Doctor Zhivago

PG-13

Released Dec 22, 1965

3h 17m

Romance

History

Drama

War

List

82%

Tomatometer

50 Reviews

88%

Audience Score

25,000+ Ratings

During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide. Yuri falls in love with beautiful Lara Guishar (Julie Christie), who has been having an affair with her mother's lover, Victor Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), an unscrupulous businessman. Yuri, however, ends up marrying his cousin, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). But when he and Lara meet again years later, the spark of love reignites.

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Critics Consensus

It may not be the best of David Lean's epics, but Dr. Zhivago is still brilliantly photographed and sweepingly romantic.

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James Powers

Hollywood Reporter

Despite the grim and brooding background, Zhivago has a surging buoyant spirit that is unquenchable. Doctor Zhivago is more than a masterful motion picture; it is a life experience.

Dec 22, 2016

Full Review

Richard Roud

Guardian

One of those rare film adaptations which, unless you have already read the book, makes you wonder why anyone ever bothered to make the film at all.

Apr 29, 2016

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

Maurice Jarre's music is as beguiling as ever and Lean squeezes all the pathos that he can out of the romance between Sharif's Yuri Zhivago and Julie Christie's febrile and gorgeous Lara Antipova.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 1, 2015

Full Review

Pauline Kael

McCall's

It isn't shoddy (except for the music), it isn't soap opera; it's stately, respectable and dead: the photography static, the comings and goings without rhythm. It's like watching a gigantic task of stone masonry, executed by unmoved movers.

Sep 19, 2023

Full Review

Bob Halliday

Salt Lake Tribune

Doctor Zhivago, in the film version, is a work of art to match the novel and even excel it in some respects.

May 12, 2021

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

A masterpiece of emotional resonance and melodramatic romanticism.

Rated: 10/10

Aug 24, 2020

Full Review

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Audience Member

Take the lovely Julie Christie out of this and you have an Arab pretending to be a Russian for three hours.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/25/24

Full Review

Terry S

This film retains all its romance and mystery even after all these years--Christie and Sharif are so beautiful to see and the acting and scenery absolutely captivating.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/24

Full Review

Lanfranco C

Love during the WWI, the Russian Revolution and the Communist Regime.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/08/24

Full Review

Sarah G

Gorgeous, timeless.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/13/24

Full Review

Jeffre L

Such a wonderful movie. It is long - basically two movies. Just wonderful - my favorite of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

Alec B

From a story perspective, the film is your relatively standard "sweeping romantic epic set against the backdrop of real history" but David Lean directs the hell out of it, per usual. There are too many amazing shots to count and the cast is fantastic from Omar Sharif right down to those that only have a few lines (Klaus Kinski is unforgettable even in a tiny part). I'm still not sure why it was blasted by critics in it's day, but I suspect that they wanted this film to fail because of Lean's past successes. Upon noticing a weaker narrative structure and a love story they began a feeding frenzy of nitpicking criticisms.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/28/23

Full Review

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David Lean

Director

Omar Sharif

Dr. Yuri Zhivago

Julie Christie

Nurse Lara Antipova

Geraldine Chaplin

Tonya

Tom Courtenay

Pasha Antipova

Alec Guinness

Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago

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Synopsis

During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide. Yuri falls in love with beautiful Lara Guishar (Julie Christie), who has been having an affair with her mother's lover, Victor Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), an unscrupulous businessman. Yuri, however, ends up marrying his cousin, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). But when he and Lara meet again years later, the spark of love reignites.

Director: David Lean
Producer: Carlo Ponti
Screenwriter: Boris Pasternak, Robert Bolt
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Home Vídeo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Warner Bros.
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, History, Drama, War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 1965, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $87.1K
Runtime: 3h 17m

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