Lawrence for the Ages

Rating: Null/10 (16 September 2005)

A film which shall surely outlive all of us, "Lawrence of Arabia" continues to have a life of its own. With the cinematography of no less than Freddie Young and Maurice Jarre's brilliant score, director David Lean crafted his -and one of histories'- greatest films. This was Peter O'Toole's first feature film, and many citics consider it to be his finest work. Much of "Lawrence" was filmed in Morocco, not in Arabia as most people assume. Be that as it may, the visual splendor remains as breathtaking as ever 43 years after its original release. Freddie Young won the Oscar for Best Color Cinematography. Maurice Jarre was awared the Oscar for the Best Original Score. David Lean won for Best Director. Peter O'Toole was nominated for Best Actor, but lost out to Gregary Peck for the latter's performance in "To Kill a Mockingbird". The rest, as they say, is history.