Lawrence of Arabia (2002)

Very well executed

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

With only a few television credits and bit parts in Hollywood, Peter O'Toole made his breakthrough performance in Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence of Arabia is one of those movies that everyone remembers a scene from even if they haven't seen the four-hour epic all the way through. Between the famous theme from Maurice Jarre, the iconic rooftop silhouette, "No prisoners!", the appetizing order of lemonade, Omar Sharif's entrance, Peter O'Toole's beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the middle of the desert, and the hundreds of fight scenes, there are plenty of memorable moments to choose from when you relive the movie as you talk about it with your friends.In case you don't know, David Lean's sprawling, dazzling epic is about T.E. Lawrence's time fighting in the Arabian Peninsula. This is much more than just another WWI movie. Peter O'Toole is not a gung-ho commanding officer who joyfully leads his men into battle. He's incredibly conflicted and disgusted by war. To him, a dead soldier is not a statistic, it's a man. During the famous "No prisoners!" scene, in which he only utters those two words, his face shows an incredible array of emotions. If you watch that scene and don't simultaneously think he was robbed of his Oscar and fall in love with him, well, watch it again. Guys, feel free to develop a man-crush; no one will blame you. After all, Noel Coward famously quoted, "If *he* had been any prettier, the film would have been called Florence of Arabia."Unfortunately for Peter O'Toole, this incredible epic was released during the same year as To Kill a Mockingbird, and no one else stood a chance come Oscar time. He was in pretty good company, though, since Burt Lancaster and Jack Lemmon also lost out that year after giving excellent performances in Birdman of Alcatraz and Days of Wine and Roses, respectively. The good news is Lawrence of Arabia did win Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography, among others. This a great compromise movie for date night, if you don't mind a four-hour running time. Ladies will get to drool over the ridiculously handsome Peter O'Toole-as Robin Williams said in Aladdin, "Pick a feature!"-and gents will get lost in the endless fighting and strategy scenes with nary a woman in sight. This is definitely a man's movie, and if it weren't for the perfect piece of eye candy, no woman in her right mind would probably watch it. If you're considering renting it, check out the preview. Usually, old movies were chopped into terrible previews, but this one is pretty good. It gives a pretty good representation of the film and shows off the supporting cast, including Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Arthur Kennedy, Jose Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, and Claude Rains.

I can't really add anything more to the postive comments already made here. I saw it on TV as a child then the restored version at the cinema. I would ask you ignore one or two people who have bemoaned the lack of a 'happy' or 'clear' ending. Sitting for 3.5 hours and missing the point completely must be frustrating. The last scene, as Lawrence is driven away, his dreams of helping to form an arab state in ruins - passing arabs on camels and with a motor bike overtaking him is a moment of regret and a hint of further doom like no other. The psycological depth of the film has few parallels and having read Seven Pillars of Wisdom it certainly reflects Lawrence's psyché well. In terms of script and cinematography there is a short analysis by Sam Yates of one scene on You Tube that brilliantly shows the genius of Lean and why almost 60 years after it was made the film is still utterly mesmeric. I am watching it again this week with my 18 year old son who is joining the military. As a guide to politics, power, individuality and regret it has no equal.

Sound: Excellent orchestral score. 100/100 Narrative: Circular narrative, with heavy fictionalization of Auda abu Tiye and some of the battles; especially the battle of Aqaba. The story is still told well though. 80/100 Technical: Exquisitely shot, framed, and edited. Excellent use of montage and landscapes. 100/100 Acting/Character: All parts well done. O'Toole brings out Lawrence's eccentric behavior well. Alec Guinness' King Faisal gives us a dyed in the wool politician playing against experienced Machiavelli's 100/100 Did I like it: Yes, viewing this film on the big screen I felt like I could step out from my seat and into the scene. 100/100 Artistic merit: Historical films need more factual accuracy to draw their weight; but the overall craftsmanship keeps the films power. 95/100 Final score 95.8/100

Because of its length, I always postponed watching this film. But now that I've finally seen it, I regret postponing it. This film is visually a masterpiece. The scene where the army rides through the town is extraordinary. It is real, no CGI. Pure film. If you want films with realism, you'll love this.