Doctor Zhivago

Part of the special series SCHINKEN

SCHINKEN Autumn 2025

With DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, David Lean created one of the most impressive cinematic epics of the 20th century — a work that weaves personal emotion together with political upheaval, a love drama as well as a reflection on revolution, idealism, and the survival of poetry in the face of history. Based on Boris Pasternak’s novel, the film tells the story of Yuri Zhivago, a doctor and poet who is torn between duty and private longing as he is swept through war, revolution, and societal change.

Yuri (Omar Sharif, who lends the character depth and grace) is a man who navigates a radically changing world with quiet dignity. Lara (Julie Christie) becomes the embodiment of a love that can never be fully lived, yet endures emotionally and symbolically over decades. Their relationship unfolds in the shadow of upheaval, hardship, and tragic coincidence — a connection made all the more powerful because of its limitations.