An impressive portrayal of the October Revolution

Rating: 8/10 (29 December 2010)

It is a Hollywood habit to recommend many of the classic movies under the pretext of the ultimate love story. And invariably this classification proves to be a sham. You can only speculate about the reasons behind this lack of respect for the intellect of the addressed audience. Doctor Zhivago belongs to this category of films. For in truth we see a man (doctor Zhivago) time and again betraying his wife, without having the courage to separate and stay with his mistress. The musical score "Lara's theme" (Somewhere my love) is an excellent find to reinforce the false romanticism. Neither is Doctor Zhivago an outstanding portrayal of WWI. On this subject there are clearly better creations, for instance the German film "Westfront 1918" (which reverses the love story of Doctor Zhivago: a soldier is granted leave and finds his wife in bed with another man). Nevertheless, Doctor Zhivago deserves to remain a part of our film history (unfortunately I did not read the book; if I only had time...). For I do not know films that give a better account of the Russian October revolution, and the effects on the living conditions. The decay of society, the uncertainty and misery, the terror, the civil war. Zhivago belongs to the small upper middle class, that was emerging in the feudal Russia at the start of the twentieth century. The Tsar is still the absolute ruler, but his reign is festered with corruption and nepotism. His rule already obtained a staggering blow in 1905, during the turmoil after the lost war against Japan. In WWI the nearing defeat against Germany can only lead to his abdication. Zhivago is a promising poet, and happily married with his youth friend Tania. Lara is married to the revolutionary Pasha, but it is clear that she can never adapt to his lifestyle. Zhivago joins the army as a physician, and empathizes with the fate of the common soldiers. Here he again meets his acquaintance Lara, and a spark jumps over. Zhivago returns to Moscow, where the Bolshevists have seized power, They confiscate the apartments of Zhivago's family. In the mean time a civil war has erupted in Russia, between the Red Army and the White rebels (supported by the western powers, who have a strong disliking for a socialist experiment, I guess mainly because of the nationalizations). The Zhivago family decides to flee Moscow, and take a truly crowded train, which throws them into a primitive life. During a short stop, Zhivago takes a stroll and is seized by the Red Army of Trotski. They need him as a physician, and force him to participate in their battles. These are heart-rending scenes, since the Russian society is rapidly disintegrating, and the Bolshevist alternative is inadequate. Finally Zhivago can bear the brunt no more, and deserts. Fate reunites him with Lara. They flee to the summer residence of the Zhivagos, which in mid-winter looks like an fairy tale ice-palace. Amidst the collapse of society Zhivago and Lara possess the luxury to create their own dream. Here Zhivago reaches his greatest heights as a poet. And then, as a result of the revolutionary activities they are separated again. The harmonious life with his wife Tania has become impossible, and she flees the country. Zhivago remains back as a broken man. Somewhere else Lara bears his daughter, and it is suggested that Lara later becomes a victim of the indiscriminate Stalinist repression. A nice touch is, that the story is embedded into another short story, namely the life of his supposed daughter (many years later, during the Chrutshov era) as a fulfilled factory worker. So in conclusion, the revolutionary times are portrayed as the reign of brute violence, and I am pretty certain that this resembles the truth. It was a wretched experiment, and certainly not a time of hope. It was as unfortunate as Zhivago's affair. For me, this is the message of the film. If you like this theme, consider reading my other film reviews.