'Utterly compelling' war drama based on 'timeless' book is streaming

Fans of wartime dramas are in for a treat as a series based on a 1957 novel of the same name is available to watch for free.

ITVX is home to the three-part series amongst others, which is set against the backdrop of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Russian Civil War.

Based on the novel by Boris Pasternak, it follows a young woman from Moscow whose life is intertwined with three men who become enamoured with her.

The series is the second English-language screen adaptation of the book, following the 1965 feature film of the same name.

The show in question is Doctor Zhivago, with Black Doves actress Keira Knightley starring as Lara Guishar Antipova.

Fans took to IMDb reviews to share their thoughts, and Jameswj hailed it "top quality television", adding: "I have never seen the original Doctor Zhivago film, so I can't take any prejudged bias.

"This mini-series is possibly the best UK mini-series I have ever seen and is a sign that perhaps the UK networks are serious about creating some top quality drama television that HBO have been producing for ages!

"The acting is top quality, however, Sam Neill on top form steals every scene he's in, and that's saying something with the quality around him on screen."

Rogerhboon shared: "This was an utterly compelling interpretation which really captured the spirit of the Pasternak novel.I appreciated the almost architectural beauty and large landscape of the David Lean film of my generation, yet there was an emotional intensity and a depth of character exploration in this version which was missing from the earlier film."

Claiming the series is 'better than' the classic film, Tom Murray added: "I preferred this to the 1965 film, possibly because of the greater time period since reading the book.

"And possibly because it was Masterpiece Theater not Hollywood and probably because four hours gave it a better chance to be true to the book and realistic acting styles have improved since 1965."

Referencing the original source material, booksnob said: "This is a sort of timeless book, yes, in that it's about the soul and the human condition.

"The characters don't sound that dissimilar from modern day people with modern day problems which I hadn't thought of."

In the UK, the serial was nominated for the 2003 BAFTA Award for Best Drama Serial but lost to Shackleton.

Doctor Zhivago is available to stream on ITVX