Quintessential David Lean

Rating: 10/10 (25 February 2005)

Based just on "Lawrence," "Zhivago," and "Bridge on the River Kwai," David Lean must certainly be counted among the greatest directors ever. And, while Peter O'Toole and the other fine actors in "Lawrence of Arabia" (Alec Guiness, Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quinn, Jose Ferrer among them) help make this a great picture, this film -- more than the others -- belongs to Lean himself. The scenes in the desert, the panoramic camera shots, the unhurried pace of the action are knock-your-socks-off brilliant. In fact, I'm hard put to think of another movie that rivals "Lawrence" in this respect. As someone else has remarked, this is a film that needs to be seen in a theater. The small screen can't begin to do it justice. I'm inclined to doubt that a giant TV screen (which I do not possess) will do the job. This is a BIG picture in every respect. A great picture in every way imaginable. In celebrating Lean's contribution, I don't mean to slight the acting which is superb. Peter O'Toole deserves all the superlatives that have been lavished on him. Guiness is Guiness, one of the finest actors of his generation. And enough can't be said about Anthony Quinn. Quinn does unlettered, vital,virile and larger than life better than anyone else ever has. I'd have to think very closely about some of his other performances, but this may very well be Quinn's best.