A Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2006)

This film is an absolute classic. It's an amazing story of one man's influence on an entire culture. A great cinematic portrayal of the Arabs' life in the vast expanse of the desert. It very deftly depicts the political waves of the time, how the colonizing nations of Europe tried to exploit the less civilized nations of Asia and the middle east.
But the theme and crux of the film is about one man: Lawrence. A man with the guts and bravery to inspire Millions, yet a man who was psychologically tormented. Lawrence, essentially, seems to be a manic-depressive. Most of the time he has a courageous nothing-can-kill-me attitude, with unending hope and optimism. But then he falls into a pit of depression and loneliness, and even hopelessness.
I found this apparent dichotomy in the man to be most fascinating, and it is portrayed very skillfully by the actor who plays Lawrence. The contrast in Lawrence is an interesting historical perspective on the man, and a great allegorical perspective on men in general.