a comment on the casting

Rating: 8/10 (29 April 2005)

A film lover must see this magnificent saga of politics and love set in the tragic vastness of post-Tsarist Russia. The only error in the entire piece (non-historic, that is) is the casting of the plain Rita Tushingham as the daughter of two of the most charismatic and gorgeous actors of the '60s, Omar Sharif and the incomparable Julie Christie. There is no way in the world that they would produce such a forgettable face as that of Tushingham, herself a talented and successful actress in Britian. Otherwise, this film is just first-rate in every way. I recommend it to people who are interested in the early work of Sharif-- see Lawrence of Arabia-- and the other films of Julie Christie--- Far From the Madding Crowd and Darling-- to get a more global perspective on their careers, as well as for those who want to see Alec Guiness before he became Obi Wan Kanobe in Star Wars.