Doktor Zhivago

One would not expect such deep and powerful work in the television series genre. The authors of the work have by far surpassed the boundaries of the genre, or simply haven not noticed them in the process. The adaptation of the Nobel prize winning novel is done by one of the best forces in the craft of script –– Arabov (who best known for his work with post-tarkovskian director Sokurov -- see their recent Faust), joined by the wonderful leading cast of Menshikov, Hamatova, Yankovsky and extremely expressive performance of the smaller parts. Music by Artemiev seems to indicate that this composer grew a lot since his fruitful engagement with Tarkovsky.

A note: IMDb mistakingly uses a poster from another movie with the same title.

Finally a series that does justice to Pasternak - and to the Russian people. Other versions of this rich, complex, terribly human, and deeply Russian story, focus on superficial aspects, both of love and political history, and make use of clichés to represent what some consider exotic. Here we see through all of that, this series takes you to the human beings beneath the surface and shows their development, their dreams and their despair unfolding together with those of their land. Fantastic acting, excellent cinematography, efficient editing, good photography. This is not a huge Hollywood production, it's a sincere and long due tribute to Pasternak's masterpiece.

I loved this adaptation but missed episode 6 on tubi because they did not include the English subtitles to watch...very disappointing. Not sure if it was Tubi or the Production company that left out the sub captions for that series or why they would choose that one to keep from English audiances.

It found this production overly long and added to the story parts that just weren't in the book. It totally missed one important character in Yuri's half-brother, Evgraf and his relationship with Yuri.

This lacks the cinematic magnificence of the David Lean movie and the music as well. I felt it didn't show the enormous contrast in life in wealthy Imperial Russia to the devastation of Bolshevism & civil war. When Yuri decides to leave the partisans the very next scene is him in Varykino..we see nothing of the awful journey of that escape..although the horrors of his experience with the partisans was very well done.

Komarovsky comes across more like a naughty uncle not the evil manipulator he truly was and Rod Steiger nailed his character in the Lean film. Although the 1966 movie deviated at the end in 3 hrs:17min it captured the essence of Pasternak's love story set in the most tumultuous of times. But the end of this TV series doesn't see Lara come back to find her lost daughter and find the funeral of Zhivago and become then a "nameless number on a list that was later lost.." It was worth sitting through this once just to see how the Russians made it though. But I'll stick to the movie....

Impressive adaptation of the novel. A big bow to all the main actors, particularly to the two "Olegs": Menshikov (playing Zhivago), who's superb as always and Yankovsky (playing Komarovsky). I found Menshikov's part very touching and credible, including the time spent with the partisans. He does look like he is gone through a lot. Yankovsky is very convincing in his part, very cold and charming. I would have aged him physically a bit more towards the end, but that is a minor issue. The musical score is beautiful, but then what do you expect from Artemev? Superb acting by the two main female roles as well.

As to the plot, very good adaptation. I believe, if my memory does not fail me, that the elements I identify as odd in the film come straight out of the novel (like the characters running into each other apparently by coincidence as the years go by). In that respect, not a flawless novel, but a pretty good script. I will re-read the novel.

Very poignant end. All in all a very recommendable film. A profoundly human story extraordinarily portrayed and played in yet another astounding Russian production. Applause and thanks.

PS. Just finished Boris Pasternak's novel. I believe the film script is an admirable adaptation, extremely forceful. It manages to convey the main ideas, brilliantly portrays Doctor Zhivago's character and mood. While it does not render all the shades of the complex love Lara and Tonia feel for Zhivago, the film avoids the many - in my view - unnecessary secondary characters, blind alleys and lengthy digressions found in this otherwise powerful novel.