Doctor Zhivago (VHS)

This original version of director David Lean's classic epic, "Dr. Zhivago," is a triumph for the entire ensemble who were involved in making it a most memorable political romance. It's based upon Boris Pasternak's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (which he did not accept). Julie Christie's acting career skyrocketed after playing the leading lady (Lara) with Omar Sharif (Dr. Yuri Zhivago). Christie had no problem stealing the show & leaves such a remarkably sensual impression upon the imaginary that it's a classic romantic muse. "Dr. Zhivago" was nominated for 10 Oscars in all.

These are the 1966 Academy Award Oscars this film won:

Best Adapted Screenplay: Robert Bolt
Best Music Score-Substantially Original: Maurice Jarre
Best Color Art Direction-Set Decoration: John Box, Terence Marsh, Dario Simoni
Best Color Costume Design: Phyllis Dalton
Best Cinematography: Freddie Young

The story goes that the Russian physician & poet, Yuri Zhivago, is orphaned at age 8yo. At this time he moves into the home of a wealthy family who dearly love him--including a girl close to his age who becomes his wife, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin), when they are adults.

As the Bolshevik Revolution is about to burst into a communist take-over of the Czarist regime, Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), a sleazy but powerful political influence, has already groomed the younger Lara to be his mistress by force. Even so, Lara marries a political activist who turns into a most feared revolutionary.

While the revolution is ongoing, Dr. Zhivago is kidnapped & forced to perform war-zone medical treatment. There he meets the absolutely seductive beauty, Lara, who is an unskilled nursing assistant in the meg-shift military hospital. The good doctor, though married to his childhood sweetheart, is smitten with the political activist's wife while they are both performing war-time medicine as a team.

Their relationship parallels the political torrents which surround them. He cannot leave to be with his family; she can't find hers. Little does Lara know that her husband is the Bolshevik General Strelnikov (Tom Courtenay). Yuri doesn't know that his half-brother, Yevgraf (Alec Guinness), is an icey communist agent.

The musical score features variations of "Lara's Song." None could possibly set the mood more appropriately. The Oscar-winning color set is filmed in Moscow in Panavision which makes a glorious series of scenes of snow-covered mountains & lush landscaped fields that inspire the poet Zhivago. But, nothing muses him more than Lara.

David Lean & producer Carlo Ponti gave us a major work of classical art.
It's the last Hollywood epic & arguably the finest. Sharif gives another truly great performance. Guinness narrates the story in a series of flashbacks as he tries to discern whether a young woman who works for him is the daughter of Yuri & Lara. Rod Steiger as Komarovsky delivers the performance of his lifetime, reappearing as Lara & Yuri's dreaded nightmare of an inopportune visitor. Geraldine Chaplin's Tonya is the epitome of a good wife & mother during horrid trials. Tom Courtenay's Strelnikov is evil incarnate. But, in the end, Julie Christie's Lara is the most enticing character with whom to empathsize as she perserveres through war & unrequieted love~