The essence of cinema

Rating: 10/10 (15 April 2005)

One sure thing about this masterpiece it was done with great love for the subject, characters, place & the people of Arabia.
David lean spent nearly 2 years in filming this picture, and the result = the greatest masterpiece in film history.
The majestic landscape of the Arabian Peninsula combined with the majestic music by the genius Maurice jarred with a director vision, the combination of these three elements is a rare commodity through out the history of movie making.
I believe that David Lean actually fell in love with the Arab and became another T.E. Lawrence. Practically, you can not do such marvelous work without great love and devotion.
You probably saw a lot of the desert flicks, and I am sure most of them are stinkers. Because they lack a major value, respect to the natives and their way of life, I cant say that Lawrence of Arabia praised the Arabs, but he gave more than any film I can remember a wide range of characters that covers the whole human spectrum in any society, it do not have that cheap attitude towards the Arab as human beings as most of Hollywood films does.
The 2 years spent in the desert played a major role in realistically studying the natural Bedouins in their natural environment and to learn their customs, manners and even their body language, this was obvious in the acting, also using real Bedouins as extras gave the film its distinguished flavor. The costumes was something I always admire in this move, the way they show the Arabic dress is dignifying, its not like those fantasy costumes that Hollywood uses frequently even in modern cinema (hidalgo for example).
I think modern cinema lost its magic, although they are trying very hard not to, but they couldn't figure it out. its very simple the human factor is lost. Its not any more important like before, I can go further in saying actors became shallow, their real life is shallow and artificial and this is the human dilemma, the more technologically advanced and materially we become the less humans we became.
Life is soul, and you can not pump life in a dead body.
Cinema as an art form is losing its soul, I think the cinema will be revived but it needs another people that still did not lose their innocence and souls.