Overheated soap opera pretending to be serious history

Rating: 6/10 (5 January 2004)

A couple have an adulterous affair against the background of the Russian revolution.
What a great premise this is - the setting of Russia and the revolution lets people congratulate themselves that they are viewing something heavy while what they are really getting is what they really like: A soap opera that features a sloppy romance between two good looking people with a sweeping soundtrack for those that are not quite getting the drift.
I saw it first time when I was probably too young (like the Godfather) so when I saw it again I thought I would probably find more in it. Wrong. I didn't like it any more on the second viewing as I did the first, in truth it looked even more cardboard the second time.
Don't get me wrong, plenty of pros at work here and they have all the toys in the drama playbox to throw at us (war, isn't it a godsend to dramatists!?), but it is all so contrived.
I actually like Omar Sharif in the lead, a much underrated actor with real screen magnetism, but Julie Christie is an empty vessel of a performer from the school of stand-there-and-look-beautiful. When her looks faded her career nosedived because she is not an actress and cannot do characters.
Nothing wrong with giving the audience what they want and plenty think they are seeing something special, but I couldn't get involved with this film. My heterosexuality prevents me from seeing anything in Omar and Julie looks every inch of the no-chance girl that wouldn't give you the time of day in real life. Sorry, I was left feeling as cold as the sets on which the action takes place on both viewings.