Defining film of twentieth century, mankind

Rating: 10/10 (14 April 1999)

The first time I saw this, I was 15 years old. It was 12am one night and I had rented it at the library. It was an old copy (non restoration, on video, but letterbox) yet something powerful made me stay up until 3:30am to watch the whole thing. After that, I watched it about three more times on video.
Two weeks ago, I finally saw it on the big screen, a new 70mm print, on a 70mm projector. It reaffirmed one thing: this is the most powerful film I've ever seen. And I can't quite put my finger on the reason why. It's a little British, which is foreign to me, and is about a time in history I know little about. Yet, the film makes grandiose statements about humanity, and the capabilities of one man, under the umbrella of some of the finest cinematography I've seen, next to Koyaanisqatsi.
The dialogue is simplistic and terse, yet I savor every line and word that I hear. And Peter O'Toole - man - he should have won the Oscar, just for what he can do with his eyes! I love this movie, all 3+ hours of it (though the last half hour is my least favorite part, sadly).
And even after all this time, I don't know who Lawrence of Arabia really is. This compelled me to buy his book to find out more. If you haven't seen this movie, go see it now if it's at your theater, or rent the DVD, before you see anything else, new or old. It truly is a great film - a masterpiece - a Brothers Karamazov or Moby Dick of film.