"Dr Zhivago" represents a sort of last hurrah for David Lean, whose works after that have spluttered into insignificance (including 1984's "A Passage to India"). The British-Italian production is an adaptation of Boris Pasternak's Russian novel, first published in the West after being smuggled out at the height of the Cold War--an intimate, sweeping, panoramic narrative which Lean specializes in, much like his earlier critical hit "Lawrence of Arabia". Lean was never the tightest of directors, his direction often have a stagey, theatrical feel to them; even in 1965 this movie feels just a bit old-fashioned, coming at a time when the French New Wave was in vogue. Overall the film delivers as the romance in Pasternak's novel is intriguing, production value is high, the musical themes are memorable, and many actors like Omar Sharif are well cast. Certainly "Dr Zhivago" isn't perfect but still works for moviegoers used to sumptuous, well crafted spectacles.My main criticism is that the movie feels more British than Russian. Pronounced British accents proliferated throughout, distracting to the very Russian narrative: Alec Guinness never really convinces as a "Russian" bureaucrat in his stiff upper-lip enunciations, while Ralph Richardson is also more English than Russian. While Omar Sharif and Geraldine Chaplin are excellently cast--Sharif especially bringing an earnest romanticism as the leading man--Julie Christie isn't at her best as capricious Lara. The rest of the cast are adequate. Zhivago's screenplay, penned by British playwright Robert Bolt, is on the long-winded side. The movie pits together massive resources--some which deliver onscreen, others which don't; the end product though, in 3 hour 20 minutes. still holds much attention. An old-fashioned, romanticized flick, "Dr Zhivago" feels more like a 1930s movie, but is nonetheless Lean through and through.

Where was the little house that we saw Yuri and Lara walking to after they'd met in the library, filmed. Also the inside of the house was that a studio and where is it.

60's has some epic movies, be it Drama or Romance, History, Fiction etc. That fair and grandeur is missing these days. Doctor Zhivago is a timeless epic movie, one can watch it again and again and would find it interesting. It spreads over 3 hrs but still very gripping and glues the viewers. Everything is very well worked out in detail ... sets, locations (not shot in Russia but no one would miss that), narrative, cast etc. All the characters fit their role very well. Omar Sharif is a powerhouse of acting and this movie along with many are testimony to that. Julie Christie looks tantalizingly beautiful. I would say she is one of the most beautiful actress of all time. It has drama, romance and is also tragic. In the end Yuri reaching out for Lara, trying to call her and not able to do so is very touching. One also sees the dark side of Communism in patches. Perhaps that is why this movie was banned in Russia and not shot there. I wish I had seen it on big screen. It would have looked much more magnificent. There shouldn't be any remakes of such movies. They should be preserved for generations. One can visit that time-line and or get an idea of things from such classics.

Honestly, this movie made me feel like I was wandering the Russian tundra.Anyway, I was initially excited to finally see this movie. However, by the time it got to the intermission, I debated giving up on it. The biggest problem with the whole script, the reason why the movie lacks any drive, any momentum, any tension, is because the heart of the story is missing. Dr. Zhivago's marriage to Tonya is one of love and friendship but she's supposedly not his true love. Then, Zhivago spends 6 months with the gorgeous Lara and falls in love. However, the movie skips from him arriving at his post and seeing Lara again to him leaving and them already in love. We don't see their relationship grow, develop, unfold. It's a gaping hole in the middle of the movie. On top of that, their affair is purely emotional at this point and not physical which if we saw their relationship develop, it would actually build tension. Their love story was critical to, at least, my emotional involvement in the plot. Without seeing what was so enthralling about Lara, you kind of feel like what was he missing from the pretty and sweet Tonya?There are parts of the movie worthy praise especially on a technical front. However, the movie was ultimately long and boring.