Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

There's no getting around a simple, basic truth: watching Lawrence of Arabia in any home-video format represents a compromise. There's no better way to appreciate this epic biographical adventure than to see it projected in 70 millimeter onto a huge theater screen. That caveat aside, David Lean's masterful "desert classic" is still enjoyable on the small screen, especially if viewed in widescreen format. (If your only option is to view a "pan & scan" version, it's best not to bother; this is a film for which the widescreen format is utterly mandatory.) Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

 Lawrence of Arabia (single disc)--Fantastic DVD transfer
My review is limited to the quality of the DVD transfer of the single disc version of "Lawrence of Arabia". There are other editions of this film (special editions, etc.) but the single disc is a real bargain. The remastering of this film as presented in the single disc version is simply fantastic. Viewed on my 46-inch LCD high definition TV (via a Toshiba HD DVD player), the picture and sound are stunning! The picture is sharp and clear and the colors are rich and accurate. If your main interest is the film itself (and you can do without all of the extra features found on other DVD editions of this movie)---then the single disc version is a real bargain for this masterpiece. April 21, 2008

 A repackaging, but a very nice one. . .
Sony has reissued their previous 2-DVD edition of David Lean's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA in a new package. No new material, but a lower list price, so it's within the reach of most fans of epic storytelling. Also check out Lean's BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, given the same treatment. Two fine, fine films, deserving of the double dip. April 20, 2008

 Beautiful myth-making film on T.E. Lawrence

The acting, music and cinematography of Lawrence of Arabia is absolutely gorgeous. Other than that, it is historically inaccurate and flawed. Some characters are merely composites or fictional players used to create a story. Geographical details and events are contrived and sacrificed for the sake of storytelling. Even his brother, A.W. Lawrence on viewing the film in 1962 said, "I should not have recognised my brother."

Case in point, the words and actions of characters Dryden, Colonel Brighton, Sherif Ali and Jackson Bentley (not altogether Lowell Thomas) are constrained neither by historical fact nor specific plausibility; they are mere poetic license for screen writer Bolt's narrative more than anything else.

The film suggests Lawrence was an oddity, exploited by the British and Emir Feisal for their political ends. In reality Lawrence was not the unwitting tool portrayed in the film. He had been closely involved in these issues as early as 1915. He probably had a more salient view than Allenby of British-Indian, French and Arab political objectives. In actual fact, Lawrence was a key adviser to Feisal, both during the Arab Revolt and at the Paris Peace Conference. Lawrence also devised a map of the Middle East demarcating separate countries for Armenians and the peoples of present-day Syria, Jordan and parts of Saudi Arabia in another state, based on tribal patterns and commercial routes; the map is presently on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Another mistaken point in the film is that when Arab tribesmen went home with their spoils of war, Lawrence's Revolt afterwards operated under smaller Arab forces. This is not so. As the Revolt spread north, it took on tribal forces previously unused. The Hauran forces long known to be available, and finally called out in the last stages of the campaign, increased the Arab army to a far larger size.

The film also projects the Arab Revolt as an meaningless victory. On the contrary, it had significant impact. The French and British Imperial Government in India feared its consequences would fan the flame of independence movements in the Middle East and elsewhere. With the British endorsement of the Revolt, it ushered in the respectability of nationalist rebellion and undermined imperialism, which Communists and President Wilson in his Fourteen Points had already addressed. Without the success of the Revolt and Britain's support for Hussein's cause, transition from Turkish Ottoman rule to the French and British Mandates in Syria and Iraq would probably not have been as smooth. Without the Revolt -- and Lawrence's involvement in it -- Arab acquisition of self-government in these countries would have quite possibly taken longer than it did.

Even the inference that Lawrence was homosexual is baseless. Those who knew him well have stated adamantly that he was not. In "The Letters of T. E. Lawrence" to a homosexual man, Lawrence wrote that he did not find homosexuality morally wrong, yet he did find it distasteful.

As for the Ottoman commander (played by Jose Ferrer) whom Lawrence accused of whipping and sodomising him in Deraa, the Bey went on to lead a blameless post-war life without a trace of scandal. Modern biographers have also questioned whether the incident actually occurred. Firstly, there's a problem with the chronology of Lawrence's account, whose subsequent sex-life after Deraa revolved around male flagellation or masochism and a rigid programme of physical rehabilitation. Secondly, Lawrence's own statements and actions concerning the incident have contributed to the confusion; while he mentions it in "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", he removed a page from his war diary covering the event in question.

Despite the many, many historical falsehoods about Lawrence and the events surrounding his campaign in the Middle East portrayed in Lawrence of Arabia, I still love David Lean's film for its epic grandeur, Maurice Jarre's sweeping score and Peter O'Toole's superb performance. I suppose had it not been for these factors, I and many viewers would probably never have been introduced to Lawrence, let alone be interested in him or the Middle East. Having said that, I rate the film five stars for artistic merit; however, for its historical content, I give it 1 star.

As for the quality of the one disc DVD, which this review is based on, the wide screen format is sufficient for projecting the breathtaking panorama of the desert. The price is ideal too. If you want to wait and see more depth and clarity, I would imagine a Blu-Ray DVD would be the disc to get in the future. April 17, 2008

 CUIDADO LOS HISPANOS
EXISTE UN ERROR EN LA DESCRIPCION DEL PRODUCTO, EL DVD NO TIENE OPCION PARA VER LA PELICULA EN IDIOMA ESPAÑOL.
YO COMPRE ESTE DVD CON EL FIN DE VERLO EN EL IDIOMA EN ESPAÑOL Y ME DI CON LA INGRATA SORPRESA QUE SOLO ESTA EN SUBTITULO EN ESPAÑOL.
AMAZON DEBERIA REALIZAR LA CORRECCION RESPECTIVA Y TENER MAS CUIDADO EN PRESENTAR LAS CARACTERISTICAS DEL PRODUCTO. March 30, 2008

 Talk About Character Development !!!!! What A Classic Should Be!!!!!
For me this epic film is tied with "A Bridge On The River Kwai" as the best movie ever made. This film had everything & more. The peerless acting of Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, & Anthony Quinn were perfectly cast for their respective roles. Fine cinematography, direction, action, suspense, special effects, & musical score made this a mammoth production that took two years to complete.


Set in world war one in the turbulent middle east, T.E.Lawrence attempts to unite the Arabs to overthrow their Ottoman Turkish rulers. He starts as a mapmaker for British intelligence in Cairo. From the very first frames you can feel the extraordinary WILL of this man. He burns himself with matches saying to his comrade "the trick is not to mind that it hurts." He is sent to spy on King Feisal{Alec Guinness}, but he soon finds that he identifies more with the arabs than with his fellow Brit's. His brutal journey to the king under the scorching desert Sun alone is worth four stars. He develops an unexpected & intruiging relationship with an arab chieftain Sherif Ali{Omar Sharif}, that moves the film ever forward. Without orders he crosses the desert to lead a motley group of fifty men joining Auda Abu Tayi{Anthony Quinn}, to attack the Turks at Aqaba. With the victory comes his fame as US reporter Jackson Bentley{Arthur Kennedy}, brings the story to the media's attention. He moves from one gruelling adventure to another showing an indomitable will that encourages his men to fight above what they thought their own abilities were. Lawrence Of Arabia is an epic that celebrates the empty silence of the arabian desert. the vast clips across the glowing desert show a tiny rider approaching, mesmerizing sunsets, battles, & camp details make this a masterpiece. Peter O'Toole gave the greatest performance ever in this film. I'm not saying that Gregory Peck did not deserve the Oscar for "To Kill A Mockingbird," just that O'Toole deserved it a little more. The former still has never won the Oscar, which for me is an unpardonable sin! March 26, 2008

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