...it remains in the hearts of countless moviegoers as one of the greatest romances ever filmed.
Likewise, Young´s sweeping landscape shots are unforgettable, often making anything related to Man (like Lean´s trademark use of trains) minuscule by comparison. Great, memorable shots are to be found everywhere, like the blackness of a railway tunnel suddenly giving way to the grandeur of all outdoors, or that wonderful country house covered in frost and snow so affectionately referred to by cast members as "the ice palace." The film is shot after shot, scene after scene, of glorious beauty (with Spain and Finland filling in for Mother Russia). And if the movie´s climax seems a bit too coincidental and melodramatic for some tastes or its sixties´ hairstyles a bit dated, they are minor concerns in the larger scheme of things.
Video:
As to technical matters, I always find it a little disconcerting to see the Warner Brothers logo preceding the MGM lion´s roar, but like many other MGM films "Zhivago" is owned by AOL Time Warner and Turner Entertainment, so now it´s Warners´ baby. They have newly remastered the picture and sound from restored elements, and the result is impressive. The picture quality is especially fine, presented in an enhanced widescreen Panavision ratio measuring approximately 2.09:1 across a standard TV. The hues, naturally muted, show good color separation, and the images are fairly well delineated. The overall tone is somewhat dark, with blacks and whites prevailing, and we see some very good detail revealed in the more shadowy areas. Faces can appear somewhat ashen on occasion, and moiré effects appear from time to time, but such issues are minor. The hardest thing to reproduce on screen without showing signs of grain is any large expanse of pure white, and in this regard the story´s snow-filled landscapes have plenty of opportunity to show off their clarity.
Audio:
The audio, however, is a bit more problematical. The film´s original stereo has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 with varied results. The front-channel sonic spread is excellent, with voices well spaced across the sound stage. Matters of dynamics and frequency range are also impressive, with some low notes that will test your subwoofer to its max. But the audio is also rather bright, often noticeable in the loudest musical passages, and voices can sometimes be rendered harsh and hard. What´s more, only occasional rear-channel effects are on hand, like the faint sounds of birds, crowds, and musical ambiance, but that´s probably to be expected.
Extras:
Of special features, the set abounds--there are three full sides of them. The 200 minutes of film time require two sides of disc one to accommodate, so a turnover is necessary. With greater compression, I suppose Warners could have gotten by with a single, dual-layered side, but I´m not displeased with their choice. The film is accompanied by a respectful and informative audio commentary with two of the film´s stars, Omar Sharif and Rod Steiger, and the late director´s wife, Sandra Lean. Then, there´s a music-only track for those so inclined; an impressive sixty-one scene selections; English and French spoken languages; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Disc two contains the bulk of the extra items. First, there´s an hour-long documentary, "Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic," made in 1995, that takes us typically behind the scenes and is conveniently divided into twenty-one chapters. Next, there´s a series of vintage (meaning older) documentaries and featurettes, ranging in length from a couple of minutes to about ten minutes each. These include "Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean," "David Lean´s Film of Doctor Zhivago," "Moscow in Madrid," "Pasternak," "This Is Julie Christie," "This Is Omar Sharif," and "Chaplin in New York." Then, there are a few New York Press interviews, some 1965 premiere coverage, and a Geraldine Chaplin screen test. Finally, there are cast and crew highlights and a widescreen theatrical trailer.
Parting Thoughts:
"Doctor Zhivago" won five Academy Awards in 1965 for Best Screenplay (Robert Bolt), Best Cinematography (Freddie Young), Best Musical Score (Maurice Jarre), Best Costume Design (Phyllis Dalton), and Best Art and Set Decoration (John Box, Terry Marsh, and Dario Simoni). Additionally, it won Golden Globes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music, and Best Screenplay; and it was voted number thirty-nine on the American Film Institute´s list of Top 100 Films of all time. More important, though, it remains in the hearts of countless moviegoers as one of the greatest romances ever filmed. We welcome its release on DVD; it´s good to have a "Doctor" in the house.
Video:
As to technical matters, I always find it a little disconcerting to see the Warner Brothers logo preceding the MGM lion´s roar, but like many other MGM films "Zhivago" is owned by AOL Time Warner and Turner Entertainment, so now it´s Warners´ baby. They have newly remastered the picture and sound from restored elements, and the result is impressive. The picture quality is especially fine, presented in an enhanced widescreen Panavision ratio measuring approximately 2.09:1 across a standard TV. The hues, naturally muted, show good color separation, and the images are fairly well delineated. The overall tone is somewhat dark, with blacks and whites prevailing, and we see some very good detail revealed in the more shadowy areas. Faces can appear somewhat ashen on occasion, and moiré effects appear from time to time, but such issues are minor. The hardest thing to reproduce on screen without showing signs of grain is any large expanse of pure white, and in this regard the story´s snow-filled landscapes have plenty of opportunity to show off their clarity.
Audio:
The audio, however, is a bit more problematical. The film´s original stereo has been remixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 with varied results. The front-channel sonic spread is excellent, with voices well spaced across the sound stage. Matters of dynamics and frequency range are also impressive, with some low notes that will test your subwoofer to its max. But the audio is also rather bright, often noticeable in the loudest musical passages, and voices can sometimes be rendered harsh and hard. What´s more, only occasional rear-channel effects are on hand, like the faint sounds of birds, crowds, and musical ambiance, but that´s probably to be expected.
Extras:
Of special features, the set abounds--there are three full sides of them. The 200 minutes of film time require two sides of disc one to accommodate, so a turnover is necessary. With greater compression, I suppose Warners could have gotten by with a single, dual-layered side, but I´m not displeased with their choice. The film is accompanied by a respectful and informative audio commentary with two of the film´s stars, Omar Sharif and Rod Steiger, and the late director´s wife, Sandra Lean. Then, there´s a music-only track for those so inclined; an impressive sixty-one scene selections; English and French spoken languages; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.
Disc two contains the bulk of the extra items. First, there´s an hour-long documentary, "Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic," made in 1995, that takes us typically behind the scenes and is conveniently divided into twenty-one chapters. Next, there´s a series of vintage (meaning older) documentaries and featurettes, ranging in length from a couple of minutes to about ten minutes each. These include "Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean," "David Lean´s Film of Doctor Zhivago," "Moscow in Madrid," "Pasternak," "This Is Julie Christie," "This Is Omar Sharif," and "Chaplin in New York." Then, there are a few New York Press interviews, some 1965 premiere coverage, and a Geraldine Chaplin screen test. Finally, there are cast and crew highlights and a widescreen theatrical trailer.
Parting Thoughts:
"Doctor Zhivago" won five Academy Awards in 1965 for Best Screenplay (Robert Bolt), Best Cinematography (Freddie Young), Best Musical Score (Maurice Jarre), Best Costume Design (Phyllis Dalton), and Best Art and Set Decoration (John Box, Terry Marsh, and Dario Simoni). Additionally, it won Golden Globes for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music, and Best Screenplay; and it was voted number thirty-nine on the American Film Institute´s list of Top 100 Films of all time. More important, though, it remains in the hearts of countless moviegoers as one of the greatest romances ever filmed. We welcome its release on DVD; it´s good to have a "Doctor" in the house.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]8339[/release]