Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean (1966)

In this promotional short for the feature film Doctor Zhivago, director 'David Lean' explains why he chose the performers for the leading roles in the movie.

Stars:

David Lean, Robert Bolt, Omar Sharif

Cast

Cast overview:
David Lean	...	Himself
Robert Bolt	...	Himself
Omar Sharif	...	Himself
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Herself
Julie Christie	...	Herself

Storyline

A behind the scenes look at the filming of Doctor Zhivago, this film short focuses primarily on David Lean and how he chose the principal actors for the film, including Omar Sharif, Julie Christie and Geraldine Chaplin. The exterior scenes were filmed in Spain with the Spanish plains substituting for the Russian steppes. They also build a full-sized set replicating parts of Moscow including Red Square.

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Plot Keywords:

behind the scenes | narration | making of | romance filmmaking | drama filmmaking

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Genres:

Short | Documentary

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1966 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Bakom kameran: David Lean

Filming Locations:

Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Thomas Craven Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

10 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Featured on the 2-disc Warner Brothers DVD of Doctor Zhivago, released in 2001.

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Connections

Features Doctor Zhivago (1965)

User Reviews

Similar in style to modern "making of" DVD features.

This film short "Zhivago" was shown on the TCM network. As the host explained, this type of short was often made as a way to advertise upcoming movies and whet the appetite of the audience so that they would come back to see the feature.

David Lean himself is shown in spots where he explains why the various actors were chosen for the roles. He had previously worked with Sharif and was his choice for the title role as Dr. Yuri Zhivago. Geraldine Chaplin (daughter of Charlie Chaplin) was at first thought too young looking to play Tonya, but they show us her screen test and explain why she was the eventual choice. For Julie Christie who plays Lara Antipova, Lean explains that he had seen her in a different movie and found her face unforgettable, and that is why she was chosen.

Very interesting, also, was the choice of Spain for filming in a location that looked like Russia. That included the construction of a set outside Madrid that was made in every detail to look like a section of Moscow.

A "must see" for fans of the movie, Doctor Zhivago."