Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Lara inspires lechery in Komarovsky (her mother's lover who is a master at surviving whoever runs Russia) and can't compete with passion for the revolution of the man she marries, Pasha. Her true love is Zhivago who also loves his wife. Lara is the one who inspires poetry. The story is narrated by Zhivago's half brother Yevgraf, who has made his career in the Soviet Army. At the beginning of the film he is about to meet a young woman he believes may be the long lost daughter of Lara and Zhivago.

I can’t believe it has taken me so long to see this film. Regarded as one of Lean’s best (which is saying a lot), Zhivago seems like a film before its time. The subject matter is controversial and the visuals don’t pull many punches. I love the production design and the performances and this is the type of film that really makes you want to learn more about the time and the events, which is more than I can say for most films. A breathtaking production from one of Hollywood’s greatest directors.

Warner has been doing a great job with their classic catalog and this is no exception. While it doesn’t have quite the consistency of some of their other titles, it still delivers a very good transfer that benefits from a solid restoration. It appears that different elements where used throughout and you will see an obvious shift in results from time to time. Most of the film features outstanding detail and depth, but some scenes soften up and look a bit more aged. These scenes also have some strange haloing that is no doubt the result of the cleanup efforts involved. The soundtrack doesn’t fair quite as well and shows its age. Dynamic range is very limited and the track can come off a bit shrill at times. Thankfully the score and dialogue are both solid and make up the bulk of the feature’s audio production.

Extras include a feature commentary with the film’s star and an extensive look at the making of the film. The extras are found on a separate DVD and also include a photo gallery and a great retrospective on the film and its success. Warner has also included a soundtrack sampler and cased the film in a digi-book package with pictures and info about the production and stars.

I love that Warner is releasing so many Hollywood gems on Blu-ray. I am discovering so many films that I’ve always wanted to see but just hadn’t got around to. Highly recommended.