Zhivago is Flawed and Magnificent

Rating: 9/10 (16 June 2018)

I saw the film first which spurred me to read the novel. I enjoyed both of them for different reasons, one being that the stories are a bit different from one another. The film puts more emphasis on the love story between Zhivago and Laura, which I am in no way faulting it for. This is truly a grand film created on an epic scale and viewing it one can really feel the brutal Russian winter (yes, I realize much of it was film in Spain but only because the Soviet Union would not allow them to work in Russia) which to me makes this all the more impressive visually. Sharif, Christie, Tom Courtney, and in particular Steiger all give great performances which immensely contributes to the power of this film. The war and revolution are beautifully and effectively rendered. Maurice Jarre's score is excellent and memorable, but the musical leitmotif was greatly over-utilized to the overall detriment of the production. I encourage everyone with a genuine interest in the film to seek it out on the big screen the way it needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated, and that applies to those of you who have already seen it on the small screen and enjoyed it.