This is what an Epic is supposed to be - absorbing AND audacious.

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 1999)

There were all kinds of huge Hollywood productions in the 50' and 60's, beginning with 1952's THE ROBE. Their common traits were that they were mostly biblical or Roman in theme, ran well over 3 hours, and were shot in CinemaScope or Super Panavision 70, both massive wide-screen processes. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is not biblical, nor is it an ancient Roman story. It is a 20th Century account of one man's personal fight to change the face of history and third world politics. It is far better than the films of the previous mold, because it is far more believable and timeless. We may not learn much about T.E. Lawrence as a man, but his actions and incredible ambition tell us a lot. The monumental look of the film does not overshadow our involvement in Lawrence's plight and we do care for this strange, intelligent little man who may have become a God to his Arab counterparts, and, to himself.
David Lean is a great director, period. This man takes his cast and crew to excruciating locales (BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI - jungle, LAWRENCE- the middle of one of the largest deserts in the world). The desert, "the anvil of the earth" states Omar Sharif as Ali, is as much a character in the flick as any actor. This is not a criticism. You will NEVER see such rigorous performances in the most horrific of earthly conditions. Lean and co. spent over 2 years out there making this amazing picture and it shows. Peter O'Toole's appears to grow older and wiser as the film moves along (and it moves along at a refreshingly fast pace for a 4 hour epic). He is perfectly cast to play a mysterious historical figure, a man who was reportedly gay, a topic that could not be tackled on-screen at the time. There are 2 hints I found, however. See if you can find them, especially in one scene with Jack Hawkins. His mission to observe the Arabian efforts during WWI turn aggressive, until it eventually consumes his very being. This is personal to Lawrence. He becomes Lawrence of Arabia because he wants his place in history and he wants to "give these people their freedom". We, in essence, are no longer observers, but become entrenched with Lawrence's fight.
The mind-boggling cinematography is so rich and dry, we feel like getting a drink whenever possible. The night-time shots are as awe-inspiring as the day shots. The blowing sand over the rigid desert suggests the winds of change about to happen in Saudi Arabia. The first half of picture is a bit slower than the second, but my favorite sequence occurs. Lawrence, against all human odds, goes back to the heart of the desert to save 'Gasim', risking all he is fighting for, as well as his own life. He teaches the Arabs that nothing is "written", and Lawrence truly wrote his own history almost single-handedly. Later, he has an unexpected, yet necessary duty, to perform with the very man he saved. The blinding sun shots and look of the actors in these conditions contribute to the realism of the picture.
Serious film buffs must see LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, because of its influential importance. Steven Spielberg claims to watch it before he starts every new project. It is all over RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. The sheer grandness of its look and feel will change your cinematic values. It demands viewing because it is the cinema in its purest form.
NOTE: This is another wide-screen format must. It is not even worth seeing without it. Lawrence's victorious trot across the wrecked train, probably the most celebrated sequence, cannot even be seen in its proper perspective in pan and scan.