julie as 'lara'

i am reading a biography of julie christie. i was not aware of how important a film 'dr. zhivago' was for the industry. the director and screenwriter knew that the role of 'lara' was extremely important. this woman had to be young, pure, and as the lover to married zhivago, hold our sympathy. none of the suggested actresses pleased the filmmakers till julie. here she is with co-star omar sharif. guess i shall be seeing it again soon.