In the desert...

Rating: 9/10 (29 December 2011)

IMDb Top 250: 54
Continuing my David Lean unit, I devoted an afternoon to watching Lawrence of Arabia: one of the most iconic, legendary, and celebrated films of all time. Widely regarded as Lean's masterpiece, I was really excited: The Bridge on the River Kwai exceeded my expectations. The number one 'Epic' movie according to the AFI, I expected a roaring tribute to success, an aura of victory and grand scale, and lots of sand. I got 2 of those.
Lawrence of Arabia follows Lawrence's life during World War I, with one scene after his death. Right from the start there's something different about the film: for 4 minutes, there is no picture, only sound- the overture prepares you for the atmosphere of the desert, and for the nearly 4 hour journey ahead.
The first scene is very interesting, and anyone who knows any history won't consider it spoilers: after his crash, the viewer objectively sees Lawrence's funeral. There, reporters ask people about him, and they call him a great man- but almost none have actually met him. By showing his funeral first, a viewer doesn't fear for Lawrence's safety throughout the film: we can focus on his character and his actions.
From there, there is a hard cut to many years previous, and the adventure that is the middle eastern theatre of WWI begins. The Middle East is an interesting setting, virtually unexplored by Western film. In this film, we see enough of it to make up for the deficiency. We also learn about the belligerents of the conflict, Arabs who unite to displace the Turkish, who Lawrence describes as "silly people" who will be small until they can stop arguing between their tribes.
Lawrence had a fascinating life that makes for a great story, but it's good that we only see the WWI section of it: the film couldn't be any more sprawling without losing all cohesion.
The film takes its time, and that's something critical to a viewers enjoyment of the film. We see Lawrence trekking through the desert a lot. The length of the film is quite daunting, but it never feels slow, because of the sweeping scenery and fantastic soundtrack. The pace is like a jog: it never really quickens, even in battle, but there's always the sense that movement is happening.
Arabia jumps from scene to scene like a roller-coaster. There are sequences of talk, then walking through the desert, then a battle, followed by talking... it covers all the bases. Great scenes include Ali's entrance, Aqaba, and the massacre (a surprisingly dark scene). For such an epic film, I expected more depth to the battles. They are skimmed over, and one key fight isn't even shown at all!
If there's one thing I've learned so far from this unit, it's that David Lean can shoot a beautiful film. Lawrence of Arabia has the most stunning photography, I dare call it the perfect visual film. Be it desert in every direction, canyons, huge camps, horses charging to a city, or just the sun, this has the most massive scale in film. It's a shame, and one cannot stress this enough, that this film as of December 2011 does not exist on Blu Ray.
Equal to the visual is the audio. The music is perfect for the desert, with a sweeping band playing the overture that has middle eastern flair. The sound effects are brilliant, like the wind, explosions, or even the sound of the heat of the sun.
Lean does a very good job of directing. This film has a marginally larger scale than Bridge on the River Kwai, but loses the focus that film had. However, as your teachers once taught you, quantity does not equal quality, and in this case, grand does not instantly equate to great: I can't just love the movie because it's so big.
Finally, the acting. Unless you live under a rock, Lawrence's portrayal, and his character in general, is legendary. In his tour-de-force, Peter O'Toole (I was shocked this was his first major film) portrays the outspoken and impulsive Lawrence. His motives are complicated, he is a difficult to understand person. *******SPOILERS FOR A 50 YEAR OLD MOVIE******* Over the course of the film, he develops, at first for the better, but then he deteriorates. His ego gets the better of him, and he finds himself in a terrible situation. This situation, in which he is implicitly raped, is far too vague, even for the 60's. What makes that worse is that it is a key part of his development, and would be far easier to understand if even a small visual cue was added. In the end, he goes home dejected, a failure to himself, despite being a hero of the people. This is a central theme I picked out, which is the myth vs. man. Ironically,the whole film represents that theme. Perhaps things happened Lawrence didn't write about, and we see only the good and (perhaps) relatively bad. ***END SPOILERS***
The film has good support, but it is clearly O'Toole's show. You can learn a lot about someone through their interactions, and the point of the film is to learn about Lawrence. Hence, Sharif Ali is Lawrence's closest friend. We see their initial conflict, gaining of respect, and relationship. Through Ali, we see when Lawrence's fragile mental state is apparent.
Where Bridge on the River Kwai was about the waste of war, this is about the glory of war- until it's not. As Lawrence says, "Nothing is written", sadly ironic for the passionate young man.
I don't think a film like this will ever be made again. Not at this scale, not at this length. Unlike many biographical films, LoA leaves in the true ending, with his rise and fall. Despite the unhappy end, Lawrence of Arabia is a spectacle of cinematic achievement. 9.1/10