Doctor Zhivago (1965) vs Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
which is better?
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MovieChat Forums > Doctor Zhivago (1965) Discussion > Doctor Zhivago (1965) vs Lawrence of Ar...
"Lawrence", by about a million percent!
"Lawrence" is a unique and fascinating film starring one of the all-time greats, "Zhivago" tries hard but it's not that engaging, and fact it, it stars someone who's desperately trying to punch above his weight.
Actually, Omar Sharif starred in both "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Dr. Zhivago".
I do agree that "Lawrence of Arabia" was the better picture than "Dr. Zhivago". Peter O'Toole was great as Lawrence.
Sharif was a supporting player in "Lawrence", and in that role he was good, he was charismatic, he wasn't asked to do more than he was capable of, and he made enough of an impression to launch a career in Hollywood. He was considered A-list for a while and was considered quite the sex symbol, but he was never in O'Toole's league as an actor.
As he proved in "Zhivago", an epic historical film like "Lawrence", where the leading actor's job is to keep the audience totally absorbed in the action and to get them to care deeply about what happens to the protagonist. O'Toole knocked it out of the park, the audience thrilled to his adventures and sat on the edge of their seats for fear he'd crack up, but I can't say that Sharif's sad-puppy eyes in "Zhivago" had that effect. In "Zhivago", what's going on around the main character is far more interesting than what's going on inside him, which IMHO makes the difference between a good film and a really great film like "Lawrence".
Lawrence of Arabia
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shareI'd say Lawrence, but they're both great epics. This is the kind of film I miss these days. The last epic from Hollywood was Lord of the Rings (I think...?), certainly the last big one.
shareI just watched them back to back nights and LoA is the better movies. Even if you don't care about the story, the cinematography is at least fascinating.
Having said that, DZ has a more complex story.
I like both but definitely Lawrence of Arabia.
shareZhivago is good, often better than good. But Lawrence is greatness.
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