The Epic Super Panavision Desert Masterpiece.

Rating: 10/10 (14 March 2015)

Though somewhat controversial in its depiction of certain events, once you sit through the first 30 minutes or so of David Lean's masterpiece you ask yourself "How can I not love this movie"? From its outstanding "matchstick" cut, Freddie Young's cinematography and Maurice Jarre's phenomenal score, "Lawrence of Arabia" continues to be one of the most astounding practical effect movies ever made. Costing only $15 million dollars, to which Steven Spielberg claims that if made today shot for shot, it would be way over $250 million.
Told in two parts, The film awkwardly begins by depicting the last moments of Lawrence's life and the attendees of his funeral who claim to have known his daring exploits. I don't feel like I've spoilt anything for you, because we are then immediately thrown into the beginning of the adventure. Following Lawrence on his travels with the Arabians on their revolt against the Turkish. An epic weave of unification, somewhat sadism and pleasant egotism amongst the characters has a scope way beyond that of a camera lens.
There has been a somewhat controversy on how Lawrence has been portrayed in the film, but Peter O'Toole's performance is phenomenally impressive, and to me somewhat revolutionary considering certain acting sensibilities of 1960's Hollywood and World cinema (Then again, this was also the same year Gregory Peck astounded audiences with the Oscar winning performance in "To Kill A Mocking Bird"). Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins and Omar Sharif do extraordinary work also (I wish Gertrude Bell had made an appearance somewhere). There's just too many great quotes uttered in this movie, and all the dialogue from ever actor is impeccable.
Allow me to ramble on just a little bit longer, but the frontier is gorgeous. Whether it fades in from a previous scene, or emphasised by Maurice Jarre's score, it's one of the few films that makes me believe that when someone is dehydrated they really are. Lean's vision is vast through both its establishing shots and hundreds of extra's, reportedly he looked at John Ford's "The Searchers" (1956) for ideas and even some have made narrative references to Orson Welles's "Citizen Kane" (1941).
Final Verdict: Regardless of what version you see, "Lawrence of Arabia" is one of the great epics that truly deserve the title. In the years that will follow is it destined to remain as one of the tops? Let us just say that "Nothing is written". 10/10.