Doctor Zhivago turns 56: Decoding the timeless appeal of Omar Sharif’s Russian period drama

As Doctor Zhivago turns a year older, revisiting filmmaker David Lean’s seminal work.

Doctor Zhivago’s roots, to date, are deeply embedded within romance. Yet, the 1965 David Lean classic still remains a seminal work that formed a cinematic tableau in the annals of history as a great war film. Lean’s attempt at making it a romantic saga was an appropriate move from the very beginning, considering Boris Pasternak’s 1957 original novel (on which the film is based) had to be smuggled out of Russia, piece by piece, in rolls of microfilm.

Speaking of the tumultuous times during the First World War and the Russian Civil War (1918-22), Doctor Zhivago was a classic with the runtime of three hours and twenty minutes feeling like the freight train that carries its characters across the ice-laden landscapes of harsh Russia.

The story follows Doctor Zhivago (a restrained Omar Sharif), whose life is upended by the ill effects of a World War and a civil strife in Russia. Throughout his arduous journey, he realizes that his undying love for Lara (Julie Christie), a wronged woman with a feisty spirit, will probably never fade away. The film charts the tumultuous journey between these two souls who never seem to find opportunities to come together and yet their fates intertwine to unify them again and again.

One of the USPs of the period drama was the fact that director David Lean ensured that the film stay true to the politics of its times. Embroiled within the love story of two star-crossed souls was a deep narrative of a nation at the brink of extinction. It was imperative then, that Lean spotlight the sense of urgency that Pasternak so easily imbued in his novel.

Doctor Zhivago also had a stellar star cast that bolstered the film’s overall appeal. Some of the British film industry’s top names were associated with the magnum opus, giving the feature a lot more credibility even before its release. Artists like Tom Courtenay, Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson and Rita Tushingham populated Lean’s frames and brought a sense of authenticity to the film.

The film’s reception in the US and the UK was lukewarm, with critics calling it “primitive, admired by the same sort of people who are delighted when a stage has running water.” Yet, the public completely connected with the film across borders, a fact that got reflected in that year’s Oscar nominations. The 1966 Academy Awards saw 10 nominations for the film and Doctor Zhivago managed to bag five out of those, which included Best Screenplay, Music, Costume, Art Direction and Cinematography.

In fact, Lean was notorious for his exacting approach to filmmaking. Courtenay, who played Lara’s husband in the film, said of Lean’s process, “He didn’t like talking heads. He was very particular about how it would look, and he was prepared to wait to get the look right. He shot as he saw it because he was editing it in his mind.”

Lean’s attention to detail, through simple, went a long way in establishing the film’s appeal. His tireless attempts at depicting Moscow and its countryside during the Russian revolution is apparent in how he chose to place crucial scenes in winter (to increase the sense of discomfort manifold). The added difficulties of picturizing snow onscreen (both artificial and real) only speak to his genius. In a particular scene with Zhivago and Lara, Lean’s lens acutely captures an abandoned dacha that is pristine white with a night of snowfall. The fantasy-like atmosphere immediately transports audiences to a winter wonderland set up, where they’re compelled to marvel at not only the heightened ambience of romance, but also the sheer skill in successfully pulling off such a set design.

Doctor Zhivago created history in more ways than one, and much like Tushingham plainly said of the film, “The wonderful thing about [Doctor] Zhivago is it won’t date.”

Watch the film here .

Share