Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

“Lawrence of Arabia” is one of the most critically acclaimed historical epics in cinema history. Winning 7 Academy Awards, it’s a truly spectacular character study, featuring powerful performances, stunning cinematography and a genre-defining score. It may be an excruciatingly long watch, but it’s impossible to deny what an impressive technical achievement “Lawrence of Arabia” is.

The direction by David Lean is mesmerizing, I’ve enjoyed all of Lean’s films that I’ve seen so far and “Lawrence of Arabia” is certainly in keeping with the quality of his other movies. The visuals here are absolutely superb, from the immensely cinematic landscapes to the imaginative scene transitions and the magnificent set-pieces, this is an absolute feast for the eyes. The cinematography is some of the best that I’ve ever seen in a 60s film, there are some truly poetic shots that cut right to the core of Lawrence’s character arc and convey such complex emotions without the use of any dialogue. The film excellently places you beside the characters during their journey and perfectly captures the unbearable heat of the desert. Purely from a cinematography perspective “Lawrence of Arabia” is a 5-star film!

Like the other great epics of the pre-CGI era, “L.o.A” has a masterful sense of scope. The mammoth amount of extras, costumes and camels on display during the film’s eye-widening set-pieces bring a level of authenticity to the film that makes the story more engaging. I don’t have a problem with the use of CGI in modern cinema (unless it’s used unnecessarily) but watching a real train tumble into a sand dune or hundreds of people (dressed in period accurate costumes) charge across the desert is about as close to reality as it’s possible for a film to get.

The iconic score by Maurice Jarre is tremendous. The themes are synonymous with the adventure genre, feeling very reminiscent of later desert-set films (such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”) The music does what all good scores should do, it amplifies the momentum of the action and highlights the more introspective scenes.

The cast in “L.o.A” all do a terrific job; from Omar Sharif (who would go on to star as the lead in David Lean’s “Doctor Zhivago”) to Alec Guinness (who’s portrayal of an Arab prince is both convincing and uncanny), every actor managed to bring something unique to the picture.

But without question, the most captivating performance in the movie comes from Peter O’Toole as Lawrence himself. He may be most renowned for his earth-shattering work as Scottish Piper in “Casino Royale” (1967) and Zaltar in the 1984 masterwork “Supergirl”, but in my opinion, T.E. Lawrence is O’Toole’s greatest role. He plays every aspect of such an elaborate character flawlessly, whether he’s jovial and optimistic during the first act, determined in the second or exhausted during the third, O’Toole effortlessly presents the audience with the slow decline of a human being into a traumatised shell of one. It’s a miracle that such an emotionally complicated story about a psychological journey this sweeping is so clearly told, whilst also retaining a subtlety and nuance.

The only criticism I have with “L.o.A” is that, despite the compelling character arcs and majestic spectacle, it’s a tad too long. I can appreciate that this was a film made for the audience of a different time, a time when going to the cinema was akin to going to the theatre and eating ice cream during the interval was an experience in itself. Back then, seeing a 3 and a half hour epic was probably the obvious choice for a family as it provided a fun day out and good value for money. However, in the modern age, it’s hard to deny that a few of the slower moments in “L.o.A” could have been trimmed down to speed up the film’s pacing.

In conclusion, “Lawrence of Arabia” is an exceptional film. Although I didn’t absolutely love it, I can still appreciate what an astounding piece of filmmaking it is. It’s a poignant story of how a man found meaning during a horrific conflict, but also of the corrupting effect of humans being placed on a pedestal above everyone else. So if you have a free afternoon, I’d definitely recommend “Lawrence of Arabia!”