Lawrence Of Arabia (Superbit) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Beautiful to look at, Excellent actors
Disadvantages:	Very long character driven film

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

We begin at the end. T.E. Lawrence died in a motorcycle accident in Dorset, on 19th May 1935. He was 46 years old. The almost mundane circumstances of his death were a huge contrast to the extraordinary life he had led.

The making of Lawrence of Arabia was a long and arduous journey, as were Lawrence's own experiences. It took a year and a half to shoot, and with so many remarkable and epic scenes it is understandable why. Some of the more memorable anecdotes come from Peter O'Toole, who played Lawrence. He remarked how the filming of a scene in which he talks with actor Jack Hawkins whilst descending a staircase had to be re-shot later, and so in the final film edit by the time he had reached the bottom of the staircase he was a year older than when he started. Then for the 1989 director's cut release, certain scenes were to be put back into the film, but had their audio missing. O'Toole was called to re-record the dialogue 27 years later.

Robert Bolt's script was largely drafted from TE Lawrence's autobiography 'The Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph', and other writings. The book was originally given to just 120 people selected by Lawrence himself and was only mass-produced after his death. It provides a unique perspective of Lawrence's involvement as a British Liaison within the Arab Revolt between 1916 and 1918, and the setting up of an Arab National Council. The book covers many more diverse subjects than this, but it is this period of his life that the film focuses on.

It has been said that Lawrence liked to mix fact and mythology when recounting his life. Bolt's script uses this to build an enigmatic figure that some dispute being entirely accurate in character, but is unquestionable fascinating to watch. Due to the two to three years that the film covers, many real-life characters are blended together to make the story easier to follow and give single voices to the many nations and tribes involved. I think it works well, giving a good broad sense of what happened, although you should seek out the history books if you want exact details.

At the beginning of the film TE Lawrence is sent to assess the situation of the various Arab tribes living in the desert. He first meets Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) in perhaps one of the most breath-taking scenes in cinema history. Director David Lean (Brief Encounter, Oliver Twist, The Bridge on the River Kwai) was clearly trying to make this an epic experience for all the senses. His handling of the shimmering, heat stricken desert is hypnotic at times. His style is slow and lingering, specifically to immerse you in the film. Showing you what it was that Lawrence fell in love with whilst out there. For some this may make the film too slow and boring, but I find it's quality makes the time fly by. Although, originally the film was shown with an intermission, as it's understandable that the 3 hours and 47 minutes may be too much for some bladders.

Sherif Ali takes Lawrence to meet with Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness). From here on it is clear that Lawrence has his own agenda and so he becomes embroiled in the attempts of unifying the feuding Arab tribes into an army that can resist the Ottoman Empire, which would aid the British armies movements in the Middle East. However they may also be capable of resisting the possibility of future European rule, making the politcal side to this story very engaging. Whilst there are many battles and confrontations as the story suggests, you shouldn't expect an action filled adventure. The overall mood is one of a personal journey and discovery. There are running themes that question where Lawrence's loyalties lie and whether he even knows himself. It also examines the brutality of war on a very personal level. Due to its age, there are few explicit scenes of death compared to modern cinema, yet the impact here is in many ways stronger.

I find it hard to fault any of the acting on display. Peter O'Toole (How To Steal A Million) may have been largely unknown when cast in the title role, but it doesn't show in the slightest. For Omar Sharif it is his first English speaking film, and again you cannot tell. In fact both men were nominated for Oscars but sadly didn't win. Alec Guinness (The Man in the White Suit, Star Wars) gives superb understated support as the Arab Prince Feisal, while Anthony Quinn (Zorba The Greek) gives superb overstated support as the warlord Auda abu Tayi.

A final mention should go to Maurice Jarre's exceptional Oscar winning score. I don't think it has remained as recognisable a piece of music as it deserves, but it certainly enhances the films mood and maintains the feeling of grandeur. Once you've heard it, it is hard to forget.

Lawrence of Arabia is admittedly a very long and character orientated film. It will not be everyone's cup of tea. However, it is filled with wonderful imagery, thoughtful dialogue and many emotional and exciting scenes. Of all the epic films produced to date it ranks with the best of them, and has a strong moral core as I suspect Lawrence had himself. As a war film it is very enlightening both on the battlefield and in the soldiers mind. As a biography it tells the story of an almost unparalleled, although slightly flawed man who struggled through arduous times.

Rated: 12
Running Time: 227 mins

For anyone wondering what 'Superbit' means - It is a new type of digital encoding (double the normal bit rate), which optimizes the picture quality and provides DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. It comes from Sony Pictures and the DVDs usually contain a booklet with more information. Basically it looks and sounds better if you have the hardware to show it off.