Lawrence of Arabia:The Great Epic Film

Yet with all this ambiguity and complication, what we get is ultimately a sweeping epic, the best of its kind. David Lean was a master at this type of film, as seen in both this film and The Bridge on The River Kwai. Both films deal with war, and both subtly critique the supposedly heroic character`s motives. They both are also great to look at. In Arabia`s case, the wonderful sights are in the desert. We are not seeing a phony studio set, but are thrown into the hot, breezy, dry and barren environment, and wonder how the actors could survive such an experience. There are many scenes which emphasize, at different points, the vastness, the loneliness and the dangers of the desert.

The acting is rather unusual. The sight of Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn and Jose Ferrer playing Arabs is certainly very odd. Guinness, especially, is rather amusing while giving us his own unique interpretation of an extravagant Arab prince. O'Toole is also odd, but that is deliberate, since the character of Lawrence is somewhat off his rocker, no matter what you think about his motives. He is a very pretentious and mannered man, not exactly army material, and it is truly a sight to behold to watch him run around like a fool in Arab robes, trying to act like an Arab "should". This only makes Lawrence more intriguing, and mysterious. If he were a "normal" man, we would not really care, or think about him very much, but because he is a complete nut, he becomes a very interesting character.

Overall, Lawrence of Arabia is a one-of-a-kind film: filled with great scenery and imagery, containing a story that manages to be successfully, and subtly, told even within such a long running time and huge scope, and a fine example of a piece of work which can be better appreciated by repeat viewings. Without a doubt, this film stands as one of the greatest.

Go To Page: 1 2 3