Whether it was ‘Dr. Zhivago’ or ‘The Go-Between,’ Julie Christie made a mark. Now in her 60s, she is back in ‘Away from Her.’
Photo: AP
Commentary on love, marriage: Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent in Away From Her.
Does anyone know what Lara, the heroine of Boris Pasternak’s great novel ‘Dr Zhivago’ stood for? The answer is difficult because of her elusive, mystical presentation in the book. Was she just a child of the Russian Revolution or someone desperately in love with the spirit of new Russia symbolised by the doomed doctor-cum-poet?
When David Lean’s movie on the book was released, it got mixed reviews. But there was no doubt that actor Julie Christie was THE Lara.
The character’s elusiveness was carried to the screen and she essayed the difficult role brilliantly.
Had star quality
Christie had never been your typical Hollywood blonde, beautiful heroine. She did not make many movies, shied away from media attention and seldom made it to the gossip sections of magazines. But there was something of the real star quality in her.
Ask those who watched her in films like ‘Dr. Zhivago,’ ‘Darling’ and ‘Far From the Madding Crowd.’
Each role was completely different from the other and in each movie it was the heroine who caught your eye.
Christie is now 66. The tousled blonde hair is still there, so is the dazzling smile. Even from the 1970s, when she had acquired the status of a legend, Christie had kept herself away from that image and had become a ‘reluctant actress’.
She did make the occasional movie, provided the script appealed to her and the director was known to her. Her last major role was in ‘Afterglow,’ a decade ago. But there is good news for Christie fans. She will now be seen in the lead role in ‘Away from Her,’ the first feature film to be directed by 28-year-old Canadian actor Sarah Polley.
Polley admitted that she had no one in mind but Christie for the role, and despite the early refusals, kept on persuading the star till she yielded.
There may not be much scope for dazzling smiles in ‘Away from Her,’ a movie about Alzheimer’s disease. Christie plays Fiona, a women in her 60s, who is afflicted with the disease. Her husband Grant, has to accept the inevitable fact that she has to be hospitalised. Fiona is very much aware of the implications of Alzheimer’s and at one stage, remarks poignantly, “I think I may be beginning to disappear.”
Sarah Polley did not just focus on the patient’s struggle. ‘Away from Her’ is a commentary on love, married life and how concepts changed over the years. As Fiona’s memory fades, there are flashbacks of memories of her married life and the movie dwells on the reactions of both the husband the wife.
A reluctant Christie did express some of her views on the movie. No, she was not afraid of Alzheimer’s but she was more worried about what was happening to the people all over the world. Obviously she was thinking of Iraq, violence in Africa, starvation and religious intolerance. ‘Away from Her’ could be her last movie, but then who knows? Someone could offer her a challenging script and she could be tempted. The actress has always been known for her blunt realism. “No one is going to miss me or write about me, if I retired,” she observes. “Most people have forgotten who Julie Christie is anyway!”
But for her fans, memories linger. The dazzling smile, the tousled blonde hair and the unforgettable performances.
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