I was not street-savvy as a young teen. I was what you might label as very naive and unworldly. I ran around wearing my rose-colored glasses and truly believed in the good of humanity. I didn’t understand fighting or starting wars that invade smaller countries. I didn’t have the mentality of being cruel or of intentionally hurting another person. I didn’t live in a neighborhood where killing is considered normal. I lived in a bubble world where people grew up, fell in love, married, and stayed married. This is what my parents, family, friends, and community did. I couldn’t fathom cheating on your partner or leaving them for someone else. I couldn’t imagine what that pull of lust and pheromone connection would feel like and how, if given the opportunity, it could change your life’s trajectory forever.
Movies influenced me. The sixties were a defiant decade. My bubble burst, and I stopped wearing those cheap glasses that didn’t serve what was really going on in the world around me. Epic tales were being told and spread across cinema screens. Even though the motto was “Make love, not war,” films began depicting history as violent as it was originally recorded. Bloody battles, revolutions, and “free love” became ordinary themes whether the public liked it or not. I have to admit that at first, all of this was difficult to accept. I didn’t like visualizing how cruel our species could be, but with the assassinations of JFK, MLK, RFK, and Vietnam, my eyes exploded open. No one could go back to those rainbow-colored shades ever again.
My generation was interested in truths, but they wanted storytelling that blended some softer, more loving moments tucked safely between the bloody gore. There was one epic book written by Boris Pasternak that would fill this request. In the end, it would take close to two years to complete this humongous saga from word to screen. Close to 600 pages were condensed into a mere 225 pages at a whopping cost of $15 million. Obviously, it was worth the journey, grossing close to $115 million. It contained an Overture, an Intermission, and an Entr’acte, pushing the movie time to almost 3.5 hours. It was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture, and won five (Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Screenplay, Best Musical Score). It’s celebrated as a spectacular cinematic achievement sixty years ago and still today. It could only be the brilliant David Lean’s extraordinary story of DOCTOR ZHIVAGO.
David Lean, the director, was not an easy man to work for. He demanded take after take until he got exactly what he envisioned, often not caring how difficult it was for the actors or how costly it was for the studio. He was always over budget. He worked with stellar actors who ultimately didn’t want to repeat the process, even though there was mutual respect. Lean was not said to be a confident man. He worried about what the critics and his colleagues said about him, yet this never got in the way of final cuts. He directed some of the largest-than-life films (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, PASSAGE TO INDIA, BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI). He was a force to be reckoned with on all fronts.
Omar Shariff (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, FUNNY GIRL) portrayed Yuri Zhivago, a love-torn Doctor and poet. His famous romantic poetry pushed this plot forward through World War I, the Russian Revolution, and the beginnings of communism. It was truly amazing that he survived for as long as he did. Shariff is an Egyptian who agreed to portray a man of Russian descent. Shariff had to endure painful make-up sessions to change his face and darker complexion. Skin treatments were done every 3 days, along with straightening his hair and reshaping his eyes. I imagine how much easier all of this would be with today’s modern techniques. He was recommended for the part by a fellow actor. How lucky for all of us movie patrons. He made women’s hearts go pitter-patter whenever he would stare off in a love-torn look of anguish, and yet, his beautiful smile could shed light on the screen while chasing away the doldrums of war.
Julie Christie (FAHRENHEIT 451) was gorgeous as Lara, Zhivago’s lover and soulmate. Their scenes together sizzled with heat every time they were in the same room. She was a flawed woman holding her own against several powerful men who wanted and lusted after her. Yuri wrote a book of poems dedicated to Lara, which was the secret key to their entire illicit journey. Their love affair will never be easily forgotten, especially with an original song cleverly titled LARA’S THEME playing throughout the movie (Lean insisted on using a 110-piece orchestra and a dozen balalaikas strumming the heartfelt melody etched in our souls forever). Lara was irresistible, haunting, and mesmerizing thanks to Christie’s natural beauty and stunning characterization.
Geraldine Chaplin, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, and Tom Courtenay were magnificent as well. Their characters as wife, enemies, and half-brother enriched DOCTOR ZHIVAGO tenfold. They added another perspective on how we all fight and love. Their exceptional abilities and acting skills allowed audiences to peel back the many bold and subtle layers of this genius film.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO was a cinematographer’s dream project. Who can ever forget those brutal winter scenes approaching the countryside home, totally covered in snow? Or the war-ravaged army trudging along the icy lake, walking knee-deep in snow? Maybe the vast fields of wildflowers, the town of Moscow, or the ground covered with dead, mangled bodies is what triggers a memory.
DZ is filled with images that will delight and frighten audiences at any given frame. Interestingly, though, the film was made during one of Spain’s hottest summers. Faces had to be patted dry with sweat pouring down the actors’ faces, since leads and extras were sweating profusely and wearing heavy winter furs and coats. There was no snow on the ground, so mounds of the fake stuff had to be manufactured. (No CGI in the early 60’s.) Plywood was laid across the waters, painted and made to look like ice. It was expensive and spectacular. Every set was built from scratch. It took eighteen months to recreate Moscow. The trains were even harder and more time-consuming. Knowing all this is what makes DOCTOR ZHIVAGO so very impressive.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO is a masterpiece showcasing human resilience. David Lean squeezed every melodramatic ounce of romanticism along with the ravages of war for cinematic lovers everywhere. It is a classic that must be experienced as a work of art. It represents a brief moment in the lives of men and women who survived the dark days of Russian history. The film ended with a question mark. Nothing was set in stone, but it taught me a valuable lesson that not everything has to be proven to make sense. There are mysteries everywhere. I realized there can be some light, simple joys in our darkest days. We just have to keep our eyes open.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO is available on TCM.
