Pasternak's novel was not published in Russia until 1988 because it was banned by the Soviet authorities due to its counter-revolutionary messages, i.e. "We have come very far,very fast. But do you know what it cost?" Lean's film was made in 1965 but not shown in Russia until 1994. Is the film well known in Russia today and what do Russians think about the messages and historical accuracy of the film?
This is a good question. I can't find alot of fans of the book, but obviously the movie is awesome. Pasternack survived the purges (mass killings of artsy undesireables or plain disagreers) so what does this fact convey?
There is certainly much to be proud and much to be pianed to know.
"I believe in coincidences, I just don't trust them." Source debatable.
Pasternak was lucky to escape Stalin’s purges of the artists with his life. In 1934 his friend the poet Mandelstam was arrested and Stalin phoned Pasternak demanding to know why he hadn’t told him about Mandelstam’s counter-revolutionary writings. Pasternak said “It would be good if we could meet for a talk.” Stalin replied “What about?” Pasternak answered “About life and death.” Stalin slammed the receiver down, Mandlestam was convicted, and later Stalin said ‘he couldn’t manage to defend his friend’ (Pasternak). In 1936 Pasternak was advised to “ask himself where his present path of parochial arrogance and conceited preciosity is leading him”, and that his days of freedom were numbered.
In 1937 the writer Chukovsky described Pasternak’s apparent reaction to Stalin at the Komosol Congress: “…Pasternak kept whispering rapturous words in my ear. Pasternak and I went home together reveling in our own happiness.” But Pasternak alone refused to add his signature to a demand for execution of Soviet writers described as “vermin, wreckers, and spies.” His wife pleaded with him to sign but he refused and strangely Stalin permitted him to live. In 1938 a list of 3,167 persons to be shot including Pasternak was signed by Stalin but he crossed Pasternak’s name off the list.
Stalin died in 1953 and ‘Doctor Zhivago’ was first published in Italy in 1958. If Stalin had known what the novel would describe Pasternak would never have lived to write it, and we would never have experienced this marvelous film.
In the early 1970s there was a private screening of the movie presented at the British Embassy for relatives of Pasternak and other VIPs and dignitaries, and reports are that the Russians in the audience laughed at the extreme "Britishness" of some of the behavior in the film. Russians are generally more openly emotional people than the British, and although we in the West tend to find restrained emotion very moving, it sometimes didn't ring true with that particular audience. But that was 40 years ago, and not exactly a group of typical moviegoers.
"Oh look, the neighbors are recording us."