Lawrence of Arabia

My path toward choosing a 200+ minute epic released in the early 1960s is an odd one. 

It started with me playing the remastered version of Uncharted 4, which technically has nothing to do with T.E. Lawrence of whom Lawrence of Arabia is based upon. But Uncharted 3 references T.E. Lawrence heavily and I remember always being interested in the character: an archeologist turned war-spy turned war-leader all around the World War 1 era just seemed too good to pass up. 

I also recognized it has been since August 2021, when I concluded revisiting all the James Bond films, since I'd done my most recent Retro Review. Ooooof...ouch. Sorry.

When it comes to film classics that are 60+ years old, it's hard to not feel like you MUST give a perfect score, lest you offend the cinema gods. Back in the day, Lawrence of Arabia was THE film, winning with both critics and audiences alike. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, of which it won 7, including Best Picture. It's cited on many "Most Influential Films of All Time" lists and is responsible for inspiring some of today and yesterday's most influential directors (it's apparently Steven Spielberg's favorite film of all time).

Gorgeous vista #1

For me, Lawrence of Arabia was both an eye-opening experience to cinematic lore, an interesting history lesson (more about Hollywood/production versus WWI), and a bit of a disappointment as a story. It's a conflicting take where I 110% understand how and why the film was so influential, but in a modern era, I felt some issues didn't stand the tests of time. 

For starters...that length. 227 minutes (aka nearly 4 hours minus some opening/closing music + intermission) is a lot of movie. And, when the film is this old, elements like long sequences of dialogue don't translate as well as they once did. It's a common complaint I have with many older films is that movies in this day and age have (mostly...there are definitely exceptions both ways) gotten better at grounding the audience with what's going on in the plot, in the conversation, and in the "room where it happens", so to speak. I felt like Lawrence of Arabia had so much ground to cover with its vast timeline of World War I events that it was hard for me to keep track. It was hard to keep track of characters, motivations, war strategies, and specific locations. Perhaps that's a "me" issue and perhaps those more well versed in the history of the time and Lawrence would fare better, but it was a detriment to my viewing experience that I couldn't shake. 

Peter O'Toole apparently "loathed" the desert, a far cry from Lawrence's love for it

Luckily, I didn't feel this way with regards to the character of Lawrence himself. While I couldn't always tell you what specifically he was doing in the midst of the war (broad strokes were clear, detailed strokes were not), I could understand the character development and trials he underwent. Largely this is thanks to Peter O'Toole's incredible and iconic performance as the titular character. Whether or not the character was written accurately aside (minimal research shows....ehhh, not so much), O'Toole's portrayal captures an enigmatic personality who tried really hard to fit in with a group of people unlike himself and lead. Among that, he saw friends die and succumbed to some of the horrors of war himself, shaking his persona and love of the desert. 

Story and characters aside, Lawrence of Arabia was heralded back in the day for its filmmaking. And, particularly in restored high definition, my God does that part hold up well. A lot could be said about the direction, editing, and pacing alone (I still feel it's too long, but scenes are given plenty of breathing room) but the cinematography was the most striking element to me throughout its entirety. I've seen a lot of films in my life (clearly) and Lawrence of Arabia may have some of the best cinematography I've ever seen. Large vistas are captured in memorable ways that provide immediate senses of scale, not to mention iconic shots of characters against the desert. Given it was shot on location in places like Jordan, Morocco, and Spain, the natural imagery is nothing short of staggering. Production values soar high too with lots of extras, real animals, and iconic costumes. Also iconic is the original score that withheld time to fit perfectly with the film and likely features moments you've already heard. 

The real locations add A LOT to the film

While Lawrence of Arabia may not get a perfect score from me, I can't deny anyone who cites this film as a "favorite" and it certainly earns a place among the annals of Hollywood influence along with many other great epics I've yet to see/Retro Review. And my score of films with legacies like these isn't really the point. If you're a movie buff (and/or a history buff in this case), Lawrence of Arabia is a must-see just to witness the impacts it has had on many of your favorite modern films. 

CONS

• I had a hard time keeping track of the moving pieces. There's a lot going on in a very active part of the war and outside of broad strokes, I struggled to know what was happening at several intervals
• Feels too long, even for an epic

PROS

• O'Toole's portrayal of the character creates no confusion and was a main reason I was able to keep up as well as I did. The rest of the cast is superb too
• As a character study of Lawrence, the plot does better IMO
• Feels big and epic, largely thanks to production values
• Costumes, sets, extras...all are extensive
• On scene locations
• HOLY EFF the cinematography
• DAMN the original score
• Influence of Hollywood is clear and it's fun to watch with the lens of where you've seen similar things in films made after it

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10