Doctor Zhivago

Tags

1960's, Alec Guinness, David Lean, Doctor Zhivago, Drama, Epic, Geraldine Chaplin, Julie Christie, Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger, Romance, Tom Courtenay

The always sensational, lovely and talented Maddy is doing a blogathon that pays tribute to the great mastery of David Lean. I decided to review Doctor Zhivago.

Starring

• Omar Sharif as Yuri Zhivago
• Julie Christie as Lara Antipova
• Geraldine Chaplin as Tonya Gromeko
• Tom Courtenay as Pasha Antipov
• Rod Steiger as Victor Komarovsky
• Alec Guinness as Yevgraf Zhivago

A sweeping epic of romance set during the Russian Revolution and War, Doctor Zhivago is a classic of film making from the imagery to the acting. It’s an epic in nearly every sense of the word.

The movie begins with General Yevgraf Zhivago searching for what would be his niece. He finds a girl who he believes to be the one and narrates the story of his half-brother and lover. The story flashes back to Yuri losing his mother. He is taken in by the Gromeko family and moves to Moscow, where he is raised along with their daughter Tonya. He grows up to be a doctor and in his spare time, he writes poetry that reveals his romantic outlook on life. Meanwhile and nearby, Lara is a beautiful young woman who is in a relationship with passionate revolutionary Pasha, but is seduced by the much older and nastier Victor Komarovsky. Being naive and unsure of her feelings, she is used by him as he does with nearly everyone else. Yuri and Lara briefly meet when she shoots Komarovsky for his brutal treatment of her. Though it is brief, Zhivago is taken with the beautiful Lara. When World War I breaks out, Zhivago is drafted into service for his medical knowledge and Lara volunteers as a nurse. This is where their romance begins, though it is interrupted frequently by the upcoming Revolution and the chaos of events. Yuri marries Tonya but he still holds a flame for Lara, though he doesn’t act in his romantic feelings for her. Over the course of years, their love deepens as Zhivago flees from the rise of Communism  and they continue to meet but be separated. Though they pursue romance, fate and time has other ideas for the pair that aren’t going to run at all smoothly.

David Lean, whose movies are so full of majesty, is on dazzling form here. He spins the story of the star-crossed lovers in a changing world and though the film is epic and grand, manages to convey the intimacy of the love story among all the chaos. He’s a true artist of the form of movie making and his fingerprints which are extremely stylish and sensitive make Doctor Zhivago a treat. His immense eye for detail is on full show and the sheer scope of images that haunt the mind are too many to list. Aiding him is Freddie Young’s atmospheric and sublime cinematography and the iconic Maurice Jarre score, which features the lilting ‘Lara’s Theme’. Special mention must go to production designer for his sets which are striking in every way . With Lean at the helm with ever meticulous style, all these elements make Doctor Zhivago a visual masterpiece. Memorable scenes abound like the dragoon attack on peaceful protesters, a perilous train journey and Lara and Yuri’s getaway in an ice-covered dacha. Many have accused this movie of oversimplifying events during the Revolution and to some extent, it does do that. But it’s not to any detriment of the movie and as so much happened in the Revolution and War, it would be impossible to cover everything. Instead, we are at least given an understanding of a country changing rapidly and the impact it has on lives. Robert Bolt’s screenplay gets to the centre of upheaval and makes it accessible for the audience to follow in the films long running time. And what events they are as the Revolution and World War I alter the world irreversibly and the romance at the heart is tested at every turn. It’s not aiming to be a factual lesson, but it still has enough clout at capture the ups and downs of life at the time of World War I and the Russian Revolution. The starkness of the times is deeply felt as the world undergoes significant change. And it brings with it great emotion, especially in the thwarted and doomed romance of Zhivago and Lara. If you don’t feel at least moved by the movie, you must have a heart of ice.

Omar Sharif quietly conveys the longings and sensitive nature of the title character. Some may say he seems like a bystander in his own story, but Zhivago as played by Sharif is very much alive, especially when in the company of his beloved Lara. It’s all in his eyes and how they react to the world around him. The lovely Julie Christie supplies the inspiration and romance of the film with her turn as Lara. With her face(which my Grandfather said was made for cinema), you can witness the growth of a woman from vulnerable girl to passionate survivor over the course of the film. And she looks so beautiful in this movie; those blue eyes and prominent cheekbones complimenting her serene and soulful delivery of muse to. Understated passion is her biggest triumph that she contributes to events. Plus, her chemistry with Sharif is palpable and extremely convincing as the love story plays our against fate and time. Geraldine Chaplin has a radiant and almost motherly quality that she brings to the screen, while the excellent Tom Courtenay captures the anguish and loss of morality of a revolutionary forever altered by the brutality he encounters. Rod Steiger is a huge standout as the loathsome but not altogether evil Komarovsky. He’s a slime ball who sides with anyone he can in order to make his way, but Steiger discovers a certain level of humanity beneath the leering and vindictive face of the man. And rounding out the main players is the ever reliable Alec Guinness, who functions as narrator.

Passionate, full-blooded and breathtakingly beautiful, Doctor Zhivago has David Lean displaying all his talents and sense of epic vision.

The Go-Between

Tags

1970's, Alan Bates, Dominic Guard, Drama, Edward Fox, Joseph Losey, Julie Christie, Margaret Leighton, Michael Gough, Michael Redgrave, Period Drama, The Go-Between

Film Title

The Go-Between

Director

Joseph Losey

Starring

• Dominic Guard as Leo Colston
• Julie Christie as Marian Maudsley
• Alan Bates as Ted Burgess
• Margaret Leighton as Mrs. Maudsley
• Edward Fox as Hugh Trimingham
• Michael Gough as Mr. Maudsley
• Michael Redgrave as Older Leo

A precise and thought-provoking drama directed by Joseph Losey and scripted by Harold Pinter, The Go-Between is an intelligent examination of class, manipulation and the impact events from childhood can have. It won’t be for all tastes as some will find the visual and technical features of it self-indulgent, but The Go-Between is more than about these factors, it stands as a haunting account of the impact of memory and the archaic plans of society.

It is the summer at the turn of the century in England and young boy Leo Colston, goes to stay at his school friend house Marcus Maudsley’s country house in Norfolk. Marcus is a lot more well off than Leo and while his family are nice enough to Leo, you can’t help but feel that they have a mix of pity and snobbery when he’s around. While at the large house, Leo begins to develop feelings for Marcus’ beautiful sister Marian, who out of everyone in the house, takes an interest in him and appears to be fond of his company. Leo also meets the farmer Ted Burgess while out walking one day and he too becomes friendly with him as he lives nearby. Although there mainly because of Marcus, Leo finds himself with not much to do once Marcus is confined to bed with measles. He continues to talk with Marian, who he has become entranced with and visits Ted on occasion. It is through being close to both of these people that Leo is used for something. You see while Marian’s parents want her to marry the wealthy Hugh Trimingham, who is a viscount, she is in fact engaging in an affair with Ted. As the relationship would never be allowed due to the class difference, the two lovers have to meet in secret. With Leo now in the picture, he soon becomes their private postman, delivering their clandestine messages without asking any questions. He does this mainly because he is spellbound by Marian and friendly with Ted, and due to the naivety of youth. But as the summer wears on, Leo starts to get more curious about what’s going between the two, despite his closeness to them both. As he becomes more aware of what is going on and his young eyes are opened to the adult world, it’s only a matter if time before tragedy will occur.

On the directing front, Joseph Losey brings his own personal stamp to the story, by employing his dazzling array of visual flourishes and acute eye for the deceptive and rigid conventions of old society. From the camera, that utilizes both expansive shots of the Norfolk landscape and tight close-ups to convey emotions that must be kept under wraps, Losey wastes no time in displaying his deft hand and brings The Go-Between to life, in all it’s cruel and melancholy glory. One of the greatest assets of The Go-Between is the piercing screenplay that immerses us both in a time when it was supposedly polite society and draws us into Leo’s plight as his innocence is slowly eroded away by all the machinations that surround him. Pinter knows the meaning of the words nuance and subtlety and both are out to good use here. The pace employed is one of a deliberate and measured nature, to reflect how Leo is ultimately changed by his experience as the postman for the illicit letters of Marian and Ted. The pace can drag sometimes, but the overall impact is one of quiet devastation and realisation as the mores of society and forbidden love, coupled with the innocence of childhood, meet head on and shape Leo for the rest of his life.

One word for everyone who decides to watch The Go-Between, it’s what you might call a memory film done in an unorthodox but clever way. The whole framework of the film which slowly unravels is in the memories of a now grown up Leo, who is still haunted by the time from so long ago. Where it differs from other films is in the fact that it never goes in your face about the story being in the present and revisiting the past. I believe Losey thought that the audience would understand this technique and not feel the need to spell it out. With this knowledge, the various scenes that people may scratch their heads for reasons why they are there make sense more as the narrative progresses without shouting it in your face.In my opinion a film like The Go-Between is one of that benefits from many viewings and your deep concentration. Not that it is a criticism, if anything the very nature of the story and how it plays out is testament to how well put together it is. A deceptively light colour scheme pervades the film and the gorgeous Norfolk locations, clearly in an attempt to show how lovely society looked at the time but underneath how cruel and unforgiving it was beneath the veil of manners. And a swirling score filled with waves of emotion acts as the expression of feelings far below the surface of what was acceptability in the early 1900’s.

The young Dominic Guard is utterly remarkable portraying the impressionable Leo, who is forever altered after the eventful summer and what he sees. We as the audience feel genuine sympathy for Leo as he doesn’t realise how much he is being used by the grown ups and a lot of this sympathy is generated through Guard’s performance, that shows no sign of nerves especially considering he’s acting alongside some of the best in the business. Julie Christie is one of those actresses that captures your attention from the moment you see her due to both her beauty and talent, and that is definitely the case in her role here as Marian. Using a subtle array of expressions to give life to the character, Christie makes Marian caring and radiantly kind, but also cruel and manipulative in her taking advantage of young Leo to deliver her letters. What is most impressive about her performance is the fact she refuses to make Marian either likable or detestable, she is a flawed character throughout and that is brought out to a haunting degree by the talents of Julie Christie. Then there is Alan Bates who is no less impressive as the uncouth farmer Ted, who is amiable enough but still as calculating as Marian in the use of Leo as the eponymous go-between in their affairs.An imperious Margaret Leighton essays the part of Marian’s strict mother, who at first seems to be always on the sidelines, but is actually integral to the story with her withering glances and well spoken put downs wrapped in niceness. It’s the definition of a good supporting character realised by an excellent actress. Edward Fox as the intended suitor for Marian and Michael Gough as her father are well cast in their respective supporting roles. Seen in the flash forwards is an effective Michael Redgrave as the emotionally scarred Leo, who can never forget the events of his youth and is still piecing it all together.

So while it isn’t a film for everyone, the effective direction, writing and cast contribute to The Go-Between, making it much more than just another run of the mill period dramas. In fact, it’s probably one of the most atypical period dramas out there and for those who have the attention for it, a rewarding watch.