Beautiful! ...Warning, it's long though.

Rating: 9/10 (10 December 2005)

"Doctor Zhivago" is a beautifully shot and told movie. The movie follows the main character for almost his entire life and a lot happens in that life! A bit too much perhaps, for "Doctor Zhivago" is a long movie that is 3 hours+ long (depending on which version you're watching). Best way to view this movie is in parts, that's why I also have the feeling that the movie would had come better to its right if it had been made as a mini-series instead. Still "Doctor Zhivago" is a masterfully done classic that in some ways is also a quite revolutionary one, from a movie technical point of view.
The story is absolutely brilliant! I just love how in this movie lots of things and events are connected to each other. The story is truly what gives the movie an epic like feeling and is what makes this movie the classic that it is regarded as, present day. Leave it up to director David Lean to tell and film a great story. Before this movie he already showed those skills with classic movies such as "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia", which I regard as one of the best movies ever made.
Visaully the movie is splendid. There are some good sets and beautiful landscapes that perfectly captures the mood and spirit of the time period the movie is set in. Further more the movie has some good make-up and costumes but the most brilliant thing about the look of the movie is the cinematography by Freddie Young and director/cinematographer Nicolas Roeg. Some of the cinematography is new and refreshing for its time and is truly an unique experience to look at.
The movie is well casted. Omar Sharif is unforgettable as Yuri Zhivago and he plays the role of his life. Also unforgettable was Rod Steiger in the villainous role of Victor Komarovsky. Alec Guinness is also in this movie, teaming up once more with the director, David Lean.
A lot happens in this movie and that's the reason why the movie feels longer than it even is. This is my only real complaint about this movie and is the reason that prevents me from rating this movie with a perfect 10 out of 10.
9/10
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