Review of Doctor Zhivago (1965) by Kevin S — 11 Sep 2008

This film generated many people called Lara or Yuri. At least this happened in Italy. I think Italy is also the first foreign country where the novel was published, thank to Mr. Feltrinelli.

Anyway, this Zhivago, is a very peculiar man, an idealist, an optimist. He is also a bigamous. Impossible to blame, considering the beauty, and charm of Julie Christie-Lara.

Zhivago is a man of science, and a man of letters, and he doesn t like Communism. The story is not only a love story, It is also the story of Russia. From WWI to the sixties.

There is no Russian who doesn t love poetry. There is no poetry lover who doesn t like this film.

Few words about the actors:

Sharif: he succeeded where everybody would have failed. I mean an Egyptian who portrays a Russian is quite unusual.

Julie Christie: playing the heroine in a film based on a famous novel is usual for her. I just wonder, under the harsh Soviet Regime, where did she find the products to bleach her hair.

Geraldine Chaplin: I think I have seen her in - Jane Eyre-. She made a pact with the devil or simply she was very young in 1965, because she has not changed so much, she has just become muscular. And off course she dyed her hair.

Alec Guinness: another feature of this film is that Sir Alec is shaved. He proofs that not all the Communist spies did not have an heart.