Synopsis
The life of a Russian physician and poet who, although married to another, falls in love with a political activist's wife and experiences hardship during World War I and then the October Revolution.
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Cast
- Omar SharifDr. Yuri Zhivago
- Julie ChristieLara Antipova
- Geraldine ChaplinTonya Gromeko
- Rod SteigerViktor Komarovsky
- Alec GuinnessGen. Yevgraf Zhivago
- Tom CourtenayPasha Antipov / Strelnikov
- Siobhán McKennaAnna
- Ralph RichardsonAlexander Gromeko
- Rita TushinghamThe Girl
- Adrienne CorriAmelia
Recommendations
- 100
The Guardian
It’s impossible not to be swept along and caught by the details: the pompous army officer falling into the barrel, the anarchist (played by a young Klaus Kinski) watching an old couple affectionately cuddling on the train, Zhivago himself suddenly shocked at his own haggard reflection in the mirror. Lean was hunting big game, and catching it. - 100
The Hollywood Reporter
Doctor Zhivago is more than a masterful motion picture; it is a life experience. - 90
Variety
The sweep and scope of the Russian revolution, as reflected in the personalities of those who either adapted or were crushed, has been captured by David Lean in Doctor Zhivago, frequently with soaring dramatic intensity. Director has accomplished one of the most meticulously designed and executed films--superior in several visual respects to his "Lawrence of Arabia." - 80
Empire
Stories about love in a world gone mad don't come any more gorgeous, or any more sweepingly epic, than this. - 80
Time Out
Doctor Zhivago has the most irritating soundtrack in the history of cinema and yes, it’s old-fashioned and sappy. But it’s impossible not to swoon. This is a love story to sink your teeth into. - 80
TV Guide Magazine
As always, Lean's handling of the purely physical aspects of the material is spectacular, with the scenes of revolution, the harsh Russian winters, and Zhivago's trek across the steppes simply unforgettable. - 75
Chicago Sun-Times
So, yes, it's soppy and manipulative and mushy. But that train looks real enough to ride. - 70
Chicago Reader
Intelligent and handsomely mounted, though it doesn't use its length to build to a particularly complex emotional effect. It's a thin, snaky epic with more breadth than body, rather like watching an entire Masterpiece Theatre chapter play in a single sitting.
