Doctor Zhivago (TV 2002)

Young and beautiful Lara is loved by three men: a revolutionary, a mogul, and a doctor. Their lives become intertwined with the drama of Russian revolution. Doctor Zhivago is still married ... See full summary »

Director:

Giacomo Campiotti

Writers:

Boris Pasternak (novel), Andrew Davies (screenplay)

Stars:

Sam MacLintock, Keira Knightley, Sam Neill

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam MacLintock	...	Little Yury
Keira Knightley	...	Lara Antipova (neé Guishar)
Bill Paterson	...	Alexander Gromyko
Celia Imrie	...	Anna Gromyko
Sam Neill	...	Victor Komarovsky
Daniella Byrne	...	Little Tonya
Nick Stewart	...	Orthodox Priest
Hans Matheson	...	Yury Zhivago
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Tonya Gromyko Zhivago
Jeremy Clyde	...	Professor
Daniele Liotti	...	Misha Gordon
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Olya Demina
Maryam d'Abo	...	Amalia Guishar
Robert Orr	...	Agitator
Kris Marshall	...	Pasha Antipov / Strelnikov

Storyline

Young and beautiful Lara is loved by three men: a revolutionary, a mogul, and a doctor. Their lives become intertwined with the drama of Russian revolution. Doctor Zhivago is still married when he meets Lara. Their love story is unfolding against the backdrop of revolution which affects the doctor's career, his family, and his love to Lara.

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Plot Keywords:

doctor | female nudity | russia | obsessive love | bare breasts | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Official PBS/Masterpiece Theatre Web site

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Docteur Jivago

Filming Locations:

Prague, Czech Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

E-Vision, Epsilon TV Production, Granada Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

226 min 226 min (3 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

[Cameo] In the first scene of episode 2, Director Giacomo Campiotti is sitting next to Yury on the train, smoking a cigarette.

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Quotes

Yuri: It's all a mystery. Love - the idea that there is someone already there in the world who might hold the key to your whole existence.

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Connections

Featured in The Story of the Costume Drama: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Korobochka"
Russian traditional
At the wedding party of Zhivago and Tonya

User Reviews

A riddle wrapped in an enigma

I've seen David Lean's version, this version and studied (briefly) the life of Pasternak under the Communists. For some reason I can't find a Russian version of this novel - maybe some predjudice still lingers in the FSU. Of all the characters in this novel, Pasternak's favorite isn't Yuri - it's Lara. Maybe Winston Churchchill wasn't talking so much about Mother Russia as he was about her women (there's a reason they call it the Motherland). Russia is an impenetrable mystery, impossible to summarise in a few words and women such as Lara are very difficult to portray for a non-Russian. So don't be surprised if Keira Knightley doesn't seem to have captured the essence of Lara - in fact, she does quite a competent job, probably because of Julie Christie before her. The one quality that Christie had and which is reflected in Knightley is a quiet acceptance of fate (in Russian "sydba"). It's a quality that is very attractive and also the most irritating aspect of Lara. You want to yell at her to kick Komarovsky between the legs but she just soldiers on. Julie Christie , however, captured Lara in one look in David Lean's movie - when Omar Shariff enjoins her to go with Komarovsky and without a word, she looks back at Omar/Yuri with a wordless plea. Knightley's Lara is more forthright, more self assured and in that respect she is faithful to Pasternak's writing. But Christie - and that one look- will always be Lara to me.