Doctor Zhivago carries a tragic storyline at its core, a journey through a rough transitional time in Russia where an NKVD general questions a dam worker named Tonya in his search for his famous half brother. Structured as a narration by Yevgraf himself, we see how Zhivago's political idealism is challenged constantly through different stages in his country, whether it's the pro-Tsarist white guards or the red guards harsh takeover. Since the movie doesn't pack too much in its almost bland characterizations, most of the meat in the material lies in the nuanced political depiction of the socio-economically turbulent period. I initially thought that Zhivago's divide between Lara and Tonya might be a way to portray the political rift in Russia on a more personal level, but that's not the case after the second half. I liked the structure of the narrative for the most part, with the first half focusing on the shift from the Tsars, an incredibly well built up twist in the interval scene with the aftermath of the Bolsheviks rule focused in the second half. Though the twist is rather let down because of how Strelnikov doesn't offer much to the story, when I was expecting a huge conflict given Zhivago's affair with Lara.

At the end of the day, the tragedy of broken families is what kept me hooked, despite the drag in the story for the most part of the second half where you could feel the runtime. I guess I liked how the movie carried that guitar till the end, signifying the little amount of idealism that is still carried on in Russia. If it wasn't for the gorgeous visuals, i would've honestly had a lower opinion of this movie. I mentioned before how Lean's movies should be studied at how landscapes should be captured and this is another good example of that. The main theme of the movie certainly stands out, but I don't think any other soundtracks felt memorable. The amount of work put into the production design and costume design were commendable I guess. But I wish the movie explained how that countryside house has an almost Hindu temple touch, alongside the presence of Indian stone statues in the house. Omar Sharif's performance fits the melodrama in the story I guess, alongside a notably good supporting cast. It's nice to see Geraldine Chaplin in something other than Federico Fellini's 'Clowns'.

Overall, despite the breathtaking visuals and some honest performances, the lack of character work and pacing issues lets down a tragic story that is rich in its political context.

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