All Around Perfect!

Rating: 10/10 (13 August 2015)

Lawrence of Arabia is said to be the best epic ever made and I understand why. In order for an epic to succeed, it has to hold the viewers' attentions throughout the film. Of course there can be moments of down time, but every movie has that. Lawrence of Arabia not only holds attention, it feature everything to make a great movie at all-time heights.
Lawrence of Arabia is easily the best movie made about the First World War. Being the best epic is arguable, but there's only a margin of movies about WW1 and none are simply better than this. Newcomer Peter O'Toole is dead-on as Thomas Edward Lawrence--a role many people say he should have won for instead of Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. If O'Toole did win, the backlash would be the same. I personally liked O'Toole and Lawrence of Arabia more. Lawrence is a hip and cool soldier who wants adventure and is assigned to help Arabian tribes face the Turks. He unites the different tribes and leads them to victory. Throughout the movie are beautiful images of the sun clearing the sky in the deserts of the middle-east with glamorous music. Watching this movie is like looking at an ocean sunset. No matter how many times you see this or how bored you get, you will not be able to take your eyes off this.
Anybody that does not like this obviously misses the underlying themes and characterizations. As I mentioned, O'Toole is captivating. But everybody else is amazing too. Alec Guinness plays Bedouin Prince Feisel who was actually mistaken by residents for the real prince. Lawrence is a complex, multi-layered character who is one of cinema's all-time greats. He is a rebellious misfit who brings his theories with him to Arabia. Seeing it is his biggest challenge, he tries to become one with the army while still keeping his own self. Lawrence is an idealist. When he turns out to be a success, he lets it all get to his head and his ego grows. He unites the tribes and leads the men in courage than only he could give. We understand why Lawrence becomes vain, but still want him to keep his general humility. When a tragic situation changes his whole perspective, he wants out but his influence brought them far. That is where the themes of inspiration and leadership/influence really soar. Despite a terrible trauma to him, he still stepped up with the aide of people he once inspired to fight. He gained everybody's loyalty and friendship--two crucial things the movie is about. Just one man whom everybody doubted created such a bang and legacy that forever changed history. When the war finishes, unity breaks with disagreements but there is still some peace among the groups. I found that to be realistic instead of a picture- perfect happy-ending where everybody becomes best friends.
I wouldn't say Lawrence of Arabia is sad entirely, there's just one depressing scene. But it is not happy either. It is all fully realistic and we have characters and situations where we can be proud of. The movie succeeds in everything it tries to get across, which is more than enough. Literally everything this movie has is perfection.
4/4