Doctor Zhivago

[dx23]

Title: Doctor Zhivago (IMDb)
Starring: Omar Sharif
Released: 4th May 2010
SRP: $24.98 (DVD)

Further Details:
Warner Home Video has announced DVD ($24.98) and Blu-ray ($35.99) editions of Doctor Zhivago for the 4th May. Extras will include commentary by Omar Sharif, Rod Steiger and Lady Sandra Lean, an Introduction by Omar Sharif,a Doctor Zhivago: The Making of a Russian Epic documentary, 11 vintage featurettes ("Zhivago: Behind the Camera with David Lean", "David Lean's Film of Doctor Zhivago", "Moscowin Madrid", "Pasternak", "New YorkPress Interviews Omar Sharif", "New YorkPress Interviews Julie Christie", "Geraldine Chaplin Screen Test", "This is Omar Sharif", "This is Julie Christie", "This is Geraldine Chaplin", "Chaplin in New York"), and the trailer. Each release will also include a brand new Doctor Zhivago: A Celebration Part 1 & 2 documentary. The Blu-ray release will also include a Blu-ray book and a CD with eight selections from the soundtrack.

Cover art here.

[peerpee]

They've made it look like a film from 1989.

What happened to the policy of the Warner art dept basing their artwork on glorious original posters?

Terrible, terrible cover.

[domino harvey]

Warners stopped it with their last boxed set, the Western one. The only good thing about Warners drying up their boxes was we were spared a repeat... until now

[Highway 61]

Any fans of this or simply of Lean's epic period in general on the board? I've been attempting to articulate a defense of the second phase of Lean's career ever since I saw a flawless print of Summertime and loved it, but aside from their pictorial beauty, I'm not sure there is one. Even in his massive biography of Lean, Kevin Brownlow avoids any and all commentary on the films in favor of straight reportage.

At any rate, Zhivago is certainly the worst of Lean's epics. Only Rod Steiger and Alec Guinness seem to be aware of how campy the proceedings are, which I think makes their all too few scenes the most entertaining. And visually, Lean's style doesn't work at all when confined to the Moscow set used throughout the first half. One wonders what Nicolas Roeg would have accomplished had he stayed on as DP, although the making-of on the old DVD said that his approach was too conventional for Lean, which, of course, is very hard to believe.

[aox]

At any rate, Zhivago is certainly the worst of Lean's epics. Only Rod Steiger and Alec Guinness seem to be aware of how campy the proceedings are, which I think makes their all too few scenes the most entertaining. And visually, Lean's style doesn't work at all when confined to the Moscow set used throughout the first half. One wonders what Nicolas Roeg would have accomplished had he stayed on as DP, although the making-of on the old DVD said that his approach was too conventional for Lean, which, of course, is very hard to believe.

Really? It's the only one from his epic period that I find enjoyable and can really even sit through. I really had a hard time getting through the other three (Lawrence/Arabia, Passage/India, Bridge Over the River). Not that it doesn't have its flaws of course, but I found this infinitely more interesting.

[MoonlitKnight]

Yes, this is and "Ryan's Daughter" are Lean's less successful epics, and they certainly paved the way for the equally lush but emotionally hollow Oscar bait romantic epics such as "Cold Mountain" and "Atonement." Nonetheless, it's still good filmmaking, and I'll get this ONLY IF the film is all on one disc instead of being split in half yet again (even if the split is aided by an 'Intermission' slide).

[aox]

I forgot about Ryan's Daughter. I have not seen that film.

[Highway 61]

It's good. The WB disc is gorgeous; I believe David Kehr called it the most incredible standard def transfer he'd ever seen, and I agree. It's not, however, a misunderstood masterpiece as some Lean aficionados will claim.

[strangerinparadise]

It's good. The WB disc is gorgeous; I believe David Kehr called it the most incredible standard def transfer he'd ever seen, and I agree. It's not, however, a misunderstood masterpiece as some Lean aficionados will claim.

Seconded, the standard def transfer could easily pass as a Blu-ray oftentimes. Get it while you can.

[captveg]

Personally, I think Lawrence of Arabia is his best film, and is fascinating to watch again each time, but Doctor Zhivago might be my favorite of Lean's films. I can't get enough of it.

[4LOM]

Since the 70mm screening of "Ryan's Daughter" at the Berlinale retrospective last year I can't watch the DVD anymore. I want this so badly on Blu-ray. And yes, the DVD was superb but it can be improved with 5 times higher resolution. But most eagerly I'm waiting for "Lawrence of Arabia", Lean's best epic and one of my alltime favorites. In most need of a new DVD/Blu-ray is "The Bridge on the River Kwai". The DVD was praised when it came out but actually it doesn't look very good.

[4LOM]

Any infos on German dub and subtitle tracks on the US Blu-ray of "Doctor Zhivago"? I like the Digibooks but in Germany this disc will only come in a regular Blu-ray case.

[andyli]

Any infos on German dub and subtitle tracks on the US Blu-ray of "Doctor Zhivago"? I like the Digibooks but in Germany this disc will only come in a regular Blu-ray case.

This is what I found on Warner's press release:

Feature Running Time: 197 Minutes; Rated PG-13

16x9 Widescreen, Color

Audio: English

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

[aox]

It seems that the Blu Ray will have the film spread across two discs. Assuming they are dual-layered, that would be 100gigs for a 200 minute film. I am not sure a 200 minute film demands two Blu Rays. :-k The only other example I can think of is Oliver Stone's Alexander which is spread over two blu's and is around 200 minutes.

[perkizitore]

I am pretty certain the second disc will contain only extras!

[aox]

I am pretty certain the second disc will contain only extras!

then what is the 3rd disc for?

image

The third disc is different and given the previous release, I would imagine the 3rd disc is for extras. Since D1 and D2 have similar artwork, I assume the film is spread over them since it was also cut in half for the previous DVD (which was a flipper).

[willoneill]

I thought the third disc was the soundtrack? Maybe I'm wrong.

[aox]

I thought the third disc was the soundtrack? Maybe I'm wrong.

oh. I didn't realize they were releasing a companion CD with the soundtrack. Maybe I am wrong.

[aox]

This doesn't disprove that the film is spread over two discs with the special features scattered, but this does seem to indicate that the 3rd disc will in fact be a CD of the soundtrack. Thanks for the help.

[perkizitore]

I bet all my Criterion Collection that the film won't be scattered on two discs...

[aox]

I bet all my Criterion Collection that the film won't be scattered on two discs...

I hope not. I want it to be on one disc.

[tojoed]

I bet all my Criterion Collection that the film won't be scattered on two discs...

You're a brave man, I'll only bet my Facets collection.

[domino harvey]

I'm pretty brave, so I'll bet perkizitore's collection too

[MoonlitKnight]

It seems that the Blu Ray will have the film spread across two discs. Assuming they are dual-layered, that would be 100gigs for a 200 minute film. I am not sure a 200 minute film demands two Blu Rays. :-k The only other example I can think of is Oliver Stone's Alexander which is spread over two blu's and is around 200 minutes.

"Godfather II" is also 200 minutes but is all one one blu-ray disc. Expect the worst and hope for the best, I guess. Splitting a movie into 2 parts is so VHS. :-"

[tubal]

Here's the Beaver review. Looks great and no mention of the film being split over 2 discs. Disc 2 seems to be a DVD so all extras are SD.