Liberalism in the Movie Doctor Zhivago by David Lean - Essay Example

? ELEMENTS OF LIBERALISM, SOCIALISM AND FASCISM IN THE MOVIE “DR. ZHIVAGO” INTRODUCTION Directed by David Lean in 1965, the movie under the “Dr. Zhivago” is slackly based on novel with the same name written by famous 20th century Russian author, playwright and intellectual Boris Pasternak. Though few minor alterations have been made by the director in the plot of the novel while recording the scene, yet it carries the same characters and themes portrayed by the novelist in his original work. The film has been produced in the background of WWI and the Russian Socialist Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, which paved the way towards the commencement of a long and exhausting civil war in the country. The movie encompasses the entire situation by concentrating upon the activities and condition of general public, which had witnessed tremendous changes in social, financial and cultural scenario of their country. The revolution had actually been organized against the prevailing social discrimination, injustices and inequalities in the Tsarist imperialist Russian political structure, which had given birth to the exploitation of haves-not or suppressed classes at the hands of haves or elite stratum. “For centuries, autocratic and repressive czarist regimes ruled the country and most of the population lived under severe economic and social conditions. Consequently, movements for overthrowing the oppressive government were staged at different times by students, workers, peasants, and members of the nobility.” (emayzine.com) Somehow, failure of these efforts added to popular discontent with the government’s corruption and inefficiency. In 1917 these events resulted in the fall of the czarist government and the establishment of the Bolshevik Party, which would bestow respectable place upon workers and peasants, according to the expectations of the people. Anarchy, Chaos and Revolution: Though the revolution had brought the glad tidings regarding the implementation of the noble principles of social justice and equality, in the aftermath of the fall of age-old Tsarist imperialism, yet it failed to exhibit freedom and justice according to the high hopes established by the Russian subjects. Consequently, civil war broke out in the country, between the pro-Tsar White Army, liberals, reactionaries and land owners on the one hand, and the farmers, peasants, students, revolutionists and Bolshevik Red Army led by the Leninist-socialists on the other, turning the country into a sorry state of affairs. The movie successfully draws out the turmoil, anarchy and disturbance the people underwent at the outbreak of civil war, which laid indelible impact on the political and social scenario of the country. Additionally, the civil war created unrest and chaos by destabilizing the economic activities of the masses. Thus, the movie under-analysis accurately reflects the entire socio-cultural scenario of the Soviet Russia during and after the war, which ended in the success of the Red Army and imposition of Socialist doctrine in its true spirit subsequently. The movie also throws light on the negative aspects of socialism, which had not been taken into consideration before the establishment of very first socialist governmental system in any part of the globe. The movie reveals the affects of revolution and civil war on the socioeconomic condition of the general public, the position of whom appears to become more and more miserable and pathetic because of the social evils and curses including corruption, nepotism, favoritism, embezzlement of public treasure and misuse of power, adopted by the socialists in the prestigious name of revolution. The entire social establishment brought uncertainty and insecurity, and thus paved the way towards the restlessness and disorder in the everyday life of the Russian people at large. The writer looks ridiculing over the u-turn taken by the Bolsheviks as soon as they are at the helm of the government. The film shows how the Bolshevik leaders and workers used to support individual freedom before the advent of the revolution. “There’s a great scene at the beginning of Doctor Zhivago when the Bolsheviks are marching through town in peaceful protest, singing songs of freedom and brotherhood while the aristocrats dance and drink in a ballroom that overlooks the street.” (Quoted in authenticityhoax.squarespace.com) However, the entire enthusiasm of the party goes to dashes when Mr. Komarovsky very accurately predicts that these songs would be in an immediate wane after the advent of revolution in the country. The same happens as the story of the film proceeds, where the people have to run away from their native cities and town in order to save their skin from being chased and prosecuted for raising slightest signs of revolt against the revolution through their words or actions, or both. The film revolves round the protagonist Dr. Yuri Zhivago, a poet at heart, and medical officer by profession, who leads a life full of challenges and tragedies throughout. A sensitive and ambitious boy since childhood, Yuri lost his parents at very early age, and is brought up by his uncle. Being a lover of art, literature and freedom by nature, he writes poetry about the beauties of natural objects as well as on individual liberty and freedom, which wins applause and admiration from the members of society. However, since his ideas are somewhat independent of any boundaries, they look contradictory to the Russian Revolution. Consequently, he is looked at with suspicion and distrust by the revolutionaries. Consequently, his life appears to be in danger and he has to leave his abode in order to save his skins from the revolutionary army. Moreover, like several other intellectuals, writers, philosophers and poets, Yuri is also not allowed to publish his poetry particularly the one which contains the elements of liberalism in its scope. Hence, doctrine of liberalism found its fateful end under the so-called revolutionary government. LIBERALISM: The doctrine of liberalism looks for granting the people liberty of thought and action without hurting the feelings of others in such a grudging manner that it becomes too personal to tolerate. However, liberalism allows the individuals to lead a life of their choice without violating the statutes of prevailing law. The 19th century English theorist John Stuart Mill has established the boundaries of liberalism in his famous work “On Liberty.” The treatise looks into the nature of the limitations imposed on individual by the forces of society. “The struggle between Liberty and Authority”, Mill submits, “is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar, particularly in that of Greece, Rome and England.” (1859: 2). Liberalism is of the view that the individuals must be given full freedom of thought to exercise best of their qualities within a social and political structure so that it can provide maximum benefit on individual and collective basis. The society can only intervene if an action taken by an individual is harmful to the other members of society, but should make no interferences if these actions harm the individual himself. The writer has pointed out the same notion in his work under examination. The film shows how so called liberalism under Bolshevik, where the immoral attorney Komarovsky is allowed to rape Lara, but there always appear hurdles and problems between the true love of Yuri and Lara. Since Bolsheviks had imposed censorship on writings, Yuri’s half brother warns him not to disclose his identity while his stay in Moscow, the strong-hold of the Red Army. Consequently, Yuri leaves Moscow and proceeds to the Ural Mountains at Gromeco Estate that belongs to his in-laws. Somehow, since socialism has established its foot even in the remotest areas of Russia, a large part of the Gromeco Estate has also been nationalized by the socialist government. As a result, Yuri, along with his wife Tonya and son Shasha, has to wander here and there in search of security and shelter subsequently. The film has shown how Bolshevism had meted out bar on the individual and collective life of the people. Since the Bolshevik regime had taken all properties in its control under its nationalization process, the people were deprived of their properties and estates in all the areas under the sway of Bolshevik Red Army. Here appears the Marxist socialist ideology that insists upon the collective ownership of all properties and assets, so that no one could be in a position to exploit the other. SOCIALISM: Socialism actually serves as the voice raised by the suppressed and oppressed people that had been the victim of cruelties and injustices inflicted by the despot rulers, clergy, nobility, feudal lords, industrialists and investors on the laborers, workers, peasants and other down-trodden subjects all over the world. Since a small minority had been enjoying the overwhelming proportion of wealth, riches and resources, the great German philosopher Karl Marx raised revolt against such exploitation and warned the world regarding the certain possibility of social conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat. Marx, in his distinguished work Das Capital, declared capitalism as quite an unjust economic system that refuses to pay the respectable remuneration to the workers against the services they rendered in the productive process of mills, factories, industrial units and agricultural land. It is therefore he lays stress upon the workers to unite under the banner of socialism in order to avoid further exploitations. The film reflects upon the clash between the villain Komarovsky and Lara’s husband Pasha, which supports the Marxist socialist notion of class conflict between the individuals. Since the attorney Komarovsky and the military personnel Pasha belong to tow different social classes, the former displays reluctance and displeasure on Lara’s intention to marry the latter. “Social conflict takes place because of the clash of interests between the individuals belonging to divergent ideologies and classes as well.” (Ritzer, 1997: 59) Since Marxist-Leninists vehemently lay stress upon the availability of equal opportunities of growth for all individuals without discrimination, they strongly argue in favor of the liberty, freedom and respectable place for the workers and peasants. Somehow, Bolshevik regime seems to be claiming to distribute the resources to the masses on equal foundations, though the socialist leaders start enjoying the same privileges against which they had united the Russian nation to topple the Tsarist imperialism from the country. Marxist theorists suggest that as the proletariats or working classes have major share in the mean as well as mode of production, so they must be equal shareholders in the profit and resources. Marxism also opines the Capitalism as exploiter politico-economic system and declares its abolition to replace it with communism and socialism. Before Karl Marx, Voltaire and Rousseau had also condemned social injustices existing in 18th century France before the advent of world-famous French Revolution of 1789. Actually, philosophers and thinkers are always the rebels of their contemporary society. The foundations of their philosophy erect on human welfare. Before the mighty French Revolution it were philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau and others who awoke the sleeping nation and fought for the noble cause of equality and justice by their wonderful writings. The philosophical theme behind the literature of that time paved the way towards equal distribution of power, pelf, possession and prestige for all strata of French Society. Thus unjust measures enforced by the French laws came to an end. Somehow, it was Marx, who presented complete outline of a just socioeconomic system i.e. socialism, which according to him, was the only way to escape the cruelties of the capitalistic economic system. Hence, socialism got its way in Soviet Russia which is also known as Marxist-Leninism. The term “Marxist-Leninism”, derived from Marxism, signifies the adaptation of Marxist perspective articulated by Russian leader Vladimir Lenin. The perspective strongly believes in the overthrow of the Capitalism, along with all its profanities and curses, with the help of the alternate communist revolutionary ideology. “Imperialism caused the division of society into different classes and strata, where one social class is seriously engaged in the exploitation of others.” (Turner, 1978: 129) However, Russian revolution could not introduce such doctrine of fraternity, equality and fair play. On the contrary, the revolutionists become the cat’s paw of Fascism in the wake of obtaining the administration of the country. It is therefore the critics and historians declare the government of Bolshevik Party as Red Fascism. “The October 1917 Revolution and the Bolshevik party-state provide no model for a revolution that has as its objective the abolition of the capitalist law of value and the creation of a human Gemeinwesen is something that revolutionaries have long known.” (Libcom, 2005) FASCISM: Fascism stands for the oligarchic rule of extreme rightists, where few top party leaders take decisions regarding the fate of the nation and people at large. The film under examination reveals the same state of affairs adopted by the post-Revolutionary regime in Russia; it is therefore the revolution is blamed and labeled as leftist fascism. Since both the warring factions i.e. White Army and Red Army were being regulated by the top leadership, they were announcing the death sentences and imprisonments to their rival Russians. Thus, it was mere the clash of interests rather than the conflict between two different ideologies. It could be witnessed by going through the scene where Yuri is arrested by the Bolshevik army accusing him making plan to kill the Commissar Strelnikov. However, since the Commissar recognizes Yuri, he does not inflict any punishment on him. It clearly shows that the civil war had become the resource of taking personal revenges from the personal enemies, and hence the leaders have least care about the fate of the country and the long struggle made by the people to overthrow the imperialism from Russia. The theme of secret strategies and plans to fulfill the schemes of others also exists in the film. It looks as if there is some secret politics within the politics, which does not allow the loyal and sincere workers to give vent to their ideas and opinion regarding even trivial issues related to the party policy. The parties maintain secret agenda in order to fry their own fish out of the troubled waters of disturbances, civil war, anarchy and perturbed law and order situation. The enemy governments, especially the western nations always have their agents within political parties. Since they look into the movements of third world countries with colored spectacles, the patriot forces and loyal workers are unable to look into the graveness of the actual situation—a secret hand regulating the fate and destiny of their home land. Sometimes, the regional governments also look helpless while facing the commands directed by the super powers regarding some specific policy formulation and implementation. The most magnificent, moving and sublime theme of the film includes unconditional, unabated, evergreen and absolute feelings of love and affection into the very heart of the members of family for each other, especially filial love and sacrifice of parents for children. A person, who along with his family, had undergone many sufferings, and had presented sacrifices for the cause of the party, becomes traitor of low profile within moments, and humiliation of him and his family in public becomes a sign of loyalty to the party, as it was the fate of Commissar Strelnikov. To conclude, it becomes evident that the film is actually the true representative of the era in the perspective of which it had been produced. The writer had left no area unnoticed while creating the novel; and the same is the case regarding the talent, vision and exposure of the film director. The film vehemently argues that the Bolshevik Revolution failed to provide the citizens with any type of relief. Hence, instead of taking initiative regarding the welfare projects and people’s socioeconomic uplift programs, the rulers introduced the utopian Marxist-Socialist doctrine, which were practically impossible to be implemented and imposed in real life. The film has high-lighted the chain of difficulties the middle and lower classes faces during the days of war. Furthermore, the film also states that wars and hostilities bring several kinds of evils and disasters in the form of deaths, injuries, spread of fatal diseases, disturbance of demographic statistics, poverty and lawlessness. Thus, the political leaders and statesmen must take the pathetic condition of the masses before making and implementation of laws and policies, so that relief could be provided at grass-root scale for the swift and continuous progress and prosperity of the county. BIBLIOGRAPHY Russian Revolution of 1917 Retrieved from http://www.emayzine.com/lectures/russianrev.html Ritzer, George and Douglas J Goodman (1997) Classical Sociological Theory 4th Edition Mc-Graw Hill Publishing Company Tumin, Melvin M. (1978) Social Stratification: The forms and functions of inequality. Prentice Hall The Authenticity Hoax Liberalism, Revolution and Dr. Zhivago Retrieved from http://authenticityhoax.squarespace.com/blog/2011/3/15/liberalism-revolution-and-dr-zhivago.html Read More