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Actors: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Alec Guinness, Geraldine Chaplin
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Doctor Zhivago |
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A young Russian child living in Manchurian loses his mother and is adopted by a wealthy friend of his mother. The wealthy family accepts him as one of their own, encourages him to court their daughter and support his education to become a doctor. However, the young doctor's first love was poetry. He becomes a doctor and becomes entangled in the Russian turmoil beginning in the 1905 Revolution, WWI, the Revolutions and Civil War and the triumph of Stalin. His life moves from Manchuria to St. Petersburg, to various war fronts, back to revolutionary, then to Siberia and back to Moscow where he dies.
--Abu Hamfat of Clan Jasmine, Resident Scholar
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Possibly one of the best tragic love stories of modern times, David Lean's “Doctor Zhivago”
also qualifies as one of the best movies. Based upon Boris Pasternak's novel, the film stars
Omar Sharif as Zhivago and Julie Christie as Lara, a love that also qualifies as “star
crossed”--this time, Red Star crossed. Set in the time of the Russian Revolution, no quarter
is given on any grounds, as the Revolution is based on simple absolutes. Zhivago, poet as
well as surgeon, finds himself literally torn between the two loves of his live, his wife Tonya
(Geraldine Chaplin) and Lara. Filmed with all the majesty of the world and musically
underscored by Maurice Jarre (“Lawrence of Arabia”) with such sweeping ranges,
Director Lean--himself no stranger to epics--feels right at home with this one. The movie is
not to be compared with the Noble Prize winner's novel--no movie should be compared to a
book!--as cinematically it is one of the masterpieces, winning some five Oscars.
--Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Doctor Zhivago |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
elements, all of which are searchable (click here). |
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1900-1920's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- romance (general)
- love triangle/polygon
Polit/Social/Race/Gender activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- liberal/lefty activism
- fights between haves and have-nots
- communist revolution!
War impact on civilians/veterans
Yes
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Main Char. ethnic: (if not US Caucasian)
- Russian
Culture of surrounding area:
- Russian
Kind of conflict:
- revolution
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 60's-90's
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Russian
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- healthy but a geeky weakling
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Russian
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- an organization
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Russian
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Eastern Europe
Asia/Pacific/Middle East
Yes
Asian country:
- Russia
City?
Yes
City:
- dangerous
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to deaths
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Movie makes you feel...
- challenged
- depressed/sad
Any profanity?
- None
If this is a kid's movie...
- Ages 10-15
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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