Review of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) by Diego T — 11 Jan 2014

Well, Peter O'Toole just died, so I'm going to write a full review of Lawrence of Arabia in his honor. This is one of my all-time favorite movies, and is pretty much recognized worldwide as one of the best movies ever made, so I think it's fitting. O'Toole never won an Academy Award, and is the most-nominated actor to never have won an Oscar. This will probably go down in history as one of the great injustices in Hollywood history, seeing as he starred in Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, My Favorite Year, and countless other classics. He will be missed.

Anyway, Lawrence of Arabia... wow. What can be said that hasn't been said already? This is truly the epic to end all epics, a spectacular cinematic achievement on such an incredible level that it rivals The Godfather and Citizen Kane's claims to "best film of all time." The true story of T.E. Lawrence, the British officer who united the Arabs to defeat the Ottoman Turks in World War I. This movie is not only a shockingly good character study, but it has some of the best action sequences ever, including the storming of the city of Aqaba and a grandiose train derailment. All of these scenes are shot with the sweepingly epic camera angles that one would expect from a David Lean movie. The first time Lawrence sets foot in Arabia is one of the best-filmed moments in film history, and fully captures that vastness and emptiness of the desert. Rarely will you find cinematography as beautiful as this. It puts the desert right in your living room.

O'Toole is spectacular as Lawrence, who starts off as a mild-mannered and clumsy British officer who grows to be one of the most formidable and influential figures of the 20th century. He also develops an insatiable bloodlust, a product of his environment-- the butchery and overbearing terrain of the Middle East is enough to make anyone insane. His character has the added value of being aware of his transformation, which genuinely unsettles him. The best example of this is where he saves a man's life by turning back and traversing the desert for him, and is then forced to execute him later on to prevent a tribal blood feud. Lawrence, and the movie itself, question the moral code of warfare, and whether or not there is any. O'Toole's facial expressions and delivery are great, and he conveys his conflicted soul to the audience impeccably. This is one of the best performances of all time.

The supporting cast is also great-- Alec Guinness, another of the greatest actors of our time, brings his A-game with an unexpected yet fantastic turn as Prince Faisal, a Bedouin who knows the outcome of the war before it even starts: No matter who wins, the Arabs lose. Meanwhile, Omar Sharif plays a hothead Arab with a spectacular 'stache who is forced to team up with Lawrence in several of his guerrilla attacks. These actors are both amazing, and bring two powerful personalities to the movie. Sharif is young and idealistic, much like Lawrence, but their two different upbringings make them initially cold and distant from each other. They both have serious disdain for each other's culture, which makes their friendship all the more entertaining. Meanwhile, Guinness is older and wiser than most of the other characters, and wants to do what is best for his people. But at the same time, it is all for naught, because (as any history buff knows) the British move in to fill the power vacuum left by the Ottomans.

In this way, Lawrence of Arabia works also as an educational film, giving the audience some serious political drama, especially towards the end. This movie should be shown in every history class around the world, as it takes a decidedly sympathetic stance towards the Arabs, which is not something that's being taught much here in America... and especially not in the South. Historical drama is a soft spot for me, because at the end of the day, history is a lot more interesting than what's going on in the world right now. The way the British used Lawrence as a means to conquer the Arabs is one of the great injustices of our time, and paved the way for a lot of the problems the Middle East has now. Also, the culture clash between Lawrence and his Bedouin horde is extremely well-written, and sometimes verges on dark comedy. And it's good to know that at least one Brit was able to throw aside cultural expectations and get shit done. By the end of the movie, Lawrence identifies more with the Arabs than his kin.

Final Score for Lawrence of Arabia: THE COVETED DIEGO TUTWEILLER 10/10 STARS. I wouldn't call any movie perfect, but this one comes close with sweeping action, beautiful scenery, and some of the best performances from three of the greatest actors of all time. Yeah, Peter O'Toole was snubbed for this one, but nobody should really care, because this movie (and his performance) has stood the test of time. This spectacular and haunting epic was unprecedented in 1962, and it has not been matched since. One of the ultimate best.