I saw this film when I was 14 years old and it has remained my favorite ever since. No other film approaches the magnificence, scope or perfection of Lawrence.
I love epics and I am not ashamed to say so. Nothing excites me more than frittering away three or four hours of my time in order to view a truly epic film. I am the guy that comes to Kevin Costner’s defense when others say, “his movies are too long,” and I may be the only person who walks out of many films saying, “It could have been longer!”
The epic of epics of course is Lawrence of Arabia. I once heard it referred to as “the most literary of motion pictures” and I think I would have to agree with that assessment. No other original screenplay moves quite like a grandiose work of literature than does Lawrence. But the screenplay is only the beginning of its brilliance. Steven Spielberg called it a “miracle” partly because everything came together on Lawrence despite many obstacles including budget restrictions, filming in harsh remote locations and exceeding 200 shooting days.
One of the reasons I love filmmaking is that in order to make a worthwhile movie, one must blend together virtually every artistic medium. All manner of art forms like acting, makeup, costume design, writing, painting, sculpting, you name it, have to be mixed together to make a movie. This is especially the case with a film like Lawrence, but Lawrence (like any great film) shines in all of these areas. I must say that is the reason I love it so much, because it is a wonderful work of art. The screenplay is moving, the cinematography is beautiful, the makeup is convincing, the costumes are breathtaking, the acting is superb and the directing and editing are almost perfect. Every aspect of its production was undertaken with the greatest care and artistry.
There are so many great moments in the film that are worth noting. One famous moment is the clever transition between Lawrence blowing out a match at headquarters in Cairo, cutting to the sun about to rise over the Arabian Desert. The script itself is so full of memorable lines, it is practically a book of conventional wisdom. When Brighton remarks to General Allenby while Damascus burns, “Well, we can’t just do nothing sir,” Allenby replies, “Why not? It’s usually best.” Another nugget comes from Claude Raines’ character Dryden when he poignantly tells Lawrence, “And let’s no have displays of indignation… If we’ve told lies, you’ve told half-lies. And a man who tells lies, like myself, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.”
There is seldom a moment in the film when I am distracted from the story. The film is so well made that I truly feel transported to another time and place. This is the goal of most if not all fiction films, but Lawrence stands apart by achieving this better than any other film I’ve seen.
Would it be ignorant or uneducated of me to simply gush that I love this movie? For me, it’s like trying to explain why you’re in love with someone. If you are really deeply in love, you can’t quite put those feelings into words. You simply rely on others to understand that you are ineffably enamored. After watching the film several dozen times, I have come to the simple conclusion that David Lean was a genius. Either that, or he was the luckiest director who ever lived.
By: Sean Malone
