves his mistress too! Unfortunately for Zhivago, the Russian Revolution, especially the conflict between the "White Russians" and the "Red Russians," pretty much nix all of his plans for a serene and joyful life. He endures a great deal of hardship, even becoming an unwilling participant, (to serve as physician), when he is kidnapped by a band of the combatants.

We see the beautiful Russian countryside, (sometimes burning, unfortunately), as well as much social turmoil transpiring in the urban Russian settings. The scenery and action that takes place during the "train transport scene" is just fantastic and the compelling cinematography is second to none.

And we get a great feel for the people of Russia during this traumatic period of social conflict. I feel that the director pulled this one off with great finesse.

There are some, probably legitimate, criticisms of this DVD by other raters such as scenes cut out, etc. Yes, I'd love to see the original cut of this film the same as I savor seeing ALL of "Cleopatra" and/or the orginal cut and format of "Gone with the Wind". However, I think we still get a nice overview and summary of Pasternak's masterpiece of literature on this version. Something is better than nothing at all, is the view that I'm taking. Maybe someday, we'll get to see all three, fully and uncut.

And on the topic of Pasternak, I would HIGHLY recommend that viewers read his magnificent book prior to watching the film. It's a great tome of classic literature and you'll understand the details of the movie a lot better for having read the book first.

This film gets my highest recommendation!

This is a classic movie. For me it also brings back the memories from my youth in a communist country. This is not a pure fiction, it is a story from the real life, millions of people suffered like that - unfortunately...

This simplified version of the revolution in Russia just doesn't hold up over time. Where's the revolution? Why do we care that Zhivago and Lara want each other? Isn't Geraldine Chaplin ten times classier than Julie Christie? Worse, the absurdity of seeing English actors with an Egyptian lead playing Russians feels very 1960s. The movie sports a tediously repetitive score and a made-for-TV script, making for a long sit at three-and-a-half hours. In the IMDb trivia notes it says that Lean suffered at the hands of the critics, though the film was popular and won so many Oscars. I can see why the critics howled, and not with glee. Watch this one only if you have a particular interest in any of the actors. SPOILER ALERT. By the end of it I was yelling at the screen "Zhivago, you wimp! Don't just stand there with your suitcases and that long face. Go after her!" He acts like a passive twit who deserves to lose the girl. They say that director Lean wanted 1960s-yummy Peter O'Toole for the role, but I can't quite see him playing such a weak man. Sharif is also sexy, and surely more powerful than this flaccid lead would suggest. He has zero, and I mean no chemistry with the barbie-esque Christie, who only needs a gingham dress to remind me of one of the gals from Petticoat Junction.

This is an Excellant remastered DVD of th original movie.. Great Sound and Picture Quality! The Two Disc special with extra footage/info about the story was great!

The movie is fine, but this is not a "2-disc special edition". It is really a 2-1/2 disc package. Unlike other long movies that continue on disc 2, the movie is all on disc 1, part one on side A and part two on side B. No big deal unless you have a multi-disc player and don't want to flip the disc every time you watch the movie. Disc 2 is only special features. Again, the movie is great, but watching the entire length can be a pain.