Movie Review: DOCTOR ZHIVAGO

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO

1965
Not Rated

Doctor Zhivago is a 1965 dramatic epic directed by David Lean that is set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. It tells the intertwining stories of Yuri (Omar Sharif) and Lara (Julie Christie) as they meet time and again over the course of many years. I would go more into the details of the actual storyline, but if I start describing the plot, this post will ultimately turn into something ridiculously long and drawn-out. All you really need to know is that the film, at its core, is a love story, but by setting it against the backdrop of war, we get something a little more complex.

So you'll have to forgive me in advance if this review proves to be rather short. I'm a little bit drained from this particular movie-going experience, considering the film itself runs for over three hours. It's rare to see movies this long nowadays, but back in the day, they were a little more commonplace.

We receive a very good screenplay that won an Oscar back in 1966, and it takes us through nearly every minute detail of the major experiences lived and suffered by Yuri and Lara. The length of the film gives it the opportunity to delve into such detail, and it definitely does well enough to keep you engaged despite its terribly slow pace. At its heart, we get a rather endearing love story, but when its set against the aforementioned backdrop of war, it's almost as though the romance doesn't necessarily take center stage. At moments, it does, but there are definite times within the film where it's difficult to remember that the core element of the story rests with the ever-growing romance between Yuri and Lara. It's like the 1939 film Gone With the Wind, in a way. That film also has a strong romance at its center, but the backdrop of the Civil War starts to take precedence at certain moments. Substitute the Russian Revolution with the Civil War, and you've got Doctor Zhivago.

We get some great performances from our leads, who do their best to remain strong and even-keeled throughout the film's entirety. With a movie this long, it's difficult to remain consistent throughout, but Sharif and Christie succeed in doing just that. We also get a number of great supporting performances, highlighted by Tom Courtenay, who played Lara's husband Pasha and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role. Rod Steiger also gives a good performance in a limited amount of screen-time. And how could I ever forget the power of our fantastic narrator, played by none other than Sir Alec Guinness. He doesn't appear often, but he's probably the best part of the film by far.

Mention should be given to Maurice Jarre for composing a fantastic score that perfectly sets the mood of the entire piece. The sweeping composition brings a true sense of life to the film, and it's the first thing you'll notice right from the opening credits.

Overall, Doctor Zhivago is a long and drawn-out film that's not the easiest to watch if you tend to get bored easily. However, if you are capable of sitting and devoting your full attention a movie for over three hours - a difficult task in today's tech-savvy environment - then I'm sure you'll find great rewards in watching this particular film.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A-
1.5 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

1965
G


"I know nobody likes me. Why do we have to have a holiday season to emphasize it?"
-- Charlie Brown

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a 1965 animated TV special directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles Schultz that serves as one of the longest-running television specials in American history. The story starts with Charlie Brown (voiced by Peter Robbins) telling his best friend Linus (voiced by Christopher Shea) about his disdain towards the Christmas season. Even though he understands the idea of getting and giving presents each year, he still says he feels down and depressed come each Christmas. After consulting Linus's sister Lucy (voiced by Tracy Stratford), she offers Charlie Brown the opportunity to direct their Christmas play. When he attempts to do so, however, he has difficulty getting the other kids to listen to him, so Lucy sends him to find a Christmas tree for the play. The one he chooses is the only real tree he can find, but it happens to be a sad little tree that loses pine needles every time he touches it. Obviously incensed at his decision, the other kids get angry, forcing Charlie Brown out of the theater. However, he decides that he is going to make this tree beautiful, despite everything they say.

Now I know that this is by no means a feature-length film (it's run-time currently sits somewhere between twenty-five and thirty-two minutes, depending on which version you're able to find), but I have been known to review short films from time to time (see: The Black Mamba). When special circumstances arise, I will generally review any type of film, and considering this is the holiday season, I figured there was no way I could possibly leave A Charlie Brown Christmas off my review slate. It's such a classic holiday fixture that you'd probably be hard-pressed to find someone who both hadn't seen the special nor even heard of its existence.

As is the case with every Peanuts special, we're getting our same basic slew of characters, and they don't really divert themselves from their normal personalities. Charlie Brown is still the down-on-his-luck leading character with whom every audience can seemingly relate. His buddy Linus represents the child in every adult, especially in this particular special (more on that in a moment). Lucy is still bossy, Schroeder (voiced by Chris Doran) still plays the piano, and Snoopy (voiced by Melendez) still does whatever he wants to do. So in that respect, there's not all that much different from other Peanuts specials.

What sets this one apart is the rather spectacular screenplay we're receiving. The entire storyline revolves around Charlie Brown's negative attitude towards the commercial aspect of Christmas. All throughout the first half of the story, we see him scoffing in disgust whenever a monetary want or desire comes to the surface (i.e., Snoopy's attempt to decorate his doghouse; Sally's fixation on the presents she wants to receive). It seems so ingrained into the culture that Charlie Brown doesn't really know how to handle himself. And so, when he's given the chance to direct the play, he elects to find the true spirit of Christmas and convey that through his performance.

The anti-commercialism message is a good one, and it's probably one that we need to hear, especially in today's economic state here in the United States. As we've seen in some of the other films I've reviewed - most glaringly, 2007's What Would Jesus Buy? - the commercial aspect of the Christmas holiday is starting to overshadow the holiday itself. Because of this, it's nice to see a long-running television special that still reminds its audience of the true meaning and spirit of Christmas.

I'd also like to make a quick mention of this special's soundtrack, which was performed by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The soundtrack takes the classic Peanuts music and meshes it with holiday classics, and although we've heard all these songs before, there's something rather perfect about the way the Trio performs them. They fit seamlessly into this film, and the soundtrack easily proves to be one of my personal favorite holiday soundtracks.

All that being said, I honestly think you should take the time to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. I'm sure it'll be playing a few more times before Christmas reaches us, so tune into your local TV stations and find out when it'll be playing near you. It's a holiday classic for the ages, and everyone in the family should give it a watch.