FILMS… Doctor Zhivago (1965)

#1960s #AllPosts

 

A duo of Doctor Zhivago trailers from the epic movie…

 

Lean on Russia and a film filmed anywhere but!

 

Tushingham and Guinness

Chaplin, Sharif and Christie

Doctor Zhivago – Original Theatrical Trailer, Warner Bros and photos © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

 

Today I’m reviewing two trailers on Doctor Zhivago (1965). This was as Darlin Husband said part of this movie, was filmed over here in Finland at a location near the Russian border. In research, I found out that Finland is seen in many of the railway scenes, the march of the refugees, and much of the winter backdrop in the film.

All these are illustrated in the bottom trailer which was made more recently. I personally feel this trailer is not as charming and informative as the original one above. The film was also filmed in Canada and Spain, with marble used as snow in the latter. These locations were used as the Doctor Zhivago book was banned in Russia at the time of filming.

It wasn’t just Doctor Zhivago where Finland stood in as “Russia” as many movies were filmed here at this time and later. Both The Billion Dollar Brain (1967) and The Fourth Protocol (1987) were also filmed in Finnish towns. This as the buildings here are quite similar to Russian architecture due to the then Cold War restrictions. One of the first films made after the Cold War was The Russia House (1990) and on TV, interestingly Dallas (1978-91). The former was reviewed HERE but the latter is another story for another day.

Doctor Zhivago is one of those lavish, hours long epics David Lean is so famous for. This film is over 3 hours and 20 minutes long. It also has the claim to fame as my gran’s favourite film with her no 1 crush, the always charismatic Omar Sharif in the leading titular role. 

Omar has both good looks and a lovely accent, so he’s the equivalent of that young Helmut Berger in Dorian Gray (1970) for me (but hearing Berger’s voice, in Dynasty (1981-89) as he was sadly dubbed). Or possibly Outlander (2014-)’s Sam Heughan for many of you.

So in the first truly random review trailer, I’m looking back at both these films’ previews…and first briefly the film plot. Doctor Zhivago tells the tale of KGB Lieutenant General Yevgraf Andreyevich Zhivago (Alec Guinness) who is looking for his half-brother Doctor Yuri Andreyevich Zhivago and Lara’s daughter. He meets a young woman, Tanya Komarova (Rita Tushingham) who he believes may be her, he tells her parent’s life stories. The film tells of pre-World War I Russia to the end of the Russian Civil War.

Over this time Yuri (Omar Sharif) – an aspiring poet – trains and becomes a doctor. Lara has a tempestuous affair with Victor Ippolitovich Komarovsky (Rod Steiger) but marries Pasha (Tom Courtney), an idealistic reformer who becomes a more intense socialist. Yuri marries Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin) the daughter of a family friend. Over the years Yuri and Lara (Julie Christie), cross paths many times, and in time they fall in love and start an affair. But it’s more complicated.

The 1965 trailer is like many trailers made in the 1960s with groovy font, and one of those trailer voices (I miss so much) masterfully mansplaining the film.  The music is more than memorable for Lara’s Theme. It also tells you about the book. This is a stark contrast to the newer arty-farty version which should have these attributes but doesn’t for some inexplicable reason.

The newer trailer tbh kind of lost my interest too quickly after Alec Guinness said he was looking for someone… but not saying who it was, so could be anyone really. The older trailer, however, captures the ambience easily showing the time, the history and the romance. This is opposed to the bland newer one which doesn’t seem to encompass anything but a kind of a confusing mess of these three factors. This is with a more sterile font and a few random quotes.

The original was kind of endearing as it outlined many, many of the characters and the actors playing this role. Most of these characters weren’t even seen or mentioned in the newer one. The original trailer style also reminded me of an 80s mini-series trailer. These include those based on the bońkbusters such as The Thorn Birds  (1983) and If Tomorrow Comes  (1986).

This original trailer is in the way I’d like to see trailers made now…I’d love to see a version of this kind of trailer if you looking to be inspired, Mr. Ryan Reynolds. If you want a 5 times Oscar-Winning film, with an epic history lesson and added romance.. and see a wee bit of Finland. This is just what the Doctor ordered…

 

Doctor Zhivago (New Trailer 2015) – In cinemas 27 Nov | BFI release, BFI

 

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David Lean Blogathon 2018, No 37

This is the second of two trailer reviews added to the Maddy Loves Her Classic Films David Lean Blogathon. Other reviews with this cast include Geraldine Chaplin in The Mirror Crack’d, The Crown and Chaplin. Omar Sharif stars in The Tamarind Seed, Juggernaut and Top Secret. Julie Christie in Billy Liar and Heaven Can Wait. Alec Guinness starred in The Ladykillers and Bridge on the River Kwai. Rod Steiger stars in Mars Attacks and Columbo. Ralph Richardson starred in Woman of Straw and The Wrong Box. Rita Tushingham in Last Night in Soho.

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