Totally Unmoving.

Rating: 6/10 (11 November 2002)

I rate this movie 6 out of 10.
This is hardly the greatest movie of all time as others have written here. I'd be hard pressed to call it one of the greats. Of course, there is much subjectivity in any of these types of judgments. My opinion is partly based on the fact that I am seeing this movie for the first time now in 2002. Had I been born (and old enough) to appreciate this movie during it's 1962 release, I suspect I would have rated it higher back then. I'm sure things that were breakthroughs and outstanding back in the 1962 release of this film would have improved my opinion of it had I seen it then. On the same token, I suspect movies that I've seen in recent years which I've given one rating now, may change slightly (maybe even significantly) over the years.
Perhaps I did get off on the wrong foot with this movie in the beginning. I did not find it very artistic, moving, or stirring to have the interminably long period of black screen with the soundtrack playing at the beginning of this film (on DVD). Then the very first scene set me off with a negative impression. In this scene we see T.E. Lawrence riding his motor bike down the road at a VERY high rate of speed WITHOUT his hair being blown back, or blown about in the slightest bit, other than from the up and down motion of whatever he was sitting on when they filmed this scene. Surely one could say that he is wearing some pretty strong hair spray, gel, grease, whatever, but nothing could be so strong as to have his hair not move at all while traveling so fast on a motorbike.
Okay so those are fairly minor flaws of which there aren't many in this film. The main reason I didn't rate this movie higher was because this movie (the story) didn't really move me in any way. It didn't elicit any strong emotions in me one way or another whether it be sadness, happiness, fear, intrigue, wonder, nostalgia, anything. There was hardly even a sense of adventure (to me). In some ways it was dryer than watching an old PBS documentary.
I also found the storyline somewhat disjointed, and the ending very dull and incomplete. So dull, ordinary, and incomplete that it was unexpected. If not for the words 'The End', I would not have thought the film was over. Although I must say that I was sort of glad that it was.

Anyhow, I suppose certain people rate their movies primarily on the artistic value of how well the film was made. I take that into consideration, but my ratings have a lot to do with how good the story is and how the movie makes me feel. A great story poorly made will get low marks. A boring story, nicely made will get mediocre marks from me. This movie fits the latter. I did not come away from this movie with a sense of "Wow, that was fantastic", but more of a sense of "Eh, that was okay".

If not for the fine acting and cinematography, I would have given this movie 4/10. Because this movie does have merit in it's style and acting, and the breakthroughs made for its 1962 release I decided to give it 6/10.