Fresh of the success of Lawrence of Arabia, British director David Lean tackled another epic; Doctor Zhivago based on the Nobel Prize winning novel by Boris Pasternak. After what he viewed as the action-adventure tone of Lawrence of Arabia, Lean wanted to make a grand, yet more romantic film to balance things out. Producer Carlo Ponti had originally purchased the film rights with the intention of creating a starring role for his wife, Sophia Loren. However, Lean had other ideas. Julie Christie, cast in the role once intended for Loren, jumped from British art film status to the front line of in-demand actresses.
The search for the male lead became a revolving door of sorts, as Lean originally chose Peter O’ Toole but he turned the part down. Max Von Sydow and Paul Newman were also considered; Omar Sharif was ultimately given the role. Marlon Brando and Albert Finney among others were considered for parts as well. Lean courted big names and turned away others; holding grudges against those that didn’t sign on for the privilege of working for him.
Lean had the film industry by the tail, and he knew it. As a result, film critics were ready to take him down a notch. Despite many negative comments from reviewers, Doctor Zhivago became a huge box office hit, won five Academy Awards, and was nominated for five more. Further, Maurice Jarre’s “Lara’s Theme” became a bestseller as well. Though Omar Sharif received a lot of criticism for his performance, Julie Christie became an international star.
Adapted by Lawrence of Arabia screenwriter Robert Bolt, the story concerns one Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif). After graduating from medical school, the published poet turns down a research opportunity in favor of general practice. Yuri is a young man who wants to know more about life. He is shocked to see Imperial dragoons cut down peaceful demonstrators on the street outside his house. At the same time, beautiful, innocent Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) returns from school in Paris, her engagement to Yuri an unspoken certainty. While out on a case, Zhivago finds himself attracted to a beautiful, young blond named Lara (Julie Christie); a dressmaker’s daughter, Lara lacks the unblemished innocence of Tonya. Her mother’s lover, political opportunist Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), seduces Lara and is soon meeting her in private restaurant rooms. Lara’s boyfriend Pasha (Tom Courtenay) is a committed revolutionary unaware that his future wife is Komarovsky’s mistress.
First comes war and then revolution. Zhivago becomes a doctor on the front lines; Lara a nurse in the same field hospital. While their love isn’t consummated, it’s clear they will be forever connected. After the war, Zhivago comes home to a post-revolution Moscow. Squatters have taken over his town house except for one room. The Communists view the doctor and his poems as “petty bourgeois and self-indulgent.” Because his estranged brother Yevgraf (Alec Guinness) is a political policeman, Yuri and his family—Tonya, their son and her father Alexander (Ralph Richardson) are permitted to leave Moscow for the Urals. They pass through regions torn by civil war and begin a struggle to survive as the country is restructured into a new, harsh order.
Having arrived on the outskirts of Yuriatin, Yuri discovers that Lara is the local librarian. After being forced to serve with the local Red Partisans for nearly two years as a medical officer (he saves life; others take it), during which he is forced to observe brutal acts of war, Zhivago eventually deserts; he staggers through the winter snow to Lara’s home, where the two renew their relationship, but Komarovsky arrives from out of nowhere one night and informs them that they are being watched by the Communists due to Lara’s marriage to Strelnikov (Pasha’s new name) who is now out of favor.
I don’t want to discuss the ending too much, but suffice to say, things don’t go well. I’ve intentionally stooped the summary on the subject of Pasha/ Strelnikov because I think his angle of the story, as well as Tom Courtenay’s performance are integral parts of the film. His personality must change the most, as he goes from student activist, to scarred anti-government agitator, and finally to a position as a feared strongman for the revolution; he deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Cinematographer Freddie Young’s sweeping landscape shots are unforgettable, often making anything related to Man (like Lean’s trademark use of trains) minuscule by comparison. Almost every shot is memorable, which only adds to the epic grandeur of the entire film. Doctor Zhivago is a rare cinematic treasure, and this Blu-ray will make a fine addition to anyone’s film library.
Doctor Zhivago is presented in a 1080p transfer in its Panavision aspect ratio of 2.40:1, looks nearly flawless. Black levels and colors are deep and mesmerizing. Depth and dimensionality are superb, capturing Lean’s dense and rich compositions to a high level. Doctor Zhivago doesn’t look its age, and the print has been wonderfully restored with nary a blemish to be found,. There are elements of softness, to be sure, but this is most likely incumbent on the source material and not on the quality of this transfer. Grain is also not handled pristinely—some sequences aren’t completely consistent with the movie’s overall film-like presence here. However, these are minor issues: For the most part, this transfer is of the highest order.
The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound mix afforded Doctor Zhivago on Blu-ray Disc offers a robust soundscape that captures the film’s sonic presence wonderfully. The most striking feature of this soundtrack is the heavily directionalized dialogue that moves to far right and left of the soundstage with the actors. The fidelity is fairly good, with some effects sounding a little on the shrill side at times. Dynamics are surprisingly good at times. The surrounds aren’t particularly aggressive, being primarily used for envelopment, and often wrapping the film’s score around the listener.
French, German, and Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mixes are included, as are Portuguese and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks, as well as English, French, German, Italian, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Mexican), Dutch, Portuguese, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish subtitles.
The set abounds in special features in a three-disc 45th Anniversary set.
The Blu-ray contains the following:
• Audio Commentary by actors Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger and Lady Sandra Lean, the director’s widow. Informative and respectful, all three impart several interesting anecdotes about the filming, the themes, etc.
• Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration (480i/40:00) Divided into two parts, this 2010 documentary has a host of filmmakers discussing the movie. Among the participants: Martin Campbell, Taylor Hackford, Kathleen Kennedy, Nicholas Meyer, Gary Ross, Stephen M. Silverman, and Mikail Salomon. Laurent Bonzereau wrote, produced, and directed the documentary.
Disc two is a standard-definition, largely standard-screen DVD filled with previously released special features.
• Cast & Crew: A text based collection of filmographies for the cast.
• Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic (100:23) Made in 1995 and hosted by Omar Sharif, this piece takes us behind the scenes of the film.
• Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean (10:13) A vintage featurette on the making of the film. Lean talks about the making and adapting of the film.
• David Lean’s Film of Doctor Zhivago (7:13) A featurette from 1965 offering some background on the novel, and its author, Boris Pasternak.
• Moscow in Madrid (4:27) Another vintage featurette concerning the filming in Spain.
• Pasternak (8:50) A somewhat more in depth look at Boris Pasternak.
• New York Press Interview (10:07) Julie Christie is interviewed by three different press reporters in this black and white footage from a press junket.
• New York Press Interview (18:52) Omar Sharif sits with many of the same interviewers in this rough footage.
• Geraldine Chaplin Screen Test (3:15)
• This is Julie Christie (1:06), This is Geraldine Chaplin (1:09), This is Omar Sharif (1:38): Original shorts designed to introduce the cast.
• Chaplin in New York (2:14) Black and white featurette on Geraldine arriving in New York and having a photo shoot.
• Original General Release Trailer (3:42)
• Awards: Text based listing of the films awards.
Disc three is an eight-song CD soundtrack sampler of Maurice Jarre’s award-winning score. Included are the Overture, “Lara’s Theme,” “Komarovsky with Lara in the Hotel,” “Military Parade,” “Lara Says Goodbye to Yuri,” “Tonya and Yuri Arrive at Varykino,” “Yuri Is Escaping,” and the End Title.
Discs one and two come packaged in the front and back covers of a forty-eight-page Blu-ray Digibook, containing text and pictures. The third disc, the CD, comes packaged in its own stiff-cardboard sleeve.
Doctor Zhivago (The 45th Anniversary Edition) will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on May 4, 2010 from Warner Home Video. It will also be available On Demand as well as via download from iTunes. Visit the official Doctor Zhivago Movie homepage for more information.
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