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Alec Guinness, Anthony Quayle, Anthony Quinn

Sweeping epic about the real life adventures of T.E. Lawrence, a British major who unified Arab tribes and led them in the fight for independence from the Ottoman Turks in the 1920s.

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PG, 3 hrs. 42 min.

Directed by: David Lean

Release Date: December 16, 1962

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DVD Release Date: April 3, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (5,165)

  • BiologyBabe2012
    September 17, 2009
    BiologyBabe2012
    **May contain spoilers**

    Epic story (and when I say epic, I do not just mean it's very long) of T.E. Lawrence and his struggle to unite the Arab tribes against the Turks.

    Now, before I begin I will say this; the first Act of the film is flawless, at least to my eye. The way the...( read more) music, the tension and the atmosphere intertwine to bring the picture to life is among the best I have seen in a film. We are introduced to Lawrence and immediately take a liking to him. He is an oddball, a man of peace in a world of war. Throughout the first act we see him earn his reputation as a saviour - my favourite scene has to be the one where Lawrence rescues Gasim from the desert. Everything functions in perfect unison. Then comes Intermission.

    Now, the problem with Act 2 is this: we have such high expectations from the first part of the film that the second is mediocre in comparison, much in the same way the Arabs built up unrealistic expectations of Lawrence himself. Lawrence is not only extremely unlikeable as the story progresses, he also becomes a less interesting character to observe. Gone are the little intricacies of his personality, or the dashing bravado we had grown accustomed to. He seems to take backstage here, O'Toole's performance being outshone by Omar Sharif's (as Sheriff Ali). Quite disappointing after such a grand opening.

    Overall, 4 stars seems fair. This is a well - made film, a well - told story with a great cast and crew. Definitely worth watching ... just don't expect the impossible from our man Lawrence.
  • gilbertgumphrey
    June 3, 2009
    gilbertgumphrey
    Ok, so we all know you love Lawrence of Arabia. But let's be honest - when was the last time you actually sat down and watched the thing, from beginning to end? I know my answer to that - a grand total of 6 years ago. Long time, especially for me; I usually rewatch most of the...( read more) movies I love every year or two, at least once. But Lawrence of Arabia is one of those great, classic movies that everyone knows is a masterpiece, and only a brave select few actually have the time and energy to watch it often. The excuses are endless - "oh, I'm not in the mood for a historical epic tonight." "Ah, my TV isn't big enough to do the shots justice." "I don't have time to watch a 4 hour fucking movie right now." Legitimate reponses, but in a way, it's kind of sad, because Lawrence of Arabia truly is one of the last great epics, where characterization was treasured even more than great landscape shots.

    On paper, perhaps Lawrence wouldn't be very thrilling. There's no melodrama; no backstabbing, no romances, no illegitimate children...nothing like that. In fact, there's hardly any action either...even the rare scenes of a charge, or battle, or attack, are concise, brief, and clearly not where the director's heart laid. So what makes Lawrence an epic? It's difficult to describe and explain. If I were teaching a film history class, I wouldn't go near this movie, if for no other reason than because I can't exactly say what makes it good. In my opinion, there's three primal reasons why this film is so treasured and beloved - David Lean, Peter O'Toole, and Maurice Jarre. Without them, Lawrence would be a dreadful film.

    David Lean was the director. He's famous for being the helmsman behind some of cinema's most classic epics, like this and Bridge on the River Kwai and Dr. Zhivago. His work here is truly exceptional. He frames everything like a painter would; the camera often doesn't move, but doesn't even have to in order to get the full effect and scope of the imagery and landscapes of Arabia. Peter O'Toole was, at the time, a total unknown, but his performance here as T.E. Lawrence is nothing short of exhilirating. Watching him is watching a master become a master (a friend of my sister's has labelled the movie as "4 hours of seeing how fucking great Peter O'Toole is"). The fact that he didn't win an Oscar for this performance just goes to show how really stupid the Academy sometimes is. And finally, Maurice Jarre is the composer of the musical score. Even if you're not familiar with scores, I gaurentee you know this one - the main theme is so powerful, so stirring, that decades later it's still often played at, ironically, the Academy Awards ceremonies. I can't imagine the film without his music.

    These three men are the reasons above all for Lawrence's success. But that would simply make a good movie; why, then, is the film practically a legend? I think it's because it has such fascinating material to go on. T.E. Lawrence was a one of a kind, a man both great and egomaniacal, wise yet a shameless self-promoter. His rise from a nobody British colonel to one of the most powerful rebel rousers in India is nothing short of awesome, and indeed, the film is more of an interesting character study of the enigmatic man than what would be called a plot driven adventure film. Something about this man spoke to people, helped by O'Toole's wonderful performance. Everyone likes a hero, but a flawed one is even better, because we can see ourselves within him (which is why Superman is so disliked nowadays, especially in favour of a troubled and disturbed hero like Batman). We should be thankful, then, that Hollywood didn't try and idolize him, make him a God of a hero whose flaws only brought out the best in others, because then...well, then we'd have a modern Hollywood adventure film. The screenplay by Robert Bolt is interesting in the regard that it doesn't give us the grandiose statements of virtuosity that we expect from a film like this - in other words, there aren't too many "FREEEEEDOM!!!!" scenes here. In fact, the dialogue is usually very sparse, precise, and almost poetic in it's short little ways, like the Coen brothers minus the comedy.

    So if the film is this famous and beloved, why only 4 stars? Because while I deeply admire and respect the film, I can't say I actually really LIKE it. As I said earlier, it's one I barely ever have the desire to put in my DVD player, and even on some of the occasions when I do, I often can't manage to watch the full near-4 hours. The film really does try my patience at times - I love Lean for having the balls to let shots go on for as long as he does, like the brilliant early moment where a flame being blown out is instantly cut to a sun rising over the horizon, but it occasionally drags. It's a long film, leisurley paced, but unlike some others in that regard I can think of, it truly does feel as long as it is. It's a great movie, no question, but one that can be difficult to endure (especially when the main character, as cool as he is, is such a mysterious enigma - dramatic moments of humanity are only first seen, really, halfway through when his servant dies). However, despite my reservations with it's length, pacing, and often dated tone (like the line, "My mother mated with a scorpian"), this is still a wonderful film, packed with great moments, and definitely worth watching if you're one of the few that haven't done so already.
  • PvtCaboose91
    October 18, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage, and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution."


    It has been decades since Lawrence of Arabia first

    ...( read more) astonished the world when it hit cinemas back in 1962. In the years succeeding the film's release, it has become one of the highest regarded movies in cinematic history. Lawrence of Arabia has been bestowed with endless accolades, awards and tributes. Reviewers worldwide to this day still continually express their perpetual love and admiration for this passionate historical epic. Frankly, this reviewer feels fairly overwhelmed as everything that can be said about the movie has probably already been said. I'm most likely forty years too late to be offering my 2 cents on the movie. However, life as a microscopic sperm back then made it kinda difficult to both watch a movie and review it (I doubt I even existed as a sperm back then anyway). Therefore, as a reviewer in the year 2008, I still feel a sense of duty to express my opinions on this magnificent epic (even if these views have already been voiced billions of times before).

    The scope and scale of Lawrence of Arabia is enough to astound its audience even in the 21st century. David Lean was at the helm after all. Beforehand Lean had directed such films as Bridge on the River Kwai and Summertime with many more great titles to follow. David Lean led such an exquisite and remarkable directorial career that even a modern-day director would have difficult matching it. There have been very few filmmakers capable of boasting the meticulous attention to detail, character and story that director Lean brought to the table. At the end of the day, this is exactly the reason why his films will remain cherished for a long time to come - and why great directors such as Steven Spielberg turn to these films for inspiration today.

    The enduring appeal of Lawrence of Arabia is a combination of the exhilarating, exotic sense of adventure and an intensely personal, intimate human story. It's a majestic four-hour epic that still dwarfs contemporary epics. As the film was made in such a primitive CGI period, the filmmakers used the 'what you see is what you get' method - therefore hundreds of extras fill the screen, and all the action is done without the aid of digital imagery. As a result, the film will never grow outdated.

    "So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel, as you are."


    This mythic blockbuster is both a spectacular epic and a sensitive portrait of one of the most enigmatic legends of the 20th century - "poet, scholar, warrior, exhibitionist" T.E. Lawrence (O'Toole). The film opens with Lawrence's tragic death in the 1930s. From there it eschews a detailed account of Lawrence's life in order to instead tell the story of his defining moment in history...his role in the Arabian Desert revolt of 1916-18 - as exaggerated by the real T.E. Lawrence in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which was adapted for the screen by Robert Bolt and (the uncredited) Michael Wilson.
    According to the story, Lawrence helped the divided Arab tribes to unite against the Turkish Empire during the later years of the Great War (a.k.a. World War I). Lawrence's hit-and-run guerrilla warfare tactics won him triumphs in the desert no-one thought possible. Through a series of audacious conquests he earned the trust, respect, and loyalty of the Arab peoples. He became a hero to the world, even though this almost drove him mad.

    At a personal level, the leading characters are intriguing and unpredictable, worthy and fearsome. None of these protagonists are one-dimensional caricatures. There are so many interesting and fully-developed characters that are so brilliantly portrayed by a top-notch cast. The themes of myths, tribal antipathy, nationalities, war, alliances, promises, leadership, corruptibility, savagery, affection, arrogance, pride, delusion, audacity and pomp are admirably tackled and handled.

    This is a beautiful and mesmerising film, making full use of the expansive vistas in its original 70mm format (one of the last films in history to do so). Production on location was an absolute nightmare for everyone involved. Extensive preparation was followed by fourteen arduous months of location shooting. Filming took longer than it took for the real Lawrence to fulfil his quest, interestingly. The film won an Oscar for Cinematography, and there is little wonder why. There is magnificent cinematography to behold throughout the entire movie. The battles are particularly well done. They may appear tame by today's standards, but they are still visceral.

    The raw film was then given to editor Anne Coates who proceeded to construct the masterwork. The iconic scene of Peter O'Toole blowing out the match before the sharp cut straight to the desert sunrise is a moment brought to the film thanks to the marvellous editing. This film is full of such fantastic moments. Maurice Jarre was then brought onboard to compose the music. Maurice put together a truly memorable score. Editing and scoring may seem like little things by themselves, but when amalgamated in the final finished product the result is a masterpiece.

    A great script was vital for the success of this film, which runs almost four hours. There are fascinating script lines delivered frequently by a more-than-capable cast. But it has to be said...at times the film seriously lacks momentum. There are sporadic instances when the film is infused with momentum and great energy, but these are followed by scenes that are more low-key and occasionally a tad self-indulgent (like the sometimes tiresome images of the desert...they're beautiful but excessive). This film is four hours long, though, so I don't think anyone expected to be riveted for every second of the film's duration. But, as a consequence, Lawrence of Arabia isn't as perfect as it's made out to be.

    "A man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth. But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it."


    Over the years there have been several different versions of the film. The theatrical cut which was completed soon before the premiere was about 220 minutes long. This was a very long film by any standard - and one theatre owners bitterly complained about as it restricted the number of sessions per day. David Lean, Sam Spiegel (the producer) and Anne Coates got together and hacked off 20 minutes for a revised theatrical cut. Television reared its ugly head years later. Aside from creating a Panned & Scanned abomination, a further 15 minutes were cut from the film. Finally in 1989 the restored version of the film was released. This arduous restoration effort went ahead with financial assistance from Steven Spielberg. This version restored much of the missing footage that had been found in an archive. However, whilst they had the film negative in hand, the soundtrack was missing. David Lean and Anne Coates undertook re-recordings of the dialogue, bringing all the cast involved back into the studio one last time. The restored version is how we're supposed to see the movie, and it's a beautiful effort by everyone involved.

    "Nothing is written."


    Like I stated before, not much can be said about Lawrence of Arabia that hasn't already been said countless times before by critics and viewers. But this film deserves the praise it has received. Lawrence of Arabia is, for lack of a more original word, a masterpiece. This is one of cinema's most highly regarded classics, forever occupying an impressive position on the AFI 100, the IMDb Top 250, and several other lists. Additionally, it won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Peter O'Toole was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Gregory Peck for To Kill A Mockingbird.
    Sorry to sound like every other critics worldwide, but if you haven't yet seen Lawrence of Arabia then you're missing out on the most essential screen epic in history.

    "The truth is: I'm an ordinary man. You might've told me that, Dryden."
  • MovieGeek13
    September 24, 2008
    MovieGeek13
    There will never again be a film like this. Yes, it has real extras and real sets; a similar feet today would result in a massive usage of CGI. But the film accomplishes what few biographies have come closer to doing. It presents a man, TE Lawrence, on a scale as epic and gran...( read more)d as the movie itself. The imagination required of David Lean to accomplish a completely engrossing four hour movie without the use of romantic subplots and extended action, is a feet rarer than a blue moon.
  • bradwest
    September 23, 2008
    bradwest
    One of the few that actually deserves the title 'epic'. I saw this on a very large screen during one of its revivals and the long shots showing man dwarfed by nature are stunning.
  • Yelverton
    November 20, 2009
    Yelverton
    One of the best films ever made.
  • 21rclemente
    November 16, 2009
    21rclemente
    Im obligated to see it once... so the critics say.
  • MovieGuruDude72
    November 7, 2009
    MovieGuruDude72
    One of the 20 greatest movies of all time and maybe the greatest epic ever filmed. Sweeping, powerful and magnificently done. The movie that also made Peter O'Toole one of history's greatest actors. His talent may only be rivaled by the late, great Laurence Olivier. A powerful, s...( read more)weeping monster of an epic that leaves you satisfied and wanting more. They don't make movies like
  • Lemure
    November 6, 2009
    Lemure
    The 72 hour classic in which Lawrence goes to Arabia and sorts everything out. There's no question that Lawrence is a fascinating character played to perfection by O'Toole. Everything in this film is BIG and sweeping and epic and lush with a cast of gazillions, but there are too ...( read more)many scenes of sand (pretty though they may be) and THAT score gets a tad repetitive. It's a good film but I have no desire to watch it again.
  • ahhh1989
    October 27, 2009
    ahhh1989
    Sweeping and unforgettable.

View All Lawrence of Arabia Reviews

Critic Reviews

November 29, 2004
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Approach it from whatever angle you like, performances, script, cinematography, score; David Lean's sweeping biography of T.E. Lawrence is unarguably magnificent. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

We remember the quiet, empty passages, the sun rising across the desert, the intricate lines traced by the wind in the sand. full review

View more Lawrence of Arabia reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • terris85017
    January 11, 2009
    terris85017
    (1962 Director: David Lean) One of those films which dare to touch on a rare subject, Arabia. Wonderful performances Peter O'Toole & Omar Shariff (Dr. Zhivago) which are legends and support formula acting training (in my humble opinion-imho)

    JUST AN FYI TOBELOW ME.....HERE... WOMEN ARE NOT prominent in Arabian culture.
  • cp1923
    September 29, 2007
    cp1923
    did u notice that there were no women in the whole 4 hr movie, and that they were in arabia speaking engish?!?!?!?!
  • annakinslayd
    June 16, 2007
    annakinslayd
    The perfect movie, period.
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Lawrence of Arabia Trivia

  • Which epic movie is this line from? "I cannot fiddle but I can make a great state of a small city."  Answer »
  • This is a clip from the main theme of which epic movie?  Answer »
  • In Lawrence of Arabia, how did Lawrence die?  Answer »
  • This is the true story of the life an eccentric English military man, working as an intelligence officer in Cairo at the begining of World War I. He becomes involved with Arabian desert tribes, convincing them to unite and join in a struggle against the Turks.   Answer »
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