Doctor Zhivago (film)
Updated: 12/11/2025, 3:56:34 PM Wikipedia source
Doctor Zhivago () is a 1965 epic historical romance film directed by David Lean with a screenplay by Robert Bolt, based on the 1957 novel by Boris Pasternak. The story is set in Russia during World War I and the Russian Civil War. The film stars Omar Sharif in the title role as Yuri Zhivago, a married physician and poet whose life is altered by the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war, and Julie Christie as his lover Lara Antipova. Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Courtenay, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson, Siobhán McKenna, and Rita Tushingham play supporting roles. Although immensely popular in the West, Pasternak's book was banned in the Soviet Union for decades. As the film could not be made there, it was instead filmed mostly in Spain. It was an international co-production between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Italian producer Carlo Ponti. Contemporary critics were critical of its length at over three hours and claimed that it trivialized history, but acknowledged the intensity of the love story and the film's treatment of human themes. At the 38th Academy Awards, Doctor Zhivago was nominated for ten Oscars (including Best Picture) and won five: Best Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction, and Costume Design. It also won five awards at the 23rd Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture. As of 2022, it is the ninth highest-grossing film worldwide after adjusting for inflation. In 1998, it was ranked 39th by the American Film Institute on their 100 Years... 100 Movies list, and by the British Film Institute in 1999 as the 27th greatest British film ever.
Infobox
Directed by
David Lean
Screenplay by
Robert Bolt
Based on
Doctor Zhivago1957 novelby Boris Pasternak
Produced by
Carlo Ponti
Starring
mw- Geraldine Chaplin Julie Christie Tom Courtenay Alec Guinness Siobhán McKenna Ralph Richardson Omar Sharif Rod Steiger Rita Tushingham
Cinematography
Freddie Young
Edited by
Norman Savage
Music by
Maurice Jarre
Productioncompanies
Carlo Ponti Productions Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
22 December 1965 (1965-12-22) (US) 26 April 1966 (1966-04-26) (UK) 10 December 1966 (1966-12-10) (Italy)
Running time
193 minutes (1965 release) 200 minutes (1992 re-release)
Countries
United Kingdom Italy United States
Language
English
Budget
$11 million
Box office
$111.7 million (US/Canada) 248.2 million tickets (worldwide)
Tables
· Critical reception › Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Picture
Nominee(s)
Carlo Ponti
Result
Nominated
Best Director
Best Director
Award
Best Director
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actor
Award
Best Supporting Actor
Category
Tom Courtenay
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Award
Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium
Category
Robert Bolt
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Art Direction – Color
Best Art Direction – Color
Award
Best Art Direction – Color
Category
Art Direction: John Box and Terence Marsh; Set Decoration: Dario Simoni
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Cinematography – Color
Best Cinematography – Color
Award
Best Cinematography – Color
Category
Freddie Young
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Costume Design – Color
Best Costume Design – Color
Award
Best Costume Design – Color
Category
Phyllis Dalton
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Film Editing
Best Film Editing
Award
Best Film Editing
Category
Norman Savage
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Music Score – Substantially Original
Best Music Score – Substantially Original
Award
Best Music Score – Substantially Original
Category
Maurice Jarre
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Sound
Best Sound
Award
Best Sound
Category
A. W. Watkins and Franklin Milton
Nominee(s)
Nominated
British Academy Film Awards
British Academy Film Awards
Award
British Academy Film Awards
Category
Best Film from any Source
Nominee(s)
David Lean
Result
Nominated
Best British Actor
Best British Actor
Award
Best British Actor
Category
Ralph Richardson (also for Khartoum and The Wrong Box)
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best British Actress
Best British Actress
Award
Best British Actress
Category
Julie Christie (also for Fahrenheit 451)
Nominee(s)
Nominated
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
Award
British Society of Cinematographers Awards
Category
Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film
Nominee(s)
Freddie Young
Result
Won
Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
Award
Cannes Film Festival
Category
Palme d'Or
Nominee(s)
David Lean
Result
Nominated
David di Donatello Awards
David di Donatello Awards
Award
David di Donatello Awards
Category
Best Foreign Production
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Foreign Director
Best Foreign Director
Award
Best Foreign Director
Category
Won
Best Foreign Actress
Best Foreign Actress
Award
Best Foreign Actress
Category
Julie Christie
Nominee(s)
Won
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Award
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Category
Omar Sharif
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Director – Motion Picture
Best Director – Motion Picture
Award
Best Director – Motion Picture
Category
David Lean
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Award
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Category
Robert Bolt
Nominee(s)
Won
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Award
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Category
Maurice Jarre
Nominee(s)
Won
Most Promising Newcomer – Female
Most Promising Newcomer – Female
Award
Most Promising Newcomer – Female
Category
Geraldine Chaplin
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Golden Screen Awards
Golden Screen Awards
Award
Golden Screen Awards
Category
Won
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
Award
Grammy Awards
Category
Album of the Year
Nominee(s)
Doctor Zhivago – Maurice Jarre
Result
Nominated
Best Instrumental Performance (Other Than Jazz)
Best Instrumental Performance (Other Than Jazz)
Award
Best Instrumental Performance (Other Than Jazz)
Category
Nominated
Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show
Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show
Award
Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show
Category
Won
Laurel Awards
Laurel Awards
Award
Laurel Awards
Category
Top Drama
Nominee(s)
Won
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Award
Top Male Dramatic Performance
Category
Omar Sharif
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Top Male Supporting Performance
Top Male Supporting Performance
Award
Top Male Supporting Performance
Category
Tom Courtenay
Nominee(s)
Nominated
National Board of Review Awards
National Board of Review Awards
Award
National Board of Review Awards
Category
Top Ten Films
Nominee(s)
3rd Place
Best Actress
Best Actress
Award
Best Actress
Category
Julie Christie (also for Darling)
Nominee(s)
Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Award
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Category
Best Director
Nominee(s)
David Lean
Result
Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Award
Online Film & Television Association Awards
Category
Film Hall of Fame: Productions
Nominee(s)
Inducted
People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
Award
People's Choice Awards
Category
Favorite All-Time Motion Picture Song
Nominee(s)
"Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)"
Result
Won
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | Carlo Ponti | Nominated | |
| Best Director | David Lean | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Tom Courtenay | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium | Robert Bolt | Won | ||
| Best Art Direction – Color | Art Direction: John Box and Terence Marsh; Set Decoration: Dario Simoni | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography – Color | Freddie Young | Won | ||
| Best Costume Design – Color | Phyllis Dalton | Won | ||
| Best Film Editing | Norman Savage | Nominated | ||
| Best Music Score – Substantially Original | Maurice Jarre | Won | ||
| Best Sound | A. W. Watkins and Franklin Milton | Nominated | ||
| British Academy Film Awards | Best Film from any Source | David Lean | Nominated | |
| Best British Actor | Ralph Richardson (also for Khartoum and The Wrong Box) | Nominated | ||
| Best British Actress | Julie Christie (also for Fahrenheit 451) | Nominated | ||
| British Society of Cinematographers Awards | Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film | Freddie Young | Won | |
| Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | David Lean | Nominated | |
| David di Donatello Awards | Best Foreign Production | Won | ||
| Best Foreign Director | Won | |||
| Best Foreign Actress | Julie Christie | Won | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Omar Sharif | Won | ||
| Best Director – Motion Picture | David Lean | Won | ||
| Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Robert Bolt | Won | ||
| Best Original Score – Motion Picture | Maurice Jarre | Won | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer – Female | Geraldine Chaplin | Nominated | ||
| Golden Screen Awards | Won | |||
| Grammy Awards | Album of the Year | Doctor Zhivago – Maurice Jarre | Nominated | |
| Best Instrumental Performance (Other Than Jazz) | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show | Won | |||
| Laurel Awards | Top Drama | Won | ||
| Top Male Dramatic Performance | Omar Sharif | Nominated | ||
| Top Male Supporting Performance | Tom Courtenay | Nominated | ||
| National Board of Review Awards | Top Ten Films | 3rd Place | ||
| Best Actress | Julie Christie (also for Darling) | Won | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Director | David Lean | Nominated | |
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Film Hall of Fame: Productions | Inducted | ||
| People's Choice Awards | Favorite All-Time Motion Picture Song | "Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)" | Won | |
References
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- Tied with Elizabeth Taylor for The Taming of the Shrew.
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