Excellent cinematography and symbolism. Beautifully made.

Rating: 5/10 (13 November 2005)

As a classic film, I was expecting a little more. I am not saying that 'Doctor Zhivago' is a horrible film because I do not think it is. The acting and the cinematography is absolutely brilliant. Even the music plays a very central part of the film, bringing back Dr Zhivago with his childhood. The film flirts around with revolution and war and affair, and this also works. But, the cinematography with the Russian landscape and the snowstorm is more moving than the story itself, which I feel fails to capture and engage. It is also hard to feel any emotion for the characters as we remain distant from them and watch the events taking place around them... even they know more of their direction than we do. (The wife of Zhivago knew about the affair.) In many ways, it seems like the film focuses more on Lara than it does on Zhivago. Lara steals the scene of any part she is in. The two seem to be made for one another, even though destiny keeps bringing them together and pulling them apart.
Doctor Zhivago will not be enjoyed by everyone because it is a deep film, and it's also one that probably needs to be watched a few times before it is fully understood. A good knowledge of history is probably worthwhile too. Also, some may think the film moves along too slowly. It is a long film and I'll admit that it is a difficult one to sit through because it is not the most engaging film.
The most memorable parts of the film are obviously the cinematography - the sweeping snowy landscapes while they travel on the train, the field of yellow daffodils, and the bright and colourful sunflower (Lara's flower) in the make-shift hospital building during the war. One scene ends with showing the empty room after the characters leave, and the vase with one sunflower sits on the table. A couple of petals fall off the sunflower and onto the table. For a couple of minutes, the camera is still, and we just watch this. Excellent symbolism, and this film is probably one of the best examples of cinematography ever.