Doctor Zhivago (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Giacomo Campiotti

Writers:

Boris Pasternak (novel)
Andrew Davies (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 November 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Young and beautiful Lara is loved by three men: a revolutionary, a mogul, and a doctor. Their lives...

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Civil War | Female Nudity | Breasts | Remake

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Sam MacLintock	...	Little Yury
Keira Knightley	...	Lara Antipova (neé Guishar)
Bill Paterson	...	Alexander Gromyko
Celia Imrie	...	Anna Gromyko
Sam Neill	...	Victor Komarovsky
Daniella Byrne	...	Little Tonya
Nick Stewart	...	Orthodox Priest
Hans Matheson	...	Yury Zhivago
Alexandra Maria Lara	...	Tonya Gromyko Zhivago
Jeremy Clyde	...	Professor
Daniele Liotti	...	Misha Gordon
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Olya Demina
Maryam d'Abo	...	Amalia Guishar
Robert Orr	...	Agitator
Kris Marshall	...	Pasha Antipov / Strelnikov
Karel Dobry	...	Mayakovsky
David Fisher	...	Blok
Hugh Bonneville	...	Andrey Zhivago
John Comer	...	Bolshevik Infiltrator
Honza Klimer	...	Convoy Officer
Sylvia Syms	...	Madame Fleury
Jan Travnicek	...	Sasha Zhivago
Jan Unger	...	Vassya
Vojtech Rohlicek	...	Vassya
Philip Lenkowsky	...	Remaining Villager (as Phil Lenkowsky)
Rudolf Pellar	...	Mikulytsin (as Rudolph Pellar)
Anna Rust	...	Katya
Pavel Kríz	...	Palyk
Rick Warden	...	Liberius
Stuart Penn	...	Mutilated Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Zuzana Hodkova	...	Wedding Guest
Gregg Sulkin	...	Seryozha
James Babson	...	Distraught Father (uncredited)
Roger Denesha	...	Dragoon Officer (uncredited)
Ryan James	...	Physician (uncredited)
Ivo Novák	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)

Directed by
Giacomo Campiotti

Writing credits
Boris Pasternak		(novel)
Andrew Davies		(screenplay)

Produced by
Giovanna Arata	....	executive producer: Evision
Alison Barnett	....	line producer
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer: WGBH
Andy Harries	....	executive producer
Anne Pivcevic	....	producer
Hugh Warren	....	producer

Original Music by
Ludovico Einaudi

Cinematography by
Blasco Giurato

Film Editing by
Joe Walker

Casting by
James Bain
John Hubbard
Cornelia von Braun

Production Design by
Maria Djurkovic

Art Direction by
John Hill
Martin Maly

Set Decoration by
Philippa Hart
Tatiana Lund

Costume Design by
Annie Symons

Makeup Department
Fae Hammond	....	makeup designer
Ivana Nemec	....	hair stylist (as Ivana Nemcova)
Ivana Nemec	....	makeup artist (as Ivana Nemcova)
Ruzena Novotna	....	hair stylist
Ruzena Novotna	....	makeup artist
Lisa Pickering	....	hair stylist
Lisa Pickering	....	makeup artist
Milan Vlcek	....	hair stylist
Milan Vlcek	....	makeup artist
Noriko Watanabe	....	hair stylist: Sam Neill
Noriko Watanabe	....	makeup artist: Sam Neill
Brian Best	....	prosthetic makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Pavel Nový	....	production manager
Zbynek Pippal	....	unit manager
Shelley Powell	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Roman Fara	....	second assistant director
Nick Heckstall-Smith	....	first assistant director
Petr Samec	....	first assistant director
George Walker	....	second assistant director
Jakub Eliasek	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Christine Buttner	....	graphic designer
Jaroslav Cesal	....	property master
Bruno de Santa	....	set dressing supervisor
Joanna Foley	....	stand-by art director
Jiri Hybes	....	props
Marketa Korinková	....	assistant art director
Paolo Morales	....	storyboard artist
Pavel Tatar	....	draftsman
Radan Kapinos	....	stand-by prop man (uncredited)

Sound Department
Terry Brown	....	sound effects editor
Hugh Johnson	....	dubbing mixer
Khama Matiti	....	sound recordist
André Schmidt	....	adr editor
Bruce Wills	....	sound recordist
Steve Wright	....	boom operator
Hilary Wyatt	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Jirí Vojtech	....	special effects crew

Visual Effects by
Robin Beard	....	digital effects artist
Simon Carr	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Viv Jim	....	digital compositor: Men From Mars
Ian Murphy	....	digital compositor: Men From Mars

Stunts
Jiri Horky	....	stunts
Pavel Myslik	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Sergio Dori	....	best boy
Alberto Emidi	....	key grip
Richard Fisher	....	electrician
Ivan Ksandr	....	electrician
Fabio Lanciotti	....	focus puller
Petr Machacek	....	focus puller: second unit
Filip Majer	....	focus puller
Jan Malír	....	director of photography: second unit
Fernando Massaccesi	....	gaffer
Zdenek Mrkvicka	....	assistant camera
Chris Plevin	....	camera operator
Flaviano Ricci	....	dolly grip
Jaromir Simek	....	best boy
Martin Tocka	....	Steadicam operator
Miroslav Vojkuvka	....	key grip

Casting Department
James Bain	....	casting: Granada
Nancy Bishop	....	casting: Czech Republic
John Hubbard	....	casting: UK
Cornelia von Braun	....	casting: Germany

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Martina Fialová	....	wardrobe assistant
Jana Hohnova	....	seamstress
Sharon Long	....	assistant costume designer
Jirina Svancarova	....	seamstress
Iveta Trmalova	....	costume supervisor
Eva Vacková	....	wardrobe assistant
Sarka Zazvorkova	....	wardrobe assistant
Alice Kheilova	....	costume interpreter (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Chris Beeton	....	telecine colorist
Scott Hinchcliffe	....	on-line editor
Blanka Kulová	....	assistant editor
Simon Reglar	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Angelo Giovagnoli	....	orchestra coordinator
Claudio Messina	....	music producer
Davide Settembrino	....	music consultant
Paola Vanoni	....	music production assistant

Transportation Department
Vaclav Mottl	....	transportation coordinator
Tony Vizina	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Evie Bergson	....	assistant to director
Branka Cetina	....	accommodation coordinator
Nicky Coats	....	production accountant: UK
Tina Falcone	....	assistant accountant
Kerry Gill-Pryde	....	assistant: Anne Pivcevic
Emi Hongo	....	assistant coordinator
Colleen Hughes	....	production coordinator: UK
Fred Inglis	....	historical advisor (as Prof. Fred Inglis)
Lenka Jandová	....	production accountant: Czech Republic
Barbora Jurkovicova	....	location manager
Olina Kudrnova	....	production secretary
Susy Liddell	....	production executive
Maria Liljefors	....	head of principal makes
Anna Maria Morelli	....	script editor: Evision
Sara Murray	....	script editor
Caroline O'Reilly	....	script supervisor
Tomas Pavlacky	....	interpreter
Vitek Plch	....	location manager
Katerina Pokorova	....	production coordinator: Czech Republic
Gill Shorter	....	head of business affairs
Anne Marie Speed	....	dialogue coach
Roman Janecka	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Ian Madison	....	executive associate: Sam Neill (uncredited)

Production Companies

• E-Vision
• Epsilon TV Production
• Granada Productions
• Granada Television
• WGBH

Distributors

• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2005) (France) (all media)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2002) (UK) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• NHK (2006) (Japan) (TV)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

Special Effects

• Flash Barrandov (snow effects)
• Men From Mars (cgi effects)

Other Companies

• CNSO Studios  Czech National Symphony Orchestra, recording studio
• Coach House Studios  location avid editing, Prague
• Czech Anglo Productions  production services: Czech Republic

Also Known As:

Doktor Schiwago (Germany) (DVD title)
Zhivago (UK) (working title)
Docteur Jivago (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Doutor Jivago (Brazil) (cable TV title) [pt]
Tohtori Zhivago (Finland) [fi]
Zivago (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

226 min (3 parts)

Country:

UK | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

E-Vision

Trivia:

Ioan Gruffudd was originally offered the role of Doctor Yuri Zhivago, but he turned it down.

Quotes:

Yuri [to Professor]: I'll be a doctor for others, and a poet for myself.

Movie Connections:

Version of "Doktor Zhivago" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Korobochka

Wasted Opportunity

Pasternak's novel was a love story tucked in an epic set against the turbulent Russian revolution. The novel itself, with its story of illicit love in time of war, was almost the GONE WITH THE WIND of its day. When the time came to make the movie the task fell, quite naturally, to epic film maker David Lean, winner of the Academy Award for his last two pictures (BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA). Lean and screenwriter Robert Bolt (A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, LAWRENCE) did a superb job of distilling the essence of the novel, but left out many characters and events in their 197 minute motion picture (which, until the advent of Lucas and Spielberg, was one of the highest grossing movies ever). Robert Bolt won a deserved Oscar for his work on DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, for his job was formidable. But now that Pasternak's epic sweep was personified by Lean and Bolt, a television version was needed whose focus was Pasternak's (admittedly soap-opera) story without sacrificing any of the other events for time limitations.

The television version that finally appeared was barely an hour longer than Lean's. It would be unfair to compare this version to Lean's, which had a powerhouse cast (Christie, Steiger, Richardson, Courtenay, Guinness), a director with an eye for the cinematic, and a superb script. However, when some of the same sorts of scenes appear, the new version seems like a hollow echo.

This new version also truncates the novel. The dialog is pedestrian. In the old days British television would make adaptations of novels this size that went on for months (ZHIVAGO could sustain it). The interiors were videotaped like stage presentation and the exteriors were shot on grainy film, but the breadth of great novels came across. Four hours was not time enough to do justice to Pasternak. Everything seems to boil down to sex in this version, which is daring -- for the 1960s!

On the plus side, it must be said that Keira Knightley (Lara) is pure sex on the screen. Her character is hardly the thrall of Komarovsky she is in the novel (the victim she is in Lean's movie). Again, this might have been daring forty years ago. It seems the writers of this movie missed the other revolution (the sexual revolution) that might've gotten them past this approach to the material to focus on the larger view of the Russian revolution the novel presents. We had the love story, done a whole lot better, decades ago. We're still waiting for a version that does justice to Pasternak.