--- title: "Doctor Zhivago: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago" critics_score: 64 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Doctor Zhivago (1965): what the critics said Critics' score 64 from 11 reviews: 7 positive, 0 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics come down in favour, but the spread is wide: seven approve and four do not, with nobody sitting in the middle. Praise clusters on the look of the thing. Lean’s camera, the recreated snowbound Russia and the production design are admired almost everywhere, and Rod Steiger’s Komarovsky is named more often than either lead. Several critics admit the romance is soppy and say they are swept along regardless. The reservations cluster on the story rather than the craft: passive characters, sentimentality, and a running time that some find hard to justify. The dissent falls into two camps. The reviews from 1966, in The New York Times and The New Yorker, fault the narrow romantic focus and characters who stand for virtue rather than do anything. The later objections, from Little White Lies and Collider, are simpler: a turgid slog. Even the admirers concede the plot; the disagreement is whether the pictures carry it. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. The critic praises the film's epic sweep, stateliness, and intimate love story within historical events. Highlights strong production design, cinematography, and key performances. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-2ka8xk/doctor-zhivago/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — James Powers Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2016. The critic hails David Lean's film as a majestic epic that humanizes the Russian Revolution through the story of an individual resisting the state. It singles out the sweeping visuals, strong performances (especially Julie Christie), and the buoyant spirit amid historical turmoil for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/doctor-zhivago-1965-review-958823/) ## Time Out — Cath Clarke Rating 4/5. 24 November 2015. The critic celebrates it as a classic epic romance with sweeping visuals and strong supporting performances. Notes the sappy elements but finds it swoon-worthy overall. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/doctor-zhivago) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds that Lean’s ambition overtakes his craft compared with earlier epics, resulting in a film that is less incisive, though the romantic story itself contributes to this. The review praises the tale’s real majesty, Lean’s poetic camera, gorgeous visuals even of hardship, and strong performances, especially Rod Steiger’s Komarovsky. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/doctor-zhivago-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 April 1995. Ebert finds the restored film seductive in its old-style craftsmanship and visual beauty despite a soppy romantic plot and manipulative elements. He singles out the meticulous recreation of snowy Russian settings and supporting performances like Rod Steiger's for praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/doctor-zhivago-1995) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 2015. The critic finds David Lean’s epic adaptation of Pasternak’s novel still sweeps audiences along with its grand romance and detailed vision of the Russian landscape despite some dated elements. Bradshaw singles out the vehement storytelling and contemporary relevance regarding a suppressed writer for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/26/doctor-zhivago-review-vehement-storytelling-still-conjures-great-romance) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/2/2. 26 November 2015. The critic deems the three-hour epic unnecessary and turgid upon re-release. Praises one intricate camera shot for its emotional depth amid the film's overall flaws. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/doctor-zhivago) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1966. The review calls Doctor Zhivago a grievous disappointment, criticizing its stillness, lack of action, and failure to develop characters beyond stereotypes despite a strong cast. It singles out the screenplay's emphasis on passive embodiments of virtue over dynamic storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1966/01/01/action-is-character) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 1966. Crowther criticizes the film for its narrow romantic focus and failure to capture the epic scope of social upheaval compared to Gone With the Wind. He notes the passive characters and overly sentimental approach as major flaws. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1966/01/09/archives/gone-with-the-purga-re-dr-zhivago.html) ## Eye for Film — Jeff Robson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 December 2015. The critic praises Lean's magnificent 50th-anniversary restored epic as a true blockbuster in the old sense, with breathtaking images, a memorable score, a compelling script, and outstanding performances from a world-class cast that serve a grand yet human story of love and revolution. While noting minor flaws like occasional stretches of credibility and a passive protagonist, the review highlights the film's perfect blend of epic spectacle and personal pathos as still deeply moving on the big screen. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/doctor-zhivago-1965-film-review-by-jeff-robson) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2010. The critic finds the film a slow, unengaging slog that fails to hook despite its epic scope and cultural status, wishing it had been directed by Douglas Sirk for more moral ambiguity. Rod Steiger's lively performance as Komarovsky is singled out as the standout element that enlivens the picture. [Read the review](https://collider.com/doctor-zhivago-anniversary-edition-blu-ray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md