Doctor Zhivago (1965)

A young Russian physician (Omar Sharif) has his life irreversibly changed by the Russian Revolution and subsequent Civil War. This includes the two women in his life: his wife (Geraldine Chaplin) and his mistress (Julie Christie). Based on the acclaimed novel by Boris Pasternak and directed by David Lean. Critics were cool when the film originally opened in 1965 although audiences lined up and made the film one of the highest grossing movies of all time. In the ensuing years, its reputation has been critically evaluated for the better. One of the great movie romances, it is also one of the most visually beautiful films ever made. Almost every frame of Freddie Young's immaculate cinematography ready to be hung on a museum wall. Despite its almost 3 1/2 hours length, it is able to capture your attention to the very end. Sharif's performance is probably adequate, no more but his dreamy eyed countenance set many a heart aflutter during the picture's lengthy run. The acting honors go to Rod Steiger's opportunist and Tom Courtenay's Bolshevik revolutionary. There have been some criticisms of the film's "trivialization" of the events of the Russian revolution but the film is no more about the Russian revolution than GONE WITH THE WIND was about the U.S. Civil War. Maurice Jarre's underscore is marvelous although he goes overboard with Lara's Theme at times. With Ralph Richardson, Rita Tushingham, Klaus Kinski, Siobhan McKenna, Adrienne Corri and Geoffrey Keen.