LOTR Doesn't Come Anywhere Near Close

Rating: 10/10 (23 February 2005)

Given the recent spate of apparently excellent biographies - "The Aviator", "Ray", "Finding Neverland" (I'm yet to see any of these) - and also a rediscovered delight of moviegoers in watching movies on an epic scope and length, the effect of Lawrence of Arabia on any competent movie lover is even stronger. It is without doubt the best film in both of these popular categories.
There are so many great things to say about this piece of brilliance: music, editing, acting are all top notch; but ultimately it is all about David Lean - one of the best directors of the 20th Century. There is never any doubt of the deserving "epic" tag that so many people place upon it, but is the study of character which sets "Lawrence" above all other pretenders. Character vs scale is a balancing act that is extraordinarily hard to pull off in a movie of this scale. Modern audiences have to compare it to recent examples: Peter Jackson tried - and failed - to do it in his brilliant LOTR adaptations, Mel Gibson butchered history in Braveheart, and Spielberg has never married the two perfectly, but David Lean shows both here and in Doctor Zhivago that he was the consummate master.
Spielberg himself adores this movie (praise from a director who's movies have grossed more than any other is high praise indeed!) and it's not hard to see why. At a length of over 4 hours, "Lawrence" flies by, which considering there were moments in LOTR which had me fidgeting in my seat in potential boredom is testament to the brilliance of the storytelling.
There has never been anything better than this - except perhaps another of David Lean's very best. Take your pick: this, Zhivago, Bridge on the River Kwai, Brief Encounter, A Passage to India - they're all brilliant.