A retrospective by Max Scheinin Copyright, 1997, Max Scheinin
**** = perfection *** = good, not great ** = not good, not bad - merely acceptable * = not acceptable yet not horrid - merely very bad ZERO = horrid - avoid at all costs 1/2 = icing on the cake
Released 1962 A David Lean film, "Lawrence Of Arabia" Starring: Peter O' Toole, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins, Claude Rains, Anthony Quale, Arthur Kennedy, Jose Ferrer Rating: ****
Once in a very great while a truly special movie comes along. These movies are like fairy tales; you don't just watch them you actually experience them. A handful come to mind at once: Battleship Potemkin, Modern Times, The Wizard Of Oz, Citizen Kane, Casablanca, Singin' In The Rain, Some Like It Hot, Vertigo, 2001, The Sound Of Music, The Godfather Part I and II, Jaws. Lawrence Of Arabia is such a film. When T.E. Lawrence ( Peter O' Toole ) stares across the simmering desert we feel his hesitation to go ahead into the unknown. When the final battle scene unspools on the screen you feel every man's anxiety and fear. And when, after days of dutifully trudging through the desert, the party comes upon a small oasis you too feel relief. The film involves you so directly that when you leave you have been a little transformed. T.E. Lawrence was a remarkable man and his story is truly amazing.
Numerous moments live in your mind. I was so transfixed by the screen that I nearly forgot I was sitting on my couch watching. I saw the film in it's wide screen format, which means I probably didn't truly appreciate it's full scope and breadth. But what I saw was so amazing. Words cannot describe the sights. Characters develop so naturally; every flinch of a muscle seems so lifelike; every time that someone tries to express something it's all so utterly natural that by the end you are certain that it had to be real.
Movies were originally created for pure entertainment. Now they have came to mean so much more. It's comforting to think that Lawrence Of Arabia will never be forgotten. If the current 'Batman And Robin' is a turkey then Lawrence is a feast for the eyes.
LOA runs a lengthy 3:31. I must admit that I usually my doubts walking into such a long film, but this one is never tedious or boring. David Lean masterfully captured the reality of the desert on film; it is harsh but fascinating, a windswept land of sun. Every minute is truly gripping. I give it ****.
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