Larry’s review published on Letterboxd:
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 did. It was a warm and peaceful day. Air was blowing in through the windows and I had absolutely nowhere to be. The setting was right. The atmosphere was set. So I decided to pop in the 50th Anniversary BluRay that has been sitting around in my possession for a few days.
And wow, what a film.
As much as I love to spit in the face of conformity every once in a while, I simply cannot live with myself if I didn't go with my gut feeling and say that this is an utterly flawless film. On a sheer spectacle level alone it's probably the finest cinematic experience that my corneas have ever had the pleasure of refracting into images for my brain. Yeah, I liked it that much. There are other films that may connect with me more, or contain way deeper themes and philosophies, but Lawrence of Arabia gets its massive praise I believe from its enigmatic lead and the grace it handles its massive size with.
Fuck Transformers.
Fuck Avatar.
Fuck The Avengers.
Lawrence of Arabia perfected the word "spectacle" in 1962. It didn't just perfect it. It blew it out of the water. And I'm pretty sure no film has ever come close to matching its massive size, scope, and attitude. The film is breathtakingly large but never sacrifices anything because if that. The film never let's the idea that its got massive natural sets and hundreds of extras running around in full costume go to its head. It stays leveled, smart, and generates a great aura of high quality. The Middle East is photographed with such a golden comfortable glow that you never feel suffocated or dry because of the setting. It's warm and comfortable. It's like a wise old man leading you into a warm cozy cabin to tell you a grand tale by fireside. I was glued to every minute of the nearly 4 hour epic. The pacing was impeccable and I never once found that the events got bogged down or slow. The movie flows like a storybook that you can't really put down. And like I said, its all thanks to the massive size and believability of the setting and characters. Peter O'Toole is magical as the infamous T.E. Lawrence. He owns the role and I can easily see how it has become one of the most famously beloved roles in all of cinema history. Even looking at real pictures of T.E. Lawrence brought up some similarities between the actor and his real life counterpart. The real Lawrence was a godly figure amongst his people. He was egotistical and flamboyant yet he was humble, loving, and intelligent. Lawrence was flawed and often times lost his way. But by some divine series of events, he rose above his own limitations and the limitations of the people he lead. His triumph, his downfall, and his legacy is true movie magic. Lawrence did great things. He was born to have a movie made of him. And this is the one and only film that ever needs to be recognized when it comes to his life in the service.
T.E Lawrence brought together rival clans and forged his own makeshift band of guerrilla fighters to take on the massive Turkish Empire during the british tour in the Middle East during WWI. His character arc is one if the most refined I've ever seen put to film, and its even more impressive when you take into account that it was real. He starts as a bumbling and rowdy clown. He ends as a triumphant and decorated war hero and legend among the sands. His journey is accompanied by some of the greatest cinematography I have ever seen and on BluRay it looked particularly beautiful. You can see every grain of sand and you can feel the warmth from the picturesque sunsets.
Lawrence of Arabia is a film about a man that is larger than life in an even larger setting. It's a big film that never even once buckles under its own weight. It's graceful and elegant. And immensely entertaining. This journey taken by Lawrence resembles many journeys taken by legendary messiahs and figures from religious texts. He sins and has human flaws. He leaves and makes a triumphant return. He stands as a symbol for all to live by. It's all set behind bloodshed of the land and the effects of war on the soul.
This is how gods are born. And this is also how legendary films are made.
Why is there no church of Lawrence yet? I'd totally join....