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Doctor Zhivago: 45th Anniversary Edition

Score: 87%
Rating: PG-13
Publisher: Warner Brothers Home
                  Entertainment

Region: 1
Media: Blu-ray/3
Running Time: 200 Mins.
Genre: Drama/Historical/Classic
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio: English
           5.1, Dolby Digital: French 5.1,
           Spanish (Castilian 5.1 and Latin
           2.0)

Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish

Features:

  • Disc 1: Blu-ray Feature Film
    • Commentary by Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger and Sandra Lean
    • New Commemorative Two-Part 45-Anniversary Retrospective Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration
  • Disc 2: Special Features
    • Cast & Crew
    • Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic
    • Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean
    • David Lean’s Film of Doctor Zhivago
    • Moscow in Madrid
    • Pasternak
    • New York Press Interviews Julie Christie
    • New York Press Interviews Omar Sharif
    • Geraldine Chaplin Screen Test
    • This is Julie Christie
    • This is Geraldine Chaplin
    • This is Omar Sharif
    • Chaplin in New York
    • Original General Release Trailer
    • Awards
  • Disc 3: Film Soundtrack on CD
    • Exclusive - 8 Music Tracks - Version of the Grammy-Winning Soundtrack Album Showcasing Maurice Jarre's Timeless Score

Doctor Zhivago is David Lean's epic masterpiece, based on the acclaimed novel by Russian author Boris Pasternak, which chronicles the great love affair between the enigmatic Lara (Julie Christie) and her poet/doctor lover, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) amidst the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. The movie begins with narration from the half-brother of Doctor Zhivago, Yevgraf Zhivago (Alec Guinness), who is interviewing a young woman he believes to be the love child of his brother Yuri and his mistress and muse, Lara (Julie Christie). We then bactrack to the death of young Yuri's beloved mother and his subsequent move to live with family friends Anna (Siobhan McKenna), Alexander (Sir Ralph Richardson) and their young daughter Tonya. Fast-forward a number of years and Yuri has become a successful doctor and accomplished poet, and Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) has returned to accept Yuri's proposal of marriage. Their engagement announcement is interrupted by a gunshot, with the smoking gun being held by none other than Lara (Julie Christie), the woman who would continue to interrupt the Zhivago's lives by stealing the very heart of Yuri.

As it turns out, 17-year-old Lara was shooting her tormentor and lover, Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), a man who appeared to be a family friend, but was really only using Lara for his own gain. In giving in to Komarovsky, Lara has also betrayed her mother, Komarovsky's lover, and her own fiance, Pasha (Tom Courtenay), a young revolutionary in the Bolshevik Revolution. When she reveals her betrayal, Pasha forgives Lara and they wed regardless of her transgressions. Fast-forward several more years and Yuri and Tonya are married with a son, while across the country, Pasha and Lara are married with a daughter. Because of the war, Dr. Zhivago crosses paths with Lara on the front lines and it is here that the sparks truly begin to fly. Although the two fall in love, they do not give in to their feelings and go their separate ways once the battles draw to an end.

Fate thrusts Yuri and Lara together again at a later date when he travels into the city from the countryside where he now lives with a pregnant Tonya, their son and her father, Alexander. At the library, he sees Lara once again and their passions can't be contained. They begin an affair, with Yuri "traveling to the city" for any little excuse. Tonya begins to sense a change in Yuri, however Yuri determines to break things off with Lara once and for all and he does so. But, on his way home, he is kidnapped by the Partisan Red Army who forces him into service as their military doctor. A good bit of time passes with Yuri never being able to tell the two women he loves what has happened to him, when he finally escapes the Partisans and returns to find many things have changed, both with Lara and his own family. Although fate always seems to push and pull Lara and Yuri together and apart, such is the case with an epic romance like this.

Doctor Zhivago has been masterfully restored and the film probably looks even more beautiful than it did when it was first released. The restoration team did a marvelous job and everything looks crystal clear, from the amazing vistas of the Russian steppes, to the ice palace briefly shared by Yuri and Lara. The sound has also been remastered and "Lara's Theme" by Maurice Jarre, made so famous by the film, has never sounded so good. So often, with older movies, a lot seems to be lost in the sound department, but everything has been restored to pitch-perfect clarity here.

Aside from the obvious upscale to Blu-ray that you get in sound and video, there's also a hearty helping of special features for the true Zhivago fan. There's a new 2-part retrospective hosted by Omar Sharif himself, which was really interesting to watch, plus an hour long documentary on the making of the film, which really goes into so much about the production. There are news interviews with Julie Christie and Omar Sharif by several different New York members of the press, plus a screen test by Geraldine Chaplin, daughter of Charlie Chaplin. There are little vignettes about the three main actors, plus the original trailer and commentary on the film, and exclusive to this release is the soundtrack containing the 8 most famous songs of the film. Lastly, the Blu-ray case itself is also a book which contains lots of tidbits and trivia about the film.

For the fan of this epic film, this is definitely the release to own. While a number of these special features are found on the previous release of Doctor Zhivago, because of the stunning imagery director David Lean used throughout the film, the jump to Blu-ray might just be the excuse you need to pick this up on the latest high-def medium. This movie certainly isn't for everyone and probably won't win over any new fans, but for those who have been waiting for the consummate release of Doctor Zhivago, your wait is over.



-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ashley Perkins

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