Rating: 
Summary: Agressively mediocre
Review: This film follows the unhappy life of doctor and poet Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) and his doomed love affair with the beautiful Lara (Julie Christie) during the years of the Russian Revolution. Although technically brilliant, the story is a romantic muddle full of coincidence and unexplained changes in character. Sharif and Christie generate little chemistry on the screen. Sharif's portrayal is bland and the character of Zhivago is unsympathetic; his treatment of his unbelievably saintly first wife (Geraldine Chaplin) is unforgivable. Rod Steiger's Komarovsky goes from villainous cretin to would-be benefactor with little rationale.As I mentioned above, the production values are excellent and director David Lean certainly knows how to frame a shot. If the film were shorter, these merits would elevate it to three stars in my eyes. However, such expense, effort and time wasted on such threadbare material simply emphasizes how lightweight the story is.
Rating: 
Summary: Drama Par Excellence
Review: Having viewed this movie several times in the cinema over the years and countless times (albeit the dreaded Pan and Scan)it was a pleasure to view it again on DVD on my Widescreen TV. Yes, it may have aged,might be considered by others as pure romantic dribble,but be assured this is movie making at its best. Hollywood was already jealous of Lean at this stage,they knew that this was another masterpiece after"Lawrence" and they proved it by giving that years best picture oscar to the "Sound of Music"instead. The DVD version is stunning,depicting all the Widescreen splendour and as for that theme tune,what else can one say. If there is a flaw it is in the casting of Sharif as Yuri and Chaplain as his wife who just weren't "Russian" enough. Rod Steiger and Tom Courtney were excellent (the latter should have won the supporting oscar)Julie Christie was tremendous in her role. This movie will always remain a classic
Rating:
Summary: this is cinema
Review: Boy,did David Lean know how to make a film.This is tremendous stuff.The direction,cinematography,acting,script and the glorious music all combine magically to produce one of the grandest epics in cinema.
Rating:
Summary: A true Epic
Review: The new Hollywood defines an Epic as a historical film, science fiction or just a plain long movie. A real Epic goes alot further than that. In theatre terms an Epic starts off with an Overture, has an Intermission, Entr'ce music to ACT Two and Exit music at the end of a film. When in the past 20 years have you seen that unless you saw a re-release of a real Epic film.But this film,,,,,,IS in every way a REAL EPIC. The music, the costumes, the story, the brilliant acting, the set design, the editing is all perfect. This is Hollywood at it's best. The way movies were met to be made and presented in 70mm with 6 track magnetic Stereo Sound. The years of this type of film making is over but because of DVD you can almost capture that feeling with the wide screen edition and the 5.1 Stereo Sound. (Granted it's a form of Dolby Digital which will never have the body of Magnetic Sound no matter what anyone tries to tell you.) but for home use is the best that money can buy. Knowing all this your purchase of this film will be well worth the money. This is entertainment!!! For an Epic it doesn't get any better than this.
Rating: 
Summary: Ponti Did This One In - Don't Blame Lean
Review: Big movies require big comprimises, and Lean was not up to the fight for this film. Producer DaPonti didn't want the expense of 70mm Panavision which Lean had used for LOA, so Lean was forced to use Technoscope, a widescreen process that uses half the 35mm frame to create the 2:1 aspect ratio of 70mm Panavision. What's that mean to you and me? From the beginning, the quality of the picture suffered from comprimise. First of all, you try writing a comprehensible script from Pasternak's overrated novel. But it was a hot property, DaPonti owned it, and Lean got stuck with it (well stuck himself with it). Robert Bolt had an impossible task trying to adapt this book into a feature-length film, and did not do well. For example, the novel ends with Lara and Yuri's child dying in punishment battalion during Stalingrad - not waltzing off over a useless dam. And of course, Omar Sharif was not a first choice, but he did carry LOA acting like himself, an Egyptian child of privilege;a Russian poet, even a middle-class one like Zhivago, is a great reach from someone not raised in that values. A great actor could do it. Well. Murky picture, murky script, murky leading man: that's this film. Much loved for it's scope, sweep, and flowers, The Good Doctor rattles on. For a chuckle, dig how Lean shoots Christy exactly like his shot the equally blond and blue-eyed Peter O'Toole in LOA, and the equally blond and blue-eyed Christopher Jones in Ryan's Daughter. Still, I love this film. There are great moments amid the clutter; Rod Stieger is acting in another film, and Klaus Kinski as the Anarchist sentenced to forced labor seems the only authentic person. Everyone else looks too English, and of course, Sharif is Egyptian. What a mess! In a perfect world, Lean would have had the resources Warren Beatty did for "REDS." But he did not, so this flawed masterpiece came into being. Lean's worst moments are better than most director's finest ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Rather disappointing
Review: I was looking forward to seeing this classic, and I admit it looks pretty good. The DVD quality is excellent especially considering the age of the movie, and there are some nice extras. Maybe the movie is better if you read the book first, but I have not. The basic problem is a major lack of character development, which is crazy since its almost 4 hours long. Don't get me wrong, the story is interesting, but we don't learn squat about the characters. We are always left hanging and guessing as to why someone did this or said that. We never get to understand Tonya, or the relationship between Uri and his brother, or what's going on in the head of Lara's husband. And worst of all is the ending. There are tons of lose threads. At least give us an epilogue or something about what happened to everyone other than Dr. Shivago or Lara. Lastly, Omar Sharif is a pretty good actor, but why is he playing a Russian lead? I don't get it and unfortunately neither does this movie. Overall, I'd say rent it before you shell out for it.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Movie
Review: This movie portrays with chilling accuracy the brutality of Soviet Stalinism. Through the discursive journey of a man, brutally divorced from his family by the omnipotent totalitarian government, Dr. Zhivago achieves three key elements that distinguish itself from other films: the evokation of genuine pity, raising real anger against any power that could achieve such evil, and finally, the an accurate historic portrayal of one of the bloodiest and more hooliganistic forms of government ever to exist. Even today, I am struck by the beautiful cinematography and the faithful adherence to Pasternak's book.
Rating:
Summary: I'm not going to romanticize this for you.
Review: So as you can see everyone loves this movie. I don't. "Were such good friends I don't want to mess up what we have by getting involved" This phrase may not totally sum up my feelings on this movie but I figured that we've all heard it before. Doctor Zhivago is David Lean's weakest movie. While that alone means it is better than about 70% of the movie out there. I have to hold this movie up to pretty high standards. The love story I just couldn't buy totally. The Russian history was interesting but was just another underdeveloped character. I really wanted to love this movie but I couldn't. The score was wonderful, along with the sets. But too much of the movie seemed rushed and many interesting parts were just left to dangle. I still recommend this movie just not as much as I would have liked.
Rating:
Summary: From Russia, with Love
Review: I am going to date myself here. This wonderful MGM masterpiece was made before I was born. My parents would not allow me to see this movie until I was sixteen years old. Over the next fifteen years I have viewed Dr. Zhivago in excess of ten times. In atticipation of an up coming visit to America by a Russian doctor friend of mine I purchased the new DVD version. My VHS version is worn out. Sergeevna has not seen this movie. We plan on an evening of champagne and Russina caviar. That an a box of Kleenex so that we may cry the blue out of our happy little eyes. My hope is that she will come to treasure Dr. Zhivago as much as I do. Many Oscars were awarded when this film first ran in the theaters. I truely believe that Omar Sharif, as Yuri Zhivago, Julie Christie, as Larissa Antipova, and Sir Alex Guniness, as Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago gave the preformances of their careers under the direction of the great David Lean. The story is of Zhivago, a poet and a surgeon caught in the turbulent times of the Russian Revolution. Of his love for his wife and for the tender and passionate Lara, and of his struggle to survive a harsh political climate. It goes without saying. This one comes with my highest reccomendation. Cammy Diaz A @ L
Rating:
Summary: First of all, the score
Review: When I was a tiny lilGal, my mother bought the soundtrack of "Doctor Zhivago", along with "Thoroughly Modern Millie". These were the first LPs my family ever owned. Over and over, we played "Doctor Zhivago", until I knew it by heart. Even all these years later, I could sing it note for note. It's a really great score. When the movie first aired, it was a major event! Early nostalgic memories. I've seen "Doctor Zhivago" since then, of course. It's one of director David Lean's most famous movies, and deservedly so. What a supporting cast: Ralph Richardson, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness. The three prinicipals were relative newcomers: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, and Geraldine Chaplin in a love triangle of a privileged young doctor who marries his childhood sweetheart only to discover a fascinating nurse during the dark days of the Russian Revolution. Of course, the dark days of the Revolution never end for the characters, as they didn't for generations of real people. We see the dreamer poet Yuri Zhivago have to confront some of the harshest realities of the 20th century, and opt out. He opts out of responsibility and marriage, to run away with Lara, the nurse. But all dreams are necessarily limited by time constraints, and Yuri's is no different. The forces of the revolution are stronger than anyone or anything, and Yuri and Lara cannot resist them, with tragic results. There are many memorable scenes in "Doctor Zhivago": the massacre outside Yuri's home, when we see Shariff's eyes dart all over the screen; the woman running desperately to board the train with babe in arms; Guiness' opening question to the girl he suspects to be Yuri and Lara's daughter so many years later, "How did you come to be lost?" Real best thing in the movie is Rod Steiger, who takes command in every scene he enters. He's the ultimate survivor, always managing to read the times and change with them, whether it's to be a bourgeous or a bolshevik. Shariff is kind of dull, I have to admit, but since the character is a dreamer, that's allowable. Watch it for Steiger and the scenery, and don't forget to listen to that wonderful score.
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