Review of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) by Hannah W — 30 Nov 2012

My favorite movie ever, I do believe. While the beautiful music by Maurice Jarre stirs in the background, Peter O' Toole (who plays T.E. Lawrence) makes me feel like I am actually there, following this young insubordinate cartographer as he goes on a personal journey into the desert of Saudi Arabia to find an extra-ordinary person inside of him. He does some great things, and proves his worth to himself, to Sharif Ali (Omar Sharif), and Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness), as well as to his superior officers that once thought him to be troublesome. The praise and admiration from the Arabs makes Lawrence reach his pinnacle of self-importance, becoming arrogant and conceited. Then he comes to realize that he is just a man. His heart is torn as he tries to return home, but ends up leading the Arabian tribes to join together and take back what once was theirs. The saddest part to me is that once Lawrence had earned the trust and friendship of Sharif Ali, he became so focused on himself and the army he was leading that he drifted away from the friendship that he worked hard to gain.

The quick and witty dialogue is good to quote on every occasion, and I enjoy the direction of David Lean. The scenery is beautiful, and Peter O' Toole was so real and convincing, with Omar Sharif playing one of his best roles (other than Doctor Zhivago, of course). While it has some violence, it really is a fantastic movie that I would suggest for anyone who can be forced to sit still for 4 hours.