Come the revolution . . .

Doctor Zhivago

(1965)

Here's a puzzler: I saw this several times in my youth, which would lead me to assume that I first saw it when it was new--except that now I see that I was barely 12 when it was released, which would mean that in my Legion of Decency-bound home (doubtless the theme of adultery resulted in a rating, at best, of A-III, Morally Unobjectionable for Adults, if not B, Morally Objectionable in Part) there's no way I'd have been allowed to see it, and I certainly never would have sneaked to it, even if the cinderblock single-screen theater in my little town happened to be open then (possible) and would have gotten such a blockbuster first-run (extremely unlikely).

I remember for certain that my first exposure to it--as was the case for many "adult" movies at the time--came via a MAD magazine satire. In fact, I even remember one joke: when Lara reveals to Komorovsky, "I'm carrying Yuri's baby," Komorovsky responds with something like, "You'd think a big man like that could carry his own baby." Yeah, I know, but I must have found it pretty hilarious then if I remember it 44 years later.

Anyway, I'd been thinking lately that I'd like to see it again, and TCM accommodated me, and this evening I decided it was either this or Gone with the Wind--either Lara or Tara. And I'm happy to report that it was not a waste of 3+ hours.