Could very well be the greatest film I've ever seen.

Rating: 10/10 (26 January 2005)

Lawrence of Arabia is an outstanding film on every level. Performances, direction, music, cinematography, characterisation, costume design, editing and story-telling - all outstanding. Every shot is beautifully composed; not a word in the epic-length script is wasted; and Peter O'Toole as the titular character gives the greatest performance that I've ever seen given by any actor, at any time, in any film. The film is also remarkable for the level of planning and preparation required to pull off the more spectacular scenes (no CGI back in 1962, remember, so every one of the thousands of extras on screen - even the ones in the distant background - are there for real). I learnt recently that if this film was made nowadays exactly as it was back then, the cost would be close to $300,000,000.
Cairo: 1916. The British Army show interest in various Arab uprisings against the Turks around the Middle East. It seems presumable that if the disparate and disorganised Arab factions could be united, they could be fashioned into a force capable of denting the Turkish Army. Young, bored officer Lawrence (O'Toole) is ordered to contact the Arabs and to establish the feasibility of transforming their bickering tribes into a single fighting unit. Ambitiously - perhaps manipulatively - Lawrence intentionally exceeds his orders. He befriends Prince Faisal (Alec Guiness), Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn), and Sheriff Ali Ibn El Kharish (Omar Sharif) - the main Arab figures in the region - and convinces them to pool their men and their resources in order to smash the Turks. Without authority, Lawrence leads his new guerrilla unit into battle - seizing Aqaba from the "impossible" desert side; rolling on into Deraa so fast that the British Army can barely keep up; and ultimately capturing the prized city of Damascus. Along the way, he is captured and (sexually?) tortured by the enemy, emerging from his ordeal a cold, distant shell of his former self, but still driven to complete his incredible quest.
This is an amazing film, and I refuse to take seriously anyone who proclaims themself a genuine film buff if they haven't seen it. Director David Lean weaves the story with assured skill, subtly showing Lawrence's evolution from a nondescript army officer, to an inspirational idealist, and finally to a blindly arrogant "lost soul" who realises too late that his quest has robbed him of his humanity. Freddie Young's photography seems to focus in on every grain of desert sand and every nuance on the actors' faces. This is the best cinematography ever to grace a movie screen. The actors deserve every accolade that has been heaped upon them, but O'Toole in particular should be singled out. His Lawrence - clad in sweeping white robes, much to the chagrin of his stiff upper lipped superiors - has become an iconic screen character every bit as identifiable as King Kong atop the Empire State Building or Janet Leigh screaming in the shower. If this isn't the greatest film of all-time it's undoubtedly in the top five. How many other films can you name that are nearly four hours long and yet every second commands your attention (even during subsequent viewings)? It should be made a legal obligation to watch Lawrence of Arabia at least once in your lifetime, it really is THAT good.