Lawrence of Arabia – 10 out of 10

Rating: 10 Out Of 10 PhilosoGuys

David Lean’s masterpiece, Lawrence of Arabia, is many movie genres in one. It is part historical study of World War One military operations in the Middle East. It is part political drama as Brits and Arabs vie for power in the coming vacuum of Turkish defeat. It is part war epic, including impressive battle scenes, expensive special effects, masterful shots of barren desert, and the heroic feats of T.E. Lawrence and his Arab armies. Finally, it is also an amazing character piece and psychological study of one of the most controversial, heroic and memorable figures in modern history, T.E. Lawrence.

It is this aspect of the movie, which is so enjoyable and so well conceived, that has made Lawrence of Arabia so memorable to this viewer. First off, Peter O’Toole’s breakthrough role as T.E. Lawrence is, simply put, amazing. He could not have been casted better for this mammoth task. Everything he does, from his aloof days spent painting maps in Egypt, or his feminine twirls in Arab garb and dangerous trek into the desert to find a missing soldier, is quite awesome. Lawrence was a complex and controversial character and O’Toole worked pure magic in his portrayal of the protagonist.

The first glimpse of Lawrence’s tragic angst and psychological strain is found in his visit to his British commanders that comes after a trip across the Sinai desert. O’Toole portrays the inner conflicts of his character so well: Lawrence is simultaneously terrified by the battles, the death of his servant, and having to murder an Arab to maintain the fragile Arab alliance and in love with the thrills of killing and battle. Especially today, when movies from Apocalypse Now to The Hurt Locker commonly incorporate this same theme, the sheer originality and power of this aspect of the film can be easily overlooked.

Perhaps what is most impressive from this psychological perspective of the film is Lawrence’s transformation in the second act. After being tortured (and presumably raped) by a Turkish commander, Lawrence undergoes a serious upheaval, leaving him a hollow shell of a character once burgeoning with individualism, vitality, and optimism. He becomes disconnected from his previous causes and relationships: His return to the Arab armies, while perceived as the return of a hero by most, is accurately understood by Ali (a brilliant Omar Sharif) as a desperate attempt to free himself from the bondage imposed by his commanders and the Arab cause. Nothing is ever the same after his return: Lawrence ignores prudent tactical advice from Ali, flounders as the leader of the Arab Revolt, and walks away from the war a shattered soul. The tragedy of T.E. Lawrence is the most powerful part of this movie and Lean and O’Toole’s legendary efforts in this end have ensured that Lawrence of Arabia is a timeless work of art.

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