☰
Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Doctor Zhivago

Play trailer Poster for Doctor Zhivago PG-13 Released Dec 22, 1965 3h 17m Romance History Drama War Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
82% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide. Yuri falls in love with beautiful Lara Guishar (Julie Christie), who has been having an affair with her mother's lover, Victor Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), an unscrupulous businessman. Yuri, however, ends up marrying his cousin, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). But when he and Lara meet again years later, the spark of love reignites.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago

What to Know

Critics Consensus

It may not be the best of David Lean's epics, but Dr. Zhivago is still brilliantly photographed and sweepingly romantic.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (49)
James Powers The Hollywood Reporter Despite the grim and brooding background, Zhivago has a surging buoyant spirit that is unquenchable. Doctor Zhivago is more than a masterful motion picture; it is a life experience. Dec 22, 2016 Full Review Richard Roud Guardian One of those rare film adaptations which, unless you have already read the book, makes you wonder why anyone ever bothered to make the film at all. Apr 29, 2016 Full Review Geoffrey Macnab Independent (UK) Maurice Jarre's music is as beguiling as ever and Lean squeezes all the pathos that he can out of the romance between Sharif's Yuri Zhivago and Julie Christie's febrile and gorgeous Lara Antipova. Rated: 4/5 Dec 1, 2015 Full Review Pauline Kael McCall's It isn't shoddy (except for the music), it isn't soap opera; it's stately, respectable and dead: the photography static, the comings and goings without rhythm. It's like watching a gigantic task of stone masonry, executed by unmoved movers. Sep 19, 2023 Full Review Bob Halliday Salt Lake Tribune Doctor Zhivago, in the film version, is a work of art to match the novel and even excel it in some respects. May 12, 2021 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins A masterpiece of emotional resonance and melodramatic romanticism. Rated: 10/10 Aug 24, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)
Steve S A classic, epic movie. Very good, but a little hard to follow. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/10/25 Full Review Ari V Good film, great mise-en-scène. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/08/25 Full Review David F I finally got around to watching this David Lean epic after loving Lawrence of Arabia for decades and I was somewhat underwhelmed. While I never got bored, I found that it did not really live up to its outstanding reputation. But the music was beautiful. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/16/25 Full Review Alejandra O A classic that I can view over and over. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/25 Full Review Farah R Doctor Zhivago certainly lives up to its reputation as an epic tale of romance and war with its captivating cinematography, beautiful score, and remarkable performances. Yet for all its admirable qualities, the film is undeniably tedious. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/08/25 Full Review Adam C If this film were an original work I would have rated it 5 Stars. But the screenwriters who adapted it gutted Pasternak's novel, then changed what remained into a sappy love story that became the ersatz focus of the plot. It gives me no pleasure saying this because I always loved Omar Sharif. Ironically, he was also a good friend of a client of mine Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/19/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Doctor Zhivago

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

David Lean

Director

Omar Sharif

Dr. Yuri Zhivago

Julie Christie

Nurse Lara Antipova

Geraldine Chaplin

Tonya

Tom Courtenay

Pasha Antipova

Alec Guinness

Gen. Yevgraf Zhivago

More Like This

View All
The Charge of the Light Brigade 60% 59% The Charge of the Light Brigade Watchlist Becket 75% 87% Becket Watchlist Operation Crossbow 75% 54% Operation Crossbow Watchlist Mary, Queen of Scots 67% 55% Mary, Queen of Scots Watchlist Flight of the Intruder 23% 51% Flight of the Intruder Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago (1965) Doctor Zhivago (1965) Doctor Zhivago (1965) Doctor Zhivago (1965) Doctor Zhivago (1965) Doctor Zhivago (1965) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif), is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide. Yuri falls in love with beautiful Lara Guishar (Julie Christie), who has been having an affair with her mother's lover, Victor Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), an unscrupulous businessman. Yuri, however, ends up marrying his cousin, Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). But when he and Lara meet again years later, the spark of love reignites.
Director
David Lean
Producer
Carlo Ponti
Screenwriter
Boris Pasternak, Robert Bolt
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Home Vídeo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Warner Bros., Metro Goldwyn Mayer
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Romance, History, Drama, War
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 22, 1965, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$87.1K
Runtime
3h 17m
Most Popular at Home Now