IMDb >
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsDoctor Zhivago (1965) More at IMDbPro »
| Photos (see all 68 | slideshow) | Videos |
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
22 December 1965 (USA)
more
Tagline:
The entertainment event of the year! more
Plot:
Life of a Russian doctor/poet who, although married, falls for a political activist's wife and experiences hardships during the Bolshevik Revolution. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 5 Oscars.
Another 15 wins
&
10 nominations
more
NewsDesk:
(38 articles)
Review: TCM's "Gigantic World Of Epics"
(From CinemaRetro. 21 December 2009, 2:40 AM, PST)
Exclusive Interview: Chris Weitz (New Moon Director) - Part I
(From PopStar. 12 November 2009, 11:44 PM, PST)
(From CinemaRetro. 21 December 2009, 2:40 AM, PST)
Exclusive Interview: Chris Weitz (New Moon Director) - Part I
(From PopStar. 12 November 2009, 11:44 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Classic Filmmaking
more (205 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Omar Sharif | ... | Dr. Yuri Zhivago | |
| Julie Christie | ... | Lara | |
| Geraldine Chaplin | ... | Tonya | |
| Rod Steiger | ... | Komarovsky | |
| Alec Guinness | ... | Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago | |
| Tom Courtenay | ... | Pasha | |
| Siobhan McKenna | ... | Anna | |
| Ralph Richardson | ... | Alexander | |
| Rita Tushingham | ... | The Girl | |
| Jeffrey Rockland | ... | Sasha | |
| Tarek Sharif | ... | Yuri at 8 years old | |
| Bernard Kay | ... | The Bolshevik | |
| Klaus Kinski | ... | Kostoyed | |
| Gérard Tichy | ... | Liberius (as Gerard Tichy) | |
| Noel Willman | ... | Razin |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for mature themes.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
197 min | UK:192 min (1999 re-release) | UK:193 min | UK:200 min (1992 re-release)
Colour:
Colour (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) |
70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System) (70 mm prints) |
DTS (re-release) (35 mm prints) |
Mono (35 mm optical prints)
Certification:
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) |
Iceland:12 |
South Korea:12 |
Brazil:Livre |
West Germany:12 (f) |
USA:Approved (original rating) |
USA:GP (re-rating) (1971) |
Canada:PG (video rating) |
USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (1995) |
UK:15 (1987) |
UK:A (1966) |
UK:PG (1992) |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:PG |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-16 |
Norway:16 |
Spain:13 |
Sweden:11
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Carlo Ponti wanted to shoot the film in the Soviet Union, but the government refused his requests. David Lean visited Yugoslavia and the Scandinavian countries in search of locations. Both areas were too cold and the bureaucracy in Yugoslavia was too prohibitive. In the end, the majority of the film was shot in Spain.
more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Yevgraf gives Tonya the book with poems, it has its author listed by initials only. He says that he's not the author and that Y. A. Zhivago stands for Yuri Andreevich Zhivago. But the book is clearly written in Cyrillic, and so Yevgraf's name starts with a letter "Ye", while Yuri's name starts with a letter "Yu", which are two different letters. Tonya couldn't possibly mistake Yevgraf for the poems' author.
more
Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Featured in Wyatt Earp: Walk with a Legend (1994) (TV)
more
Soundtrack:
Prelude in G minor, Op.23-5
more
FAQ
How closely does the movie follow Pasternak's novel?What did Lara's mother drink when she tried to commit suicide?
Was Tania Komarovsky really the daughter of Lara and Yuri?
more
more (205 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Doctor Zhivago (1965) moreRecommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunshine | Der Fangschuß | Die Blechtrommel | Novecento | Gone with the Wind |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |












"Doctor Zhivago" is a film whose like we will not see again. This was one of the last gasps of true epic film making, a story of human beings set against a vast historical panorama, made without any computer-generated images and featuring only people to keep your interest, with not a space alien or hobbit in sight. Who can believe now that there was a time when that was sufficient?
I first saw this film when I was 8 years old. Certainly I was not able at that time to understand all aspects and nuances of the story, but I was nonetheless mesmerized by the production: the sheer scope and spectacle of it, the absolutely glorious cinematography, the rich characters. It was unforgettable to me, and along with a few other films from that period like "The Sound of Music", fostered a lifelong love for movies. For that alone, I have a soft spot in my heart for this film and will always be grateful for it (and David Lean).
So, I admit I'm prejudiced. I'm unabashedly in love with this movie, and find it hard to take criticism of it even when the rational part of me acknowledges that there might be some accuracy in it. We all have our weaknesses! Its especially blasphemous to me to hear anyone criticize Julie Christie as Lara - even as an 8 year old who wasn't too fond of girls, I thought she was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen and well, she's still right up there on my list! For those people who question why Yuri would be with her when he was married to Tanya...well, look at her for God's sakes (no disrespect to the lovely Geraldine Chaplin)! Is any further justification really needed? As to the ingrate who slammed her performance and downgraded her subsequent career implying she had no talent, it has always been my impression from all I've read that Miss Christie has never been one of those to pursue stardom and her career at all costs. She certainly had many opportunities to do splashy commercial films, but instead has had an interesting, long and varied career working in quality projects with many great filmmakers (Truffaut, Schlesinger, Altman, Beatty, Lumet, Branagh, etc.) She has been true to herself and has proven to be an outstanding talent. There are certainly many more deserving targets for the gentleman to heap venom upon than this wonderful actress.
"Doctor Zhivago" was a reflection in the 60's of the 1930's "Gone With the Wind" and a precursor to the 1990's "Titanic": a sweeping love story with charismatic leads set against a cataclysmic event. Old-fashioned undeniably, but would you really want it any other way? I still find myself able to be swept up in it though I've seen it umpteen times, so whatever flaws it may possess, there must be something inherently powerful in it that draws me to it. Or else I'm just a sucker for Julie Christie, I don't know...