A film that needs little introduction having won 7 Oscars
and being widely regarded as one of the all-time greats. The film tells the
story of T.E.Lawrence, a British officer during the First World War who led an
Arab revolt against the Turks, not only helping their fledgling attempts to
establish an independent state, but also greatly improving Britain's own
position in the war. The film begins with Lawrence's death in a motorcycle
accident. At his funeral, at which he has been immortalised with a bust, a
journalist is asking attendants what they remember about the man. Getting very
little answer, people having either not known Lawrence well, or not recalling
accurately what they remember of him, the film delves back into history to
bring us the story of his escapades. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is first sent to
Arabia with the intention of finding an Arab leader named Faisal (Alec
Guinness) whose revolt against the Turks may be of help to the British.
Lawrence soon falls in love with the desert and the idea of this campaign
appeals to him. He sets about organizing the various warring tribes of Arabia,
uniting them to drive the Turks out and capture cities. This he does with
promises of handing the lands to the Arabs following the war. His superiors
intend that the British will take control of the lands after the war, setting
them at odds with Lawrence, whose guerrilla campaign, involving blowing up
railways, have won the Arabs many great victories.
This film is epic in scale, being over three and a half
hours long, with an intermission between the two halves. It covers a huge
number of important incidents and the length of the film is absolutely
necessary to build a comprehensive picture of the times and of the man. Parts
of the film seem almost like a travelogue, with grand vistas, scenes of the
sunset over the desert dunes, or the beauty of the port of Aqaba. These are
contrasted with the earlier garrison in Egypt where Lawrence is stationed. This
spectacular cinematography helps the audience appreciate the emotions Lawrence
feels and how it is possible for him to become so besotted with the desert and
the cause of the natives. He assumes their robes and becomes accepted into
their culture, starkly contrasting with his fellow officers on his return to
headquarters partway through the film. As well as the wider story of the war,
there is also a deeply personal story running throughout, that of Lawrence
himself. It is clear early on that he is something of an eccentric, highly
educated, arrogant, and with a peculiar (for the time) love of the foreign Arab
culture. As events unfold this becomes almost touching as he attempts to
reconcile himself to the fact that he may never truly be considered one of
them, despite devoting himself to their cause. The film draws in themes of
racism, war, imperialism, religion and sexuality, and covers so much ground
that it is quite an overwhelming experience to take in all at once. It
encompasses so much that it leaves you reconsidering for a long while
afterwards everything you have seen. The characters go through transformations
that are believable and given time to mature and nothing feels out of place.
There are a couple of scenes where exposition is required, but these are
handled well and do not detract from the sense of adventure and action that is
driving the main narrative. The score by Maurice Jarre, with its drums and
triumphal brass, sets off this sense of scale and importance as well as being a
stirring accompaniment to the action. It is fair to say that they do not make
films like this nowadays. The huge numbers of extras required for the armies or
city scenes is a delight to see. Likewise the sequences of trains being
derailed or a large number of horses being freed gain a lot from being achieved
for real.
If you haven't seen Lawrence of Arabia already I would
highly recommend it. It is definitely deserving of its position amongst the
great films of all time. A fantastic war epic with a strong emotional core.
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