Lawrence of Arabia
1962 Directed by David Lean
Synopsis
Lawrence of Arabia is the classic film from David Lean starring Peter O’Toole and based on the autobiography from Thomas Edward Lawrence who during the first World War was on assignment by the British Empire in Arabia. The film would become a cult classic and is known today as a masterpiece.
Cast
Popular reviews
More-
Today was the day...
...that I finally conquered Lawrence of Arabia.
I'm only 51 years late to the party. How did I manage to miss out on this golden gem of cinema? Well, I honestly couldn't tell you. I've been swept away by other great films throughout the years, I have always been short of time and my backlog grows and grows with every day. It's sad that a monumental film like this got pushed so far back but my mindset was always "I'll watch that soon. I HAVE to watch that soon."
Repeat that for a few years and you get why I'm only just now seeing Lawrence of Arabia here in May of 2013. But I'm glad I…
-
They don’t make them like this anymore.
It is an oft-repeated and tired saying that glorifies the past and belittles the achievements of the present yet, in the case of David Lean’s sweeping, Lawrence of Arabia, it is entirely true. Whilst epic films are still produced today few can match the scale, artistry and majesty of this larger than life tale of a narcissistic British army officer and his conflicted loyalties during the Arab Revolt. At just shy of four hours, Lean takes the audience on a grand journey that manages to juggle the personal travails and wider issues of an entire nation.
What makes this stand above nearly every other epic is that the film perfectly balances these small…
-
Lawrence of Arabia is so awesome and stunning and beautiful and epic that I simply couldn't take it in all at once. It took me three days to get it all in because I wasn't aware of the runtime before I started. I'm never making that mistake again! Even still, I was able to appreciate it and thoroughly enjoy the parts I paid attention to. This will take another watch or two to take it all in and see how it all connects, but now that I own it, that won't be too difficult. If you like gorgeous shots of landscapes, tortured facial expressions, dirty dealings, inspiring speeches, cool costumes, and thrilling battle sequences, and just general epicness you absolutely need to check this out. Just make sure you drink lots of coffee and clear your schedule first.
-
Prince Feisal: With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion. With me, it is merely good manners. You may judge which motive is the more reliable.
Wow. Wow, wow, wow. If I have to be strictly honest, I tried holding off the viewing of this film for the longest time possible, (the wait lasted less than a weak,) due to my fear of it feeling dated, old, far too long, and therefore unimpressive. And I have to say, the film not only holds up 51 years after its release, but it looks absolutely stunning in Blu-Ray. Yet, despite the scope and epicness of Lawrence of Arabia, it's not these factors that make this film so damn good, (though they certainly help…
-
EMBARGOED
-
I really wish that modern films had overtures. On the DVD for Lawrence of Arabia the movie starts with a disclaimer explaining that the overture at the beginning of the film (blank screen with music playing) and also during the intermission are intentional. It sucks that such a disclaimer has to be included. There is something about an overture that makes watching classic films an experience. It's like cinematic foreplay. Simply listening to a film's epic music preps the viewer for the movie. By the time the opening credits start rolling, it is game on.
In my opinion overtures would just make sense in modern films. When you go to the theater you have to sit through commercials and trailers.…
Recent reviews
More-
Lawrence of Arabia is an absolute masterpiece. Watching it in HD makes the experience all the more memorable. Peter O'Toole delivers one of the best performances in the history of cinema and Omar Sharif is almost as impressive. I wasn't bored at any point and that is a pretty extraordinary achievement for such a long film. If you haven't seen this, make it an absolute priority. It is an experience that you will never forget.
-
I could watch this film every day for the rest of my life.
-
Another stellar example of the magic of cinema. I absolutely love this film. The music, cinematography and acting are all in a league of their own. There is a reason Spielberg watches this before every new film he makes. A better source for inspiration can hardly be conceived. A timeless classic!
Budget: $15 million
-
I've never seen a film like this before. It felt quite literally, bigger than Ben-Hur. The level of production value, even by today's standards was just overwhelming.
-
De esas películas que es imposible no admirar por su grandeza visual, por ese nivel de producción insólito hasta para hoy en día. Sus primeras dos horas son absolutamente magistrales, cómo va poco a poco describiendo a ese complejísimo personaje que es Lawrence y sacando el máximo de todo lo que le rodea apoyada por la magestuosa música de Jarre. Si acabase en el interludio sería de ovación infinita.
La segunda mitad es más irregular. A medida que Lawrence va perdiendo el norte, el guión encuentra cada vez más difícil encajar todas esas idas y venidas para encarar un clímax, tarea complicada tras tantos minutos de metraje y tantos puntos álgidos y episodios memorables. La restauración, impecable. En cuanto algún cine se anime a ponerla en pantalla grande, acampo en la puerta.
-
ZOMG camels are so cute and make such silly noises! WANT. Birthday present???
Oh wait, I'm supposed to talk about the movie? I mean, I guess it was pretty neat.
-
Who are you?
-
An almost flawless movie.
-
Today was the day...
...that I finally conquered Lawrence of Arabia.
I'm only 51 years late to the party. How did I manage to miss out on this golden gem of cinema? Well, I honestly couldn't tell you. I've been swept away by other great films throughout the years, I have always been short of time and my backlog grows and grows with every day. It's sad that a monumental film like this got pushed so far back but my mindset was always "I'll watch that soon. I HAVE to watch that soon."
Repeat that for a few years and you get why I'm only just now seeing Lawrence of Arabia here in May of 2013. But I'm glad I…