You'll love it if grand epics are your thing

Rating: 7/10 (29 June 2012)

Following the massive success of Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean went on to create another grandiose epic, this time set amongst snow rather than sand. Doctor Zhivago is the story of a physician and poet named Yuri Zhivago. It chronicles the love affair he had with a girl named Lara, even thought both of them were already married. It's a passionate tale of love and lust all set against the backdrop of the Bolshevik Revolution and it follows the revolution and the hardships Zhivago must endure during it.
Doctor Zhivago highlights a very specific type of film, the grand epic. It has massive and illustrious sets, beautiful sweeping vistas of a variety of different locations all around Europe, hundreds upon hundreds of extras, a powerful and passionate score, and it clocks in at three hours and twenty minutes. All these things are what make up any good epic, and Doctor Zhivago is a film that is proud to have all these elements. But it's also proud to tell a moving and romantic story that takes place over many years and introduces a cavalcade of characters throughout its far reaching story. Even if you don't particularly like the film itself, nobody can deny credit to such an enormous production.
My only problems with Doctor Zhivago are out of personal taste. I'm not a huge fan of epics as I like smaller and more intimate films more. I'm not a huge fan of romances as it's simply not my cup of tea. And I'm also not a huge fan of films that are over three hours long. I make a lot of exceptions to this one but not so much in the case of Doctor Zhivago. I'm also not much of a history buff so the historically relevant plot that unfolds here amidst the Bolshevik Revolution doesn't do a whole lot for me either.
However, there's no way that I won't say Doctor Zhivago isn't a film of a pristine quality and the time and effort that went into making this film is more than commendable. If epics, romances, or history is your thing then you will probably love Doctor Zhivago. If not then you might want to sit this one out unless you really care about seeing it. Doctor Zhivago is a fine film, but not everyone will fall in love with it.