Poetic Filmmaking - The Mona Lisa of the Film Medium

Rating: 8/10 (15 September 2015)

This is a film lover's delight, sweeping you away from your environment and immersing you in the sights and sounds of another place and time. As much as I consider Citizen Kane one of the greatest films ever made because of it's innovations, Lawrence of Arabia succeeds as the Mona Lisa of movie-making. Each stroke, colour, action, is perfect. I will watch this film every few years, and have no problem sitting through the 3 hour plus running time. I've had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen a couple times in my life. More recently I viewed it in HD, and it looked incredible. For such a long film, there is breathtaking set piece after set piece of huge scenes that truly define what an Epic Movie is. And you would think a long running time means a slowly paced story, but the different chapters in this film vary in pacing based on the momentum of the scene.
There are scenes of thousands of people stretched across the desert vistas that are almost impossible to believe there are no visual effects involved. The grand staging of scenes in large rooms with a lush colours are a marvel to witness. Striking visuals come one after another; a large boat seemingly sailing in the desert, large cityscapes with period detail, sweeping battle scenes, and train wrecks.
The list of iconic actors is also astonishing. The debut of Peter O'Toole as Lawrence is mesmerising. Alec Guinness provides an elder's wisdom. Omar Shariff and Anthony Quinn are larger than life characters. There are no missteps and endlessly breathtaking photography. One thing that comes from repeated viewings is David Lean's careful poetic presentation of the story, which is part of the secret of it's longevity. Perhaps it is the lyrical portrayal of such a heavy subject of war that keeps this film from reaching the 10 star status that other war films possess.