The Greatest Film Yet..Lean's Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (6 July 1999)

In an era of box office giants and computer animation, it's good to know that films such as this one, were once made. The present day formula of "animation and action" mixed in with mindless screen-writing and assembly line acting, makes one yearn for the days when a film could be epical and yet enjoyable. What makes "Lawrence of Arabia" great is quite simple. The effort and endurance that was needed to film for three years, in a hostile and yet magnificent setting, is beyond the imagination of our present day era, of the "quick" studio release. This achievement alone, would make "Lawrence" one of the greatest ever made, but when one looks past all the visual accomplishments of the film, one sees the real reason it stands above the rest. The screenplay by Robert Bolt(Dr. Zhivago, The Mission) is well timed and presents a believable and yet mildly metaphorical dialogue. "I can not speak for the place, only for myself", Lawrence tells Ali, and we and Ali instantly believe him. The actors are all brilliantly cast, especially Omar Sharif and Claude Rains. O' Toole does a great job of making Lawrence seem as if he does indeed control his own destiny, and yet in every scene we see the vulnerability of Lawrence, and his insecurities. Excellently photographed, brilliantly written, and perfectly cast and acted, "Lawrence of Arabia", is a metaphor in itself for the landscapes upon which it was filmed. Flawless.