Title/Year: Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: David Lean/England/1908
Budget: $11 Million
Gross: $111,721,910
Synopsis: Doctor Zhivago follows the character of the same name in Russia during World War I. The Bolshevik Revolution is changing everything and Yuri Zhivago enters into an affair with a political activist. Both the revolution and this affair turn his life upside down.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: War, Love, Russia, Revolution, Affair.
Character Arc: Zhivago's life is torn apart when war takes him away from his family and delivers him into the arms of another woman, Lara, who is also married. He attempts to balance love with fidelity during a revolution.
Camera/lighting/editing technique: Lots of dialogue, Contrast, Lingering Musical Score, Epic Locations
Political/ Social Commentary: Revolution and how it affects people of privilege and those without. Morals vs. Actions
Historical Relevance/ Recognition: 5 Oscars. Box Office Hit. Huge influence on culture and fashion.
Notable Collaboration: Omar Sharif also starred in Lawrence of Arabia.
Random fact, Etc.: Peter O'Toole, star of Lawrence of Arabia was offered the role of Zhivago but he turned it down.
Sources Cites:
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=doctorzhivago.htm
Response Questions:
1) Doctor Zhivago is built on class differences. The revolution is meant to overthrow a decadent upperclass and then when the tables turn, power corrupts the revolutionaries and a new oppressive class emerges. The scene that illustrates power differences the best is (pretty obviously) the scene where troops charge on demonstrating students.
2) The most obvious example of a victim in Doctor Zhivago would have to be Zhivago himself. Circumstances completely outside of his control took him away from his family. Away from everything he knew he meets a new love and whatever part he had to play in his affair, you can't deny when he ended the relationship he attempted to uphold a moral code. Of course this is when he was taken from his family (and pregnant wife) yet again. He ends up going from a young promising doctor with a family and his whole life ahead of him to a man dead of a heart attack, from chasing after lost love.
3) This film is built on the pleasures of cinema - Epic battles spatter a movie which is more about people, revolution and love more than those battles. The tragedy of being drug away again and again from the things you value and into a landscape of death and oppression. The melodrama hits a fever pitch near the end, when a dying Zhivago attempts to catch up with Lara.
4) The enemies in Doctor Zhivago are pretty fluid and therefore portrayed and neutral. Whether the people were being oppressed by the upper-class or the revolutionaries, people were still constantly being oppressed in often times a violent way.
Title/Year : Grave of the Fireflies/1988
Director/Birth Country/Year Born: Isao Takahata/Japan/1935
Budget: Approximately 3.7 million (USD)
Gross: Approximately 5 million (USD)
Synopsis: Based on the novel of the same name, Grave of the Fireflies is about a boy attempts to care for himself as well as younger sister in World War 2 Japan.
Political/ Social Commentary: It depicts the horrifying hardships of a war torn country through the eyes of children.
Narrative and Visual Keywords: Family, Siblings, Death, Innocence Lost
Main Character/Arc: Young Seita becomes the soul caretaker of his younger sister four year old Setsuko. He starts as a naive young fourteen year old, but both of them end up dead due to the apathy of many.
Notable Collaboration:
Historical relevance/recognition: Based on a semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, much of the story of Seita and Setsuko stems from that of the author Akiyuki Nosaka. Has had live action adaptations done.
Etc.: Roger Ebert Considers it one of the most moving War Movies of all time.
Site Sources:
Response Questions:
1) This film is definitely NOT about group integration. Time and again Seita and his sister do not receive the help that they need in order to survive. For instance from their Aunt and then again while Setsuko is dying of malnutrition from the doctor.
2) Obviously Seita sacrifices a ton keeping Setsuko alive and happy. These were unthinkable times and while many were only thinking of themselves (their Aunt for instance) Seita was a constant for Setsuko. He does anything he can to provide for them.
3) I think that Seita and Setsuko have very strong and realistic characterizations. They really read as children. Even when things are going horribly for them Seita still attempts to give Setsuko some childlike experiences with the Fruit Drops and Fireflies.
4) Seita's strength of character (but maybe not his sound decision making) is revealed by when he leaves with Setsuko from their Aunts house to live in a bomb shelter. There wasn't much to be done though and they were in a desperate situation. I do doubt that their Aunt would have straight up let them starve though.
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