Contemporary critics were generally disappointed , complaining of its length at over three hours and claiming that it trivialized history , but acknowledging the intensity of the love story and the film 's treatment of human themes . Over time , however , the film 's reputation has improved greatly . At the 38th Academy Awards , '' Doctor Zhivago '' won five Oscars : Best Adapted Screenplay , Best Original Score , Best Cinematography , Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design ; it was nominated for five others ( including Best Picture and Best Director ) , but lost four of these five to '' The Sound of Music '' . It also won five awards at the 23rd Golden Globe Awards including Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama for Sharif
38th Academy Awards
38th Academy Awards
Doctor Zhivago (film)