Doctor Zhivago facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Doctor Zhivago |
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|---|---|
| Directed by | David Lean |
| Produced by | Carlo Ponti |
| Screenplay by | Robert Bolt |
| Starring | Omar Sharif Julie Christie Tom Courtenay Alec Guinness Geraldine Chaplin Rod Steiger |
| Music by | Maurice Jarre |
| Cinematography | Freddie Young Nicolas Roeg (Uncredited) |
| Editing by | Norman Savage |
| Studio | Sostar S.A. |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | 22 December 1965 (US) 26 April 1966 (UK) 10 December 1966 (Italy) 28 September 1999 (US re-release) |
| Running time | 197 minutes 193 minutes (UK) 200 minutes (1992 re-release) 192 minutes (1999 re-release) |
| Country | Italy United States |
| Language | English Russian |
| Budget | $11 million |
| Money made | $245 million |
Doctor Zhivago is a big romantic drama movie from 1965. It tells a sweeping story about life in Russia during World War I and the Russian Civil War (1917-1922). The movie is based on a famous novel with the same name, written by Boris Pasternak.
For many years, the movie was not allowed to be shown in the Soviet Union. It finally came out there in 1994. The famous director David Lean made this movie.
When it first came out, some critics thought the movie was too long. They also felt it didn't show the history of Russia perfectly. But over time, people's opinions changed. Now, many consider it one of David Lean's best films. In 1998, the American Film Institute called it the 39th greatest American movie ever made.
The movie won five Academy Awards. It was also shown at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival.
Contents
Meet the Main Characters
This movie has many memorable characters. They are played by talented actors.
- Omar Sharif plays Dr. Yuri Zhivago, the main character.
- Julie Christie plays Lara Antipov, a woman Yuri falls in love with.
- Rod Steiger plays Victor Komarovsky, a powerful and complex man.
- Alec Guinness plays General Yevgraf Zhivago, Yuri's half-brother.
- Geraldine Chaplin plays Tonya Gromeko, Yuri's wife.
- Tom Courtenay plays Pasha Antipov, also known as "Strelnikov."
- Rita Tushingham plays Tanya Komarova, also called "The Girl."
- Jeffrey Rockland plays Sasha.
The Story Behind the Book
The novel Doctor Zhivago was first published in 1957. It was released outside of Russia in Western countries. The book became very popular, but it also caused some arguments.
Why the Book Was Important
The Soviet Union government did not like the book's ideas. They felt it went against their system of Communism. Because of this, the book was not allowed in the Soviet Union. It had to be secretly taken out of the country. A trusted friend helped smuggle it to an Italian publisher. This publisher then printed and released the book.
Many people heard about the book because the Soviet Union tried to stop it. This made it even more popular in countries that were not communist. It was a top seller for many weeks on The New York Times best-seller list.
A Nobel Prize for the Author
Boris Pasternak was a great poet. He was given the 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature. Even though the award was for his poetry, everyone knew it was mainly for his novel Doctor Zhivago.
The Soviet Union saw this Nobel Prize as an attack on their government. Their leaders called Pasternak a traitor. Because of this, he felt he had to refuse the Prize. Pasternak became a symbol of rebellion against Soviet communism during the Cold War.
How the Movie Compares to the Book
The movie's story is similar to the novel in many ways. However, some changes were made. Many critics said that the movie focused too much on the love story between Zhivago and Lara. They felt this made the important events of the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War seem less important.
