Lawrence of Arabia Reviews

I already saw this movie but, since it was available on Netflix, I was quite eager to check it out again. Well, even though I already saw it a second time a few years ago, I was actually amazed by how little I actually remembered the damned thing which is rather odd for a classic of this magnitude. Anyway, from all the huge classics directed by David Lean, it is easily and by far my favorite one. I mean, of course, I did enjoy ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Brief Encounter’ and even ‘Doctor Zhivago’ but this movie is however from a different level. First of all, visually speaking, it is Lean’s most thrilling epic. For example, during his first trip in the desert, you have this amazing paranomic shot of the desert and it was just mesmerizing. It was a long static shot of the desert and, at some point, you finally see a camel rider coming from afar and coming slowly towards you. In this very shot, in my opinion, you actually had the real essence of this movie. Indeed, it was slow but also very meditative and so beautiful to look at. Of course, I shouldn't forget to mention Peter O’Toole who was just brilliant in this star-making performance and ever since I saw him in this movie, I became intrigued by this actor and I try to check his other movies whenever I get the opportunity. Somehow, I also felt a connection with this fasinating character torn apart between two cultures which maybe had to do with the fact that I’m half-French and half-Dutch. Eventually, the only critic I might have was the fact that, except for Omar Sharif, the other major Arab characters (Prince Faisal and Auda Abu Tayi) were played by Alec Guiness and Anthony Quinn who were obviously not Arab at all but, fortunately, it didn't ruin the whole thing though. Anyway, to conclude, I really loved this flick, it is a massive epic, a classic, and a must see for any decent movie buff.

The definition of EPIC! This is a journey of my wildest dreams filled with adventure, action, and characters you care about.

Sometimes a film, and its production, is the stuff of myth, legend and that which dreams are made of. Lawrence of Arabia is a hallucinatory dream, sometimes filled to the brim with wonderment and romanticism, and just as quickly turning in a nightmarish hell from which there is no true escape. It’s the kind of grand movie-making that not only entertains but reaches a level of artistry that is impossible to deny or top.

It’s easy to try and quantify or classify a movie into simple genres and easily digestible identifiers like biographical film or action-adventure story, but Lawrence contains those elements while simultaneously rejecting those simple classifications. Entire sequences go on in real-time in the vast emptiness of the desert. The effect is simple: Lawrence uses the desert as a giant canvas to paint an impressionistic portrait of T.E. Lawrence in all of his grandeur, madness and folly.

Less concerned with strict narrative propulsion, Lawrence prefers to wrap us up in an emotional and sensory experience. And much of the credit for the success of the film rests on David Lean’s mesmerizing visual grammar and Peter O’Toole’s head-first abandonment in crafting the titular role. O’Toole’s role may even be trickier since he is rarely off-screen and frequently the subject of numerous, invasive close-ups which he has to hold for prolonged periods of time.

In addition to having to hold our attention while doing relatively little besides reacting in real-time to figures crossing the desert or subtly sign-posting his descent in madness and disenfranchisement, O’Toole’s physical commitment to the role offers up a great backstory. According to him he spent two years obsessing over the role, sprained both his ankles, was knocked unconscious twice and dislocated his spine. But his obsessiveness with the role shows through in every moment, and it is a grandly magnificent performance. This is the kind of acting which appears seamless and can give a movie a magical spark.

O’Toole may not be conventionally handsome, after spending nearly four hours studying his face in various expressions, lighting schemes and makeups, what we’re transfixed by are his large eyes and sensual mouth, which is to say nothing of his roguish Irish charms. Would another actor have commanded our attention so completely in a scene where Lawrence, dressed in white sheik’s garments, prances around like a peacock for no one in particular in a sand dune? Or would another actor have been able to capture the fey, high-camp humor in sequences in which he poshly tells military brass to bugger off and sell it so well? It’s hard to say, but I have my doubts. Life, and the vast empty desert, doesn’t seem big enough to contain this complicated figure.

O’Toole’s renegade charm allows for us to buy into what he’s selling – a new Arabia in which the British and other outside forces will leave well enough alone. This element of the film seems even more prescient currently as the Western influence in the Middle East is one of the biggest hot button topics in our news cycle. Yet O’Toole isn’t acting in a vacuum, despite how it may sound. Lean regular Alec Guinness has a small role as a worldly Arabian prince who constantly questions Lawrence’s motives in uniting the various factions. Seeing Guinness in brown-face is disconcerting, a harsh reminder of a time when something like this was considered perfectly fine. His very Anglo looks and clipped upper British tones never successfully merge with the garments he’s wearing. Anthony Quinn, acting through a terribly fake and obvious prosthetic nose, gives one of his typically big and grandiose performances, more to do with guttural pronouncements and heavy posturing than emoting and nuance.

The most successful supporting performance is the one with the most complicated baggage. Omar Sharif is Lawrence’s long-time friend and supporter Ali, one of the first Arabian tribe leaders that he meets and gets on his side. Sharif is the stable and supportive center that Lawrence needs as he zips back and forth between determined charisma and insolent madness. Lawrence, it was widely believed, was a homosexual, and it doesn’t take much careful reading or looking beneath the surface to see the questionable element to their friendship. Sequences involving wordless interactions or Ali nursing Lawrence back to health feature a gentle, almost lover-like touch to them. This isn’t the only element that hints at Lawrence’s sexuality – his prancing in robes and taking in two street kids also point to it, along with his generally fey demeanor and bitchy wit – but they’re the strongest example of encoding in a time of strict censorship.

But when one remembers or thinks of Lawrence, one remembers the whole confounding experience. This is because of David Lean’s expert execution of big dramatic ideas with a poetic visual style. Everyone remembers the desert mirage slowly forming into a black spot and then into a man, and that scene alone would allow for the movie to make it on any number of greatest films of all-time lists, but it isn’t the only visual that lingers in the mind.

Lean’s expressive use of color transforms the deserts into searing white oceans whose stillness belie the dangers inherent within them. Or the way he uses a visual echo to show the transformation happening within his main character. When Lawrence first gets the white desert sheik robes, he prances around and pulls out his knife to stare at it in awe. And it is a wondrous work of art – the design work and craft that went in to it are terrific. His sense of play and adventure are evident. The stakes are low, his mission simple, this is all before madness has overtaken him and his cause. Later, after a bloody battle, Lawrence is seen again staring at this knife, but this time it is with horror and shock, and the gilded weapon is now covered in violently red and vivid blood.

In this film, and The Bridge on the River Kwai or the much quieter Summertime, Lean knows that film is a primarily visual medium. Words and dialog are helpful, but not always necessary to show the slow descents into madness, or the sweeping nature of romance. He allows his scenes to unfold in a slow, methodical way and expands the film’s scope by doing so. He truly was one of the greatest directors and visual artists to have graced the big screen, and Lawrence may be his grandest achievement. It’s not a simple or easily digestible work, but it practically defines the word epic through its emotional scope and bold storytelling methods.

Definetly one of the greatest movies ever made. If you ever have a chance to see it in an actual movie theatre do not pass it up. It is the best way to see and appreciate it.

The film depicts Lawrence's experiences in Arabia during World War I, in particular his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement in the Arab National Council. Its themes include Lawrence's emotional struggles with the personal violence inherent in war, his personal identity, and his divided allegiance between his native Britain and its army and his newfound comrades within the Arabian desert tribes.

The historical accuracy of the film, and particularly its portrayal of Lawrence himself, has been called into question by numerous scholars. Most of the film's characters are either real or based on real characters to varying degrees.

''Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage, and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution.''

A grand classic from bygone days. Sweeping epic about the real life adventures of T.E. Lawrence, a British major who unified Arab tribes and led them in the fight for independence from the Ottoman Turks in the 1920s.
Epic rumination on a flamboyant and controversial British military figure and his conflicted loyalties during wartime service.

Peter O'Toole: T.E. Lawrence

Steven Spielberg states it as one of his great favourite films of all time, he boldly says, ''A Miracle of a film!'' and you can easily see and hear why when you witness the spectacle for yourself.
The life of T.E. Lawrence is brought to us in epic proportions from Director David Lean, in such a mind-blowingly spectacular way that defies, exceeds and fulfils expectations.
A biographical film concerning T.E. Lawrence, taken from the autobiography The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Revolving around a seemingly timid and politely garish British lieutenant whom is stationed in Cairo. He was sent into the deserts to report about the conflicts in Arabia concerning national movements from 1916-1918, but Lawrence returns holding a love and passion for the Arabs, he becomes one of them, and decides to help them fight for their freedom against the Turkish Ottoman Empire.



Visually perfect with a score which is spine shuddery delicious. Even more impact where David Lean decides to have the music on its own with no visuals, where you can just close your eyes and immerse yourself within the melodies and haunting soothing tunes that embody the spirit of this age.
Lawrence of Arabia is the milestone slice of film ever to ever grace the screen. It borrows some structural elements from Citizen Kane and perfects the art of the biographical film.
Peter O'Toole embodies T.E. Lawrence so well you believe he really is the man from life he portrays.
Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quayle and Claude Rains all add to a spectacular array of casting.

''Truly, for some men nothing is written unless THEY write it.''

Lawrence of Arabia reminiscent of the equally epic and classic predecessor from David Lean, Bridge on the River Kwai(Which also won 7 Oscars) further backs up his skill and precision at bringing to life spectacular events upon film and the eye. This is timeless, memorable on-goings that deserve repeated viewings.
Cinematography by Freddie Young is vast and flows, showing the desert and city scapes in all the glory celluloid doth allow. To accompany these luscious visuals is the original breath taking score by Maurice Jarre whom composed a rainbow of sound to suit the Arabian settings and desert. Infinite and dazzling just like the desert itself would be a good way of describing the score and the beautiful stunning landscapes.

It must also be said that Lawrence of Arabia isn't just about showing the unifying of Arab tribes at the particular time of the turn of the Century, but it also shows the murky politics of the British Empire as well as Turkish Empire. It shows how they ''use'' Lawrence for their own advantages and ends. The leaders of the Arabs and the British know keeping power and their people aren't always in mind of their own agendas. The people in power, the politicians and kings are corrupt enough to be selfish, and Lawrence is the opposite: Selfless.
Another clever scene shown is when Lawrence is captured by Turkish Soldiers and taken to a commander in charge. It shows the Turkish are essentially the same as the British. The faces may be different but the game remains the same.
Earlier the film shows Lawrence rescue an Arab whom is left behind in the desert, his friend Sherif advises against it but Lawrence still goes. He states, ''It is not written.'' Thus he goes on to find the man, save him and ultimately later by a twist of fate the twist results in being the man he saves steals and he ends up having to execute him. What does this tell us? Sometimes however hard we try or think, destiny and fate are a real possibility and fear for us. We cannot contemplate not being in control of our lives. It's a clever notion to reflect upon.

Overall, 1962 saw the dawn of this epic colossus masterpiece to grace audiences and screens. It garnered critical acclaim and 7 Oscars in appreciation for it's illustrious, incredible journey and historical Hollywood coated greatness. Fortunately for me and others, the film was restored and kept in the same condition as when it was originally conceived, for a special edition release for today's fans and appreciators. This is epic cinema from a golden age. This is over three hours capturing historical wonder and escapism.
This is unforgettable.

''The best of them won't come for money; they'll come for me.''

This film was such a real inspiration to me because it has one of the most friendly and nicest men that have ever been on screen ever. This film truly shows us about self discovery because he doesnt really show his true colours until he meets the Arabs and becomes one of them even though he is white. This film was absolutely amazing too because Lawrence was a real life person and truly was a hero and an inspiration to everyone around the world. Also, it is an inspiration to me because of the beautiful qualities that this film has (read about my view of those later in my review). This film was really thrilling and dramatic because all epics are dramatic and a lot of them are thrilling too.


Peter O Toole delivers one of the greatest performances in cinema history. His performance as T.E. Lawrence was in my opinion was the greatest film debut of all time. Peter O Toole obviously has a really deep voice in real life but in this it was quite soft really. I know it is Peter O Toole but I can't really tell sometimes because he was so young. I think he was only 30 years old at the time of when the film came out. His performance makes T.E. Lawrence a really nice, loyal and very generous man who would do anything for you especially the fact that T.E. Lawrence was a real person too. He made the perfect combination for such a delightful and pleasant character. This film featured a lot of awesome stars too including Omar Sharif, the late Alec Guinness, the late Anthony Quinn and the late Jack Hawkins. Omar Sharif delivers an absolutely outstanding performance as Sherif Ali. He is the other leader of the Arabs along with Lawrence. Alec Guinness was absolutely awesome too as Prince Feisel in an obvious and absolutely awesome supporting actor performance. He made Feisel like a real helpful companion to Lawrence. I loved Anthony Quinn too as Auda Abu Tayi who is the third leader of the Arabs with Ali and Lawrence. He was another powerful character that was like a mentor to Lawrence and made him feel strong when confronting and fighting off people that he isnt even part of. He is neither Arab nor Terk. He is just an ordinary British man. Jack Hawkins was awesome too as the British General Lord Edmund Allenby. He was quite strict and was quite a hard General which was, I guess, fair enough but he sent Lawrence to Arabia even though he was unsure about it at first until Lawrence went there and met all the people and knew what was going on with the Turks.


The direction was absolutely outstanding was the great and late David Lean. He has done a lot of absolute classics that are some of the greatest ever. I would say that Lawrence Of Arabia is my favourite Lean film. I loved the way David Lean was calculating the camera angles and how they were all placed perfectly. It is one of those films that most films win Best Picture and win Best Director because most epics have won Best Picture and Best Director. David Lean was the master of epic films. It is as simple as that. I would say that Hitchcock and Lean were the best British directors from the past. The writing was absolutely awesome! This is a typical epic film because of the style of the costumes, the setting, the characters and also of what happens too.


This film was a lot like The Bridge On The River Kwai and yet it was very different because Lawrence Of Arabia was more action packed, it wasmore emotional and was more of a thrill ride even though I loved The Bridge On The River Kwai a lot. I really felt sorry for Lawrence because he wanted to help the Arabs and help defeat the Turks but he is obviously white and the Turks are like racist to him because he wants to help and he looks totally different. There are like a little rivalry between Lawrence and Ali at the start but when Ali truly sees Lawrences intentions, they start to become not just allies and partners but also a very close and personal friendship. I liked Lawrences relationship with Prince Feisal who arent in many scenes together. This relationship was a combination between two great actors: Peter O Toole and Sir Alec Guinness.


This is obviously Peter O Tooles best film. It is David Lean's best film. I dont think it is Alec Guinness best film. I loved him mostly in The Bridge On The River Kwai but liked him in Star Wars too. Peter O Toole's performance has become one of my all time favourite leading male performances of all time. As I said his performance is the greatest film debut performance ever!! Can't deny that! Lawrence Of Arabia is without a single doubt one of the best and most famous British films of all time. This film was so awesome that I personally feel that T.E. Lawrence himself would have been proud to call a film about him as one of the greatest films of all time.

"Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage, and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution."

It has been decades since Lawrence of Arabia first astonished the world when it hit cinemas back in 1962. In the years succeeding the film's release, it has become one of the highest regarded movies in cinematic history. Lawrence of Arabia has been bestowed with endless accolades, awards and tributes. Reviewers worldwide to this day still continually express their perpetual love and admiration for this passionate historical epic. Frankly, this reviewer feels fairly overwhelmed as everything that can be said about the movie has probably already been said. I'm most likely forty years too late to be offering my 2 cents on the movie. However, life as a microscopic sperm back then made it kinda difficult to both watch a movie and review it (I doubt I even existed as a sperm back then anyway). Therefore, as a reviewer in the year 2008, I still feel a sense of duty to express my opinions on this magnificent epic (even if these views have already been voiced billions of times before).

The scope and scale of Lawrence of Arabia is enough to astound its audience even in the 21st century. David Lean was at the helm after all. Beforehand Lean had directed such films as Bridge on the River Kwai and Summertime with many more great titles to follow. David Lean led such an exquisite and remarkable directorial career that even a modern-day director would have difficult matching it. There have been very few filmmakers capable of boasting the meticulous attention to detail, character and story that director Lean brought to the table. At the end of the day, this is exactly the reason why his films will remain cherished for a long time to come - and why great directors such as Steven Spielberg turn to these films for inspiration today.

The enduring appeal of Lawrence of Arabia is a combination of the exhilarating, exotic sense of adventure and an intensely personal, intimate human story. It's a majestic four-hour epic that still dwarfs contemporary epics. As the film was made in such a primitive CGI period, the filmmakers used the 'what you see is what you get' method - therefore hundreds of extras fill the screen, and all the action is done without the aid of digital imagery. As a result, the film will never grow outdated.

"So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel, as you are."

This mythic blockbuster is both a spectacular epic and a sensitive portrait of one of the most enigmatic legends of the 20th century - "poet, scholar, warrior, exhibitionist" T.E. Lawrence (O'Toole). The film opens with Lawrence's tragic death in the 1930s. From there it eschews a detailed account of Lawrence's life in order to instead tell the story of his defining moment in history...his role in the Arabian Desert revolt of 1916-18 - as exaggerated by the real T.E. Lawrence in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which was adapted for the screen by Robert Bolt and (the uncredited) Michael Wilson.
According to the story, Lawrence helped the divided Arab tribes to unite against the Turkish Empire during the later years of the Great War (a.k.a. World War I). Lawrence's hit-and-run guerrilla warfare tactics won him triumphs in the desert no-one thought possible. Through a series of audacious conquests he earned the trust, respect, and loyalty of the Arab peoples. He became a hero to the world, even though this almost drove him mad.

At a personal level, the leading characters are intriguing and unpredictable, worthy and fearsome. None of these protagonists are one-dimensional caricatures. There are so many interesting and fully-developed characters that are so brilliantly portrayed by a top-notch cast. The themes of myths, tribal antipathy, nationalities, war, alliances, promises, leadership, corruptibility, savagery, affection, arrogance, pride, delusion, audacity and pomp are admirably tackled and handled.

This is a beautiful and mesmerising film, making full use of the expansive vistas in its original 70mm format (one of the last films in history to do so). Production on location was an absolute nightmare for everyone involved. Extensive preparation was followed by fourteen arduous months of location shooting. Filming took longer than it took for the real Lawrence to fulfil his quest, interestingly. The film won an Oscar for Cinematography, and there is little wonder why. There is magnificent cinematography to behold throughout the entire movie. The battles are particularly well done. They may appear tame by today's standards, but they are still visceral.

The raw film was then given to editor Anne Coates who proceeded to construct the masterwork. The iconic scene of Peter O'Toole blowing out the match before the sharp cut straight to the desert sunrise is a moment brought to the film thanks to the marvellous editing. This film is full of such fantastic moments. Maurice Jarre was then brought onboard to compose the music. Maurice put together a truly memorable score. Editing and scoring may seem like little things by themselves, but when amalgamated in the final finished product the result is a masterpiece.

A great script was vital for the success of this film, which runs almost four hours. There are fascinating script lines delivered frequently by a more-than-capable cast. But it has to be said...at times the film seriously lacks momentum. There are sporadic instances when the film is infused with momentum and great energy, but these are followed by scenes that are more low-key and occasionally a tad self-indulgent (like the sometimes tiresome images of the desert...they're beautiful but excessive). This film is four hours long, though, so I don't think anyone expected to be riveted for every second of the film's duration. But, as a consequence, Lawrence of Arabia isn't as perfect as it's made out to be.

"A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it."

Over the years there have been several different versions of the film. The theatrical cut which was completed soon before the premiere was about 220 minutes long. This was a very long film by any standard - and one theatre owners bitterly complained about as it restricted the number of sessions per day. David Lean, Sam Spiegel (the producer) and Anne Coates got together and hacked off 20 minutes for a revised theatrical cut. Television reared its ugly head years later. Aside from creating a Panned & Scanned abomination, a further 15 minutes were cut from the film. Finally in 1989 the restored version of the film was released. This arduous restoration effort went ahead with financial assistance from Steven Spielberg. This version restored much of the missing footage that had been found in an archive. However, whilst they had the film negative in hand, the soundtrack was missing. David Lean and Anne Coates undertook re-recordings of the dialogue, bringing all the cast involved back into the studio one last time. The restored version is how we're supposed to see the movie, and it's a beautiful effort by everyone involved.

"Nothing is written."

Like I stated before, not much can be said about Lawrence of Arabia that hasn't already been said countless times before by critics and viewers. But this film deserves the praise it has received. Lawrence of Arabia is, for lack of a more original word, a masterpiece. This is one of cinema's most highly regarded classics, forever occupying an impressive position on the AFI 100, the IMDb Top 250, and several other lists. Additionally, it won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Peter O'Toole was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Gregory Peck for To Kill A Mockingbird.
Sorry to sound like every other critics worldwide, but if you haven't yet seen Lawrence of Arabia then you're missing out on the most essential screen epic in history.

"The truth is: I'm an ordinary man. You might've told me that, Dryden."

8.6/10

Okay, just so you know, it gets the 4 stars and not 5 only because I don't quite get the Arab world conflict then, and that's after actually reading his Seven Pillars of Wisdom (what can I say--I went through an intellectual phase). It's uncanny how Peter O'Toole looks exactly like the effete (onscreen, at least) former cartographer, T.E. Lawrence, and then there's David Lean's amazing vistas of the desert, which words fail to describe (he, along with a stellar cast which included Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle and Claude Rains--no females in the cast, at all--took two years to finish the movie). Of course, I'll always remember this as the movie where I fell in love with the young Omar Sharif--but like him or not, I guarantee you'll never forget his grand entrance. For cinematography alone, this one is classic, ditto for the majestic soundtrack.