 Tagline: A Mighty Motion Picture Of Action And Adventure! Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture of 1962, Lawrence Of Arabia stands as one of the most timeless and essential motion picture masterpieces. The greatest achievement of its legendary, Oscar-winning director David Lean (1962, Lawrence Of Arabia; 1957, The Bridge On The River Kwai), the film stars Peter O'Toole - in his career-making performance - as T.E. Lawrence, the audacious World War I British army officer who heroically united rival Arab desert tribes and led them to war against the mighty Turkish Empire. Newly restored and remastered at 4K resolution, the massive scope and epic action of the Director's Cut of Lawrence Of Arabia can now be experienced like never before in this landmark 50th Anniversary Edition. Storyline: An inordinately complex man who has been labeled everything from hero, to charlatan, to sadist, Thomas Edward Lawrence blazed his way to glory in the Arabian desert, then sought anonymity as a common soldier under an assumed name. The story opens with the death of Lawrence in a motorcycle accident in Dorset at the age of 46, then flashbacks to recount his adventures: as a young intelligence officer in Cairo in 1916, he is given leave to investigate the progress of the Arab revolt against the Turks in World War I. In the desert, he organizes a guerrilla army and--for two years--leads the Arabs in harassing the Turks with desert raids, train-wrecking and camel attacks. Eventually, he leads his army northward and helps a British General destroy the power of the Ottoman Empire. Written by alfiehitchie Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on October 31, 2012 -- He was the most extraordinary man I ever knew. Looking back and writing on a film like Lawrence of Arabia with anything other than some form of pointed criticism seems almost an exercise in futility; it's been praised and praised some more, but few -- rare, extremely rare -- are the films that can withstand so much acclaim and actually live up to that level of hype and hold up under so much micro-scrutiny, all over the course of decades, through countless viewings, and beyond all the wordy discussions. Rightly regarded as one of the finest movies ever made and a picture that leaves behind a legacy that speaks to the power of perfect filmmaking and the lasting impact that is the filmed marriage of faultless craftsmanship and enthralling story, Lawrence of Arabia is the movie that typifies cinema greatness, that is arguably the epic that defines epics, the picture that remains the textbook answer for the question of why movies are made and how a medium so influenced by external sources and so inundated with mediocrity, disappointments, and disasters remains a legitimate canvas for the most serious artists. It's a film that absolutely encapsulates everything that's so wonderful about motion pictures, a demonstration of the entire process completed with faultless execution, and at about double the runtime of most pictures at that. It's one of the top few in the same vein as Gone with the Wind, The Godfather, and Star Wars, films that should immediately spring to mind as the cream of the crop amongst cinema-defining classics. Yet Lawrence of Arabia does perhaps lack the immediate name recognition, the popular culture infusion, the instantly recognizable cast, and the flash of those others, but it's certainly the film that purists, enthusiasts, students, educators, and casual viewers alike should approach when in search of a motion picture that embodies the total amassed perfection of drama, action, acting, photography, music, and everything that together makes a great movie or, in this case, a legend. It is the height of World War I. A middling British Lieutenant by the name of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) may be the most enigmatic man in the entire military. He works diligently and with exacting precision on map detail. His is a rather quirky sense of humor and slightly odd way of carrying himself. He's a very highly educated man, an expert on Arabic culture and letters, and he's about to embark on a quest that will rise his star within the army ranks and the general public alike. He's sent on a lengthy mission of personal information gathering to assess the progress, or lack thereof, concerning the Arab uprising against the formidable Turkish Army. He's to meet with the noted Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and is escorted by Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), a man who murders Lawrence's first guide and companion for drinking well water without its owner's -- Ali himself -- permission. Lawrence impresses the Prince a great deal with his honesty, intelligence, grasp of Arabian culture, and respect for the Arabs' ways. He speaks out against a plan of retreat from the Turks and instead proposes a dangerous cross-desert raid on the Turkish coastal stronghold of Akaba, the capture of which would yield political, strategic, and morale-boosintg victories all. As Lawrence proves himself a friend of the Arab, understanding of and embracing their ways, a strong military strategist, and a man of impeccable courage, he works his way into the hearts of his Arab comrades and morphs into a man fully ingrained in their ways. As he leads the Arabs in battle, unites warring tribes, and settles difficult disagreements, he becomes a hero to the Arab people, a respected military figure, and a curiosity around the world. As victories mount and Lawrence's star rises, he comes to realize the weight of the burden he bears and begins paying towards the inward price for his outward successes and transformation. Lawrence of Arabia is the inward story of a single man set against the sweeping outward wrappings of an epic. It's a film that fashions an intimate tale on a grand scale, making use of countless emotions and actions to assemble a captivating journey across deserts, through war, and from mind to soul. Director David Lean (The Bridge on the River Kwai) manages what seems nearly impossible in any artistic medium, and that is conveying so much personal drama through such strong character development in a movie so broad in physical scope, so visually dazzling, so audibly captivating, so absolutely immersive in every way. The story of T.E. Lawrence is one of the most intimate yet in many ways peculiar in film history. His tale is one defined by deeds but not through an abundance of physical actions. He's a man of odd manners and ambiguity but a strong stature and high intelligence. He's a man of conviction and courage but prone to wild swings of emotion and folly. He's respected but not always understood, held in high regard but at some expense to his own well-being, moral compass, and overall stability. His is a tale that's timeless though set in a certain place and time. His story is deeply personal though spread far and wide. It speaks to the man that his life is shaped by surrounding himself with those unlike him and distant from his culture, never mind the vastness of the desert and the inhospitable terrain in which Lawrence not only finds life, but thrives. But then comes the downward half of the arc. His rise from obscurity to stardom, journey from cockeyed personal confidence to delusions of divineness, and the inevitable fall make for a splendid inner story that takes shape from within the gruel of war and the harshness and expanse of the desert. It's a uniquely fascinating character study, though sometimes a bit obscured by what is an almost overpowering sense of grandeur that is the rest of the filmmaking story. Indeed, Lawrence of Arabia remains an awe-inspiring spectacle of the finest variety. The movie absolutely dazzles across every square inch of bold cinematography, each stroke of Maurice Jarre's unforgettable score, and every second of Lean's impeccable direction, from his handling of fast action scenes to lingering distance shots of desert expanse and the slow reveal of characters approaching from the horizon. The movie is inspired filmmaking and inspiring to all who watch it. It's a film grand in scope and grander in its display of the Middle East's geographic splendor. Every scene yields a sense of awe and breadth quite unlike anything else. The film promises and provides an unforgettable cinema journey in which the audience practically accompanies Lawrence across uncrossable deserts, joins him in battle, and experiences his character arc alongside him, whether in army fatigues or traditional Arab dress, whether atop the world or beaten down by inner chaos. Better, Lean's direction and Freddie Young's cinematography effortlessly and effectively convey the size of the desert, the perils of the journey, the heat under the sun, the dangers of war, and the seeming impossibility of it all with amazing precision. Arguably no film before has so realistically brought its canvas to life, and it's all due not to razzle-dazzle but rather sensible photography, bold choices, superb source material, grand shooting locales, and perhaps even an invisible helping hand, for as Steven Spielberg said of the film, it's truly a "miracle" of filmmaking that has not been -- and will never be -- duplicated or improved upon. Truly, this is cinema beyond belief. Of course, any review of Lawrence of Arabia would be remiss without a note on the cast. In short, it's spectacular, so good, in fact, that the actors slip away and the characters instantly appear, from Lawrence and Sherif Ali and on down the line to the most insignificant background player. Certainly, the performances owe quite a bit to the combination of direction, cinematography, scriptwriting, and even costuming, set design, and shooting locales -- all create an authentic backdrop and canvas on which the players may finely shape their characters -- but at the end of the day they're another part of the "miracle" filmmaking process in which every element works in harmony and to unimaginable perfection. Peter O'Toole's breakout performance in the lead part is a revelation; O'Toole finds a unique cadence for the character and so fully absorbs the role from the most insignificant mannerism to the most performance- and film-defining arc elements that he embodies Lawrence to startling perfection at any point in the film and under any conditions, whether covered in sand or squeaky-clean in his resplendent white robes, whether toiling away in cartography or in the midst of torture or battle. It's one of the finest performances in film, faultlessly seamless and completely enveloping through every frame. The supporting cast boasts name actors who also fall effortlessly into character, including Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, and Alec Guinness, none of whom enjoy the sort of career-defining performance as Peter O'Toole but all of whom inhabit their characters with the sort of faultless precision expected of an epic of this scale, a film of this grandeur, a story this sweeping, a film this memorable, and an experience to be cherished, a work of art that defines its medium better than any of its peers. Cast Notes: Peter O'Toole (T.E. Lawrence), Alec Guinness (Prince Feisal), Anthony Quinn (Auda Abu Tayi), Jack Hawkins (General Allenby), Omar Sharif (Sherif Ali), José Ferrer (Turkish Bey [as Jose Ferrer]), Anthony Quayle (Colonel Brighton), Claude Rains (Mr. Dryden), Arthur Kennedy (Jackson Bentley), Donald Wolfit (General Murray), I.S. Johar (Gasim), Gamil Ratib (Majid), Michel Ray (Farraj), John Dimech (Daud), Zia Mohyeddin (Tafas). IMDb Rating (03/11/13): 8.5/10 from 117,251 users Top 250: #69 IMDb Rating (11/06/12): 8.5/10 from 110,384 users Top 250: #65 IMDb Rating (01/15/10): 8.6/10 from 74,001 users Top 250: #42 IMDb Rating (10/15/07): 8.5/10 from 51,796 users Top 250: #30 IMDb Rating (06/01/01): 8.6/10 from 10,873 users Top 250: #26
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