Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Director:

David Lean

Writers:

Boris Pasternak (novel)
Robert Bolt (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

The entertainment event of the year!

Plot:

Life of a Russian doctor/poet who, although married, falls for a political activist's wife and experiences hardships during the Bolshevik Revolution.

Plot Keywords:

Russia | Epic | Bolshevik | Russian Revolution | Poetry

Awards:

Won 5 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Omar Sharif	...	Dr. Yuri Zhivago
Julie Christie	...	Lara
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Tonya
Rod Steiger	...	Komarovsky
Alec Guinness	...	Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago
Tom Courtenay	...	Pasha
Siobhan McKenna	...	Anna
Ralph Richardson	...	Alexander
Rita Tushingham	...	The Girl
Jeffrey Rockland	...	Sasha
Tarek Sharif	...	Yuri at 8 years old
Bernard Kay	...	The Bolshevik
Klaus Kinski	...	Kostoyed
Gérard Tichy	...	Liberius (as Gerard Tichy)
Noel Willman	...	Razin
Geoffrey Keen	...	Medical Professor
Adrienne Corri	...	Amelia
Jack MacGowran	...	Petya
Mark Eden	...	Engineer at Dam
Erik Chitty	...	Old Soldier
Roger Maxwell	...	Beef-Faced Colonel
Wolf Frees	...	Delegate
Gwen Nelson	...	Female Janitor
Lucy Westmore	...	Katya
Lili Muráti	...	The Train Jumper (as Lili Murati)
Peter Madden	...	Political Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luana Alcañiz	...	Mrs. Sventytski (uncredited)
Assad Bahador	...	Colonel of Dragoons (uncredited)
José María Caffarel	...	Militiaman (uncredited)
Emilio Carrer	...	Mr. Sventytski (uncredited)
Catherine Ellison	...	Raped woman (uncredited)
Pilar Gómez Ferrer	...	(uncredited)
Víctor Israel	...	(uncredited)
Inigo Jackson	...	Major (uncredited)
Gerhard Jersch	...	David (uncredited)
Jari Jolkkonen	...	Siberian boy (uncredited)
Leo Lähteenmäki	...	Siberian husband (uncredited)
María Martín	...	Gentlewoman (uncredited)
José Nieto	...	Priest (uncredited)
Ricardo Palacios	...	Extra (uncredited)
Ingrid Pitt	...	Extra (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Kostoyed (voice) (uncredited)
Mercedes Ruiz	...	Tonya at 7 (uncredited)
Aldo Sambrell	...	(uncredited)
Virgilio Teixeira	...	Captain (uncredited)
Brigitte Trace	...	Streetwalker (uncredited)
María Vico	...	Demented woman (uncredited)

Directed by
David Lean

Writing credits
Boris Pasternak		(novel)
Robert Bolt		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arvid Griffen	....	executive producer
Carlo Ponti	....	producer

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre		(original music composed by)

Cinematography by
Freddie Young
Nicolas Roeg		(some scenes) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Norman Savage

Casting by
Irene Howard		(uncredited)

Production Design by
John Box

Art Direction by
Terence Marsh
Gil Parrondo		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Dario Simoni

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Anna Cristofani	....	hair stylist (as Anna Christofani)
Grazia De Rossi	....	hair stylist (as Gracia de Rossi)
Mario Van Riel	....	makeup artist (as Mario van Riel)

Production Management
John Palmer	....	production supervisor
Agustín Pastor	....	production manager (as Agustin Pastor)
Douglas Twiddy	....	production manager
Tadeo Villalba	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roy Rossotti	....	second unit director
Roy Stevens	....	assistant director
Pedro Vidal	....	assistant director
Peter Beale	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
José María Ochoa	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Michael Stevenson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ernest Archer	....	assistant art director
Fred Bennett	....	construction
William Hutchinson	....	assistant art director (as Bill Hutchinson)
Gus Walker	....	construction
Roy Walker	....	assistant art director
José María Alarcón	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)
Benjamín Fernández	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Mickey Lennon	....	chargehand dressing prop: Spain (uncredited)
Julián Martín	....	painter (uncredited)
Wallis Smith	....	draughtsman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paddy Cunningham	....	sound recordist
Winston Ryder	....	sound editor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Franklin Milton	....	sound director (uncredited)
William Steinkamp	....	sound (uncredited)
A.W. Watkins	....	supervising sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Eddie Fowlie	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Gerald Larn	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Manuel Berenguer	....	photographer: second unit
Ernest Day	....	camera operator
Miguel Sancho	....	chief electrician
Anthony Busbridge	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)
John Crawford	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
John Crawford	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Kenneth Danvers	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Jim Dawes	....	grip (uncredited)
Jim Kane	....	grip (uncredited)
John Kerley	....	clapper loader: second unit (uncredited)
Dennis C. Lewiston	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Anthony B. Richmond	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Alex Thomson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Kenneth J. Withers	....	focus puller (uncredited)
Ted Worringham	....	camera maintenance (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Grover	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor
Bob Bain	....	musician: balalaika (uncredited)

Other crew
Barbara Cole	....	continuity
Hugh Miller	....	dialogue coach
Andrew Mollo	....	consultant (uncredited)
Lee Turner	....	continuity: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Sostar S.A.

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1965) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1965) (France) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1965) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1965) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Ibérica S.A. (1965) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1966) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1972) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (????) (West Germany) (theatrical) (re-release)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Sandrews (2001) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• MGM Sound Department  sound re-recording
• Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore  book publisher (as Feltrinelli Editore of Milan)
• Iberduero  sincere appreciation to (as Iberduero S.A. Aldeadavila Dam)
• Spanish Railways National System  sincere appreciation to
• VR  sincere appreciation to (as Finnish State Railways)
• Canadian Pacific Railway  sincere appreciation to (as Canadian Pacific Railway Company)
• CEA Studios  sincere appreciation to (as C.E.A. Studios, Madrid)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature themes.

Runtime:

197 min | UK:192 min (1999 re-release) | UK:193 min | UK:200 min (1992 re-release)

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) | DTS (re-release) (35 mm prints) | Mono (35 mm optical prints)

Certification:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:GP (re-rating) (1971) | Canada:PG (video rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (1995) | UK:15 (1987) | UK:A (1966) | UK:PG (1992) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Rod Steiger was on set filming for 12 months.

Goofs:

Continuity: While Katya plays with a toy horse, Yuri is sitting behind her with his head turned to his right-hand side. In the subsequent shot his head is turned to the left.

Quotes:

Gromeko: What I want to know is how we're going to stay alive this winter.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Wyatt Earp: Walk with a Legend (1994) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Prelude in G minor, Op.23-5

Drowned in the Purity of Sentiment

No wonder the highest directorial achievement for direction of the British Academy of Film and Television is named after David Lean. An artist who knew how to combine great performances, with breathtaking settings, haunting soundtrack, in order to create works of art that are to remain as pillars for the future generations of film-makers.

"Doctor Zhivago" is definitely one of his most outstanding works, a film that breathes with life, and suffers with passion. Neither, though, of the credited people can take as much credit for it, as David Lean. Omar Sharif delivers one of his best performances of his career, Julie Christie has never been as stunning, or Rod Steiger as Komarovsky or Tom Courtenay as Antipov ever left more memorable performances than these ones. Not even Maurice Jarre, who composed one of the most unforgettable themes in film history, or Robert Bolt, for his skillful adaptation on Pasternak's difficult novel, not even Freddy Young's cinematography, can rise above the vibration of genius, which is David Lean. We almost feel the complexity of the universe collapsing on us with a mad power that we instantly become part of it, and fall in love with all its particles.

For those who haven't seen the film, this might make little sense, and it can give a misleading understanding of what one is to expect. "Doctor Zhivago" is a poet, who at the beginning of the 20th Century is caught in the historical Bolshevik revolution. An outstanding doctor, married to his childhood friend, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin in a warm performance), finds that there is beauty beyond deceit, love beyond commitment, by starting an affair with an enigmatic lady which appears often in his path in the most unnoticeable of moments. Their destiny is as confused as Russia in the turmoil started by the Reds, it is shaped by history without their approval. There is no solution for a country that abandoned its passions in its desire of self-improvement, just as for the two lovers, which find themselves abandoned in the middle of the Siberian taiga.

This is a slow film and for the good reasons. We are allowed to breathe the story, to give it momentum, and to judge it from within, as if the choices were not Yury's, Lara's or Tonya's, but our own creation. And this is the brilliance of Lean's direction. The story transcends time and space, and it melts within the triviality of our life. Beyond it, we are left with nothing but love, pure and blindingly real.