Lawrence of Arabia




Do you think I'm just anyone?

T. E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is an odd yet gifted WWI British officer who is assigned to observe the Arabian army. This turns out to be something of a joke, as it seems the bickering tribes can't form an efficient army and are close to succumbing to British ambitions. Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness), leader of the Arabians, realizes this and is only hoping for a miracle. Well, it seems that Lawrence, despite being English, has empathy for the Arabians and he sets out to deliver that miracle the prince is looking for. Along the way he allies himself with other Arabians, including Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) and Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn) in his quest to defeat the Turks.

Lawrence of Arabia remains the best epic ever put to film. Lean and Spiegel team up again after making Bridge on the River Kwai to turn in another masterpiece. They incorporate long, sweeping shots that wonderfully capture the beauty of the desert. It provides a perfect backdrop to the story. The music is also masterful, all too well embodying the sweeping majesty of the deserts.

Story wise, this film turns out to be better with each additional viewing. It is rich with vibrant characters, relationships and situations that have multiple levels. Issues of culture, politics, hope, friendship and more are all dealt with a consistent intelligence.

The focus is on Lawrence, who provides a perfect character study. His manner is so contrasting that at times it may seem he has two personalities. Indeed, it is his repulsion and lust for blood and his need to be great and ordinary at the same time that makes him so interesting and inevitably doomed. His sanity is increasingly decimated as he endures personal traumas one after another. Everyone respects him as a soldier, leader and diplomat (in all of which he is very able), yet he is pitied and loathed. Yet all envy him, even the ones manipulating him.

It is difficult to determine whether Lawrence truly admires the Arabians or if he sees them as his path to glory. Though it is probably a little bit of both, you have to wonder what his motives really are. At the heart of Lawrence, however, is an identity problem. His father never married his mother, which can account for a few of his problems. The recurring theme of the movie is Lawrence's quest for who he is and what he really wants. Also, underneath the surface there are subtle hints of his homosexuality, such as an absence of any female speaking parts. In this film the women are only there to goad the men to battle and mop up the mess.

Perhaps one of the finest casts ever, there isn't much to say you wouldn't expect. Everyone delivers their parts perfectly. O'Toole is extraordinary as our hero, as is Omar Sharif, the friend who wants to believe in him, but is afraid to (both actors were relatively unknown at the time). With the likes of Guinness, Hawkins and Quinn backing them up, you can't go wrong.

There is an undeniable power that permeates this movie in every minute of the three and a half hours. As I write this, I realize how misleading this sounds. Words just can't do this movie justice; you have to see it for yourself.



-The Gnome