The Arabian Pennsula, Crossing the Devil's Anvil, Winning the Middle East War, Only to watch the Peace Fail.

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2007)

That this film is photographed in brilliant color tones may well be important in a symbolic way as it is to the physical properties of this as a motion picture. The main character, the World War in the Middle Eastern Theatre of War against the Ottoman Turkish Empire and the treachery from his own country and his Superior Officers are indeed very complex and deserved something more than a black & white, right & wrong portrayal.
The story starts out wit Mr. T.E. Lawrence, private citizen, taking a spin on his motorcycle, a short ride from which he would not return. We move to the Funeral, and like all funerals of the famous who die in tragic circumstances,* there are a lot of Big Wigs present, not to pay respects, but rather just to be seen.
We also are privy to a roving reporter, stopping all the high governmental folks, asking of their knowledge of the deceased former 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Though the audience was then unaware that Director David Lean's cinematic device to both introduce us to characters from Lawrence's past, who we will be seeing again, later in the film.
Among those who we meet are General Allenby(Jack Hawkins), now a Lord and an American Newspaperman & Newsreel Maker, one Jackson Bentley(Arthur Kennedy)which should be most interesting.
This Mr. Bentley character is the one responsible in the film version for making Lawrence known to the world. This was essentially true, but for some reason the true name of this Press Agent for Lawrence and the Brits.
The true identity of this American Newspaper Man is Lowell Thomas (1892-1981). He had been very active as a Newspaper Writer, as a Radio Newsman and a bit of a film maker, for it was two of his newsreel specials that made 'Lawrence of Arabia' into a household word. A sort of documentary compilation WITH ALLENBY IN PALESTINE AND LAWRENCE IN ARABIA (1919)was released after the War, and it started Mr.Thomas on the road to fame and fortune. (Also a very long career in Film(FOX-MOVIETONE NEWSREEL), Network Radio News and Television right up to the 1970's.(I well remember his HIGH ADVENTURE WITH LOWELL THOMAS as a 7th Grader,1958-59).
Now getting back to LAWRENCE OF ARABIA(1962).
A multi-faceted character would certainly require a multi-level, extra long epic sort of a film to tell the story properly. Well, they sure did that thing! We were all treated to a 216 Minute Epic which had the good sense and decency to have an INTERMISSION inserted right in the middle! And it sure seemed that the hour plus of viewing an awful lot of Sand and Dessert sure must have worked on our minds as pop sales in the lobby seemed quite brisk, indeed! As for the casting of Lawrence, Sir David Lean went with a newcomer, young, good looking and promising as an actor in Peter O'Toole. The very blonde haired and very blue eyed Mr. O'Toole gave us a T.E. Lawrence who was a sort of genius, who was out of step with the rest of the World, though Lawrence would definitely hold that it was the World that was out of step.
He was highly educated and possessed super knowledge of Middle East History, Arabian Peoples, Islamic Religion and Arabian Language. It was while he was on staff a British Army HQ in Cairo that the idea of sending him on the mission to find Prince Feisel (Alec Guiness) was formulated.
The eventual formation of the Arab Milita, which too forces loyal to Feisel and added more and more tribal warriors as time went by was a far cry from stories we are used to. The brutality of the dessert warfare and the frightful methods employed are most vividly portrayed. And what immediately comes to mind is a scene of an attack on a Turkish Railroad Train and its aftermath. As the attackers are 'taking inventory' of the goods on the train, a man in a bloodied up suit walks by in a seeming trance, obviously in a state of shock.
The brutal blood letting scenes seem a little much at times, but it is done purposefully and not just for the sake of gratuitous violence. This David Lean was masterful in weaving a tale with some distasteful elements and maintaining a very mature, grown-up view and attitude. All the way from the start to the very end, this attitude is constant. There is no false glorification of War, nor is there any message that one could interpret as being pacifist. War is just there, we have to put up with it as best we can.
The same sober realistic attitude is maintained with the alleged homosexuality of T.E. Lawrence. There are several parts of the story that sort of hint at it, but it is not mentioned, nor does the Director avoid the issue. His scene with Lawrence's being picked up and fondled by the Turkish Bey (Jose Ferrer) was brutal, shocking and went far enough to get the point across; and to explain the great change in Lawrence's personality.
If made by some lesser Director today, the whole sequence would be far different and much more graphic. A "modern" movie maker would have to 'draw a picture' for the audience, for the old fashioned virtues of subtlety and implication are not in the arsenal of film weaponry of these guys.
And we must make mention of the beautiful, powerful and most memorable original score from the London Phiharmonic Orchestra, which makes our sense of hearing a full partner of our enjoyment.
The Verdict on Sir David Lean's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is ****1/2 (four and a half stars.) See it for the first time or see it again!
NOTE: * The ceremonies like this; Military, Policeman Slain in the Line of Duty, etc., always get turned into a sort of "Show for the Pols and Police Brass.