David Lean's movies have some common characteristics: epic themes, big characters, brilliant British actors, vast panoramas, casts of thousands, recurring themes, loving camera work, L-o-o-o-n-g running times. When the formula works it is very, very good, unfortunately when it does not, it is horribly, horribly bad, well, at least, irritating, especially the music.
I can still remember the irritating little theme of Lawrence of Arabia, repeatedly reprised ad nauseam. And who can forget the whistleable Colonel Bogey; from Kwai? Lara's Theme from Zhivago, is pretty good, but it too begins to wear thin after some three hours of running time and endless repetitions.
The late Alec Guinness, is also a common element of Lean's epic films, playing as the idiot colonel to William Holden's insubordinate American; rubber-nosed King Faisal to O’Toole's enigmatic El Orance; and as stiff General Zhivago to Omar's limp Yuri Zhivago.
The subject of this film is Dr. Yuri Zhivago. Yuri is played by Omar Sharif, also a fixture in almost all Lean's films. This casting choice can have varying consequences, as in my opinion, Sharif can be a competent supporting actor, but in no sense of the word can he be expected to carry a film, especially a three-hour film.
Sharif did a commendable job as Sharif Ali, in Lawrence, a less than great job, but adequate, as the Armenian King in Fall of the Roman Empire (oops! Anthony Mann directed this, but you get the point). Omar, I'm sad to say, did a wretched, almost colorless portrait of the intellectual doctor in this one. Similarly, the lead woman, Lara, was eye-candy Julie Christie, not the most compelling actress I've ever come across, but pleasant looking nonetheless. Rod Steiger has the meatiest role as the coarse politician Komarovsky who mercilessly ravishes the young Lara. Geraldine Chaplin plays Yuri's oft separated wife, Tanya. When you add it all up, it comes to very little except a star-studded cast, I'm afraid!
Having never read Boris Pasternak's novel, I cannot say how closely the movie resembles the book, but if it is a close adaptation, I can only assume that the novel is overrated and more like a Harlequin romance than great literature.
The story basically follows Yuri from the time of the Czars until the Bolsheviks take over and through WWI. The defining point always is Lara, every once in a while she shows up (with her irritating theme song) and eventually Yuri and Lara have an affair. That's pretty much it...
As in all Lean's work, the photography is beyond reproach with epic, sweeping vistas and huge crowd scenes. The Maurice Jarre score is well produced, in fact, all production values are held to the highest levels. It's just that these high values are wasted on the story and actors.
See it once for the historical context, but unless you are a great fan of the actors or old Russia after you've seen it once, feel free to miss it. Two stars.
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