This film is DEEPLY LAYERED. Would love your thoughts below..! Hopping into The Boys S3 & Fargo S3 LIVE on the patreon! Click here for early access: www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day everyone!
When you began with such admiration for Lawrence (who was a real person), I did say out loud, "Oh, but they DO break him for a while." I don't think u realized that he wasn't only BEATEN on that table with the stick and it changed him and Omar Sharif and his relationship, and his spirit. Glad you finally watched some of my favorite actors. Quinn, Ferrer, O'Toole, Sharif!, Guiness, Rains!! OH my!!! Ferrer as Cyrano you will LOVE!
You do realize this is a biography, right? T E Lawrence was very much a real man, with a great many flaws and virtues. You're talking about him like he's a fictional character
The movie is loosely based on Lawrence's autobiographical book "Seven Pillars of Wisdom". Though some aspects didn't get mentioned in his book because after all part of his work was secret diplomacy. He also wasn't as idealistic and maybe naive about the true intentions of the British Empire and France like it gets depicted in the movie. And also not as hateful about the Turks. One of his counterparts and opponents was Alois Musil from the Austro-Hungarian-Empire. A similar larger then life figure. wikipedia: Alois_Musil Also look up: St. John Philby
T.E. Lawrence, wasnt a character, he was a real person. Extra ordinary, he actually retired from the army after the war, and joined the airforce as a new recruit. He was a man of passion, a man of pride and a legend to anyone who has heard of his exploits.
He was also idolised by the Arabian people, where even Sultan's would bow to him. But even through he brought a sense of peace and agreement between the many tribes, he was haunted afterwards by how the British divided the regions in the Middle East.
@Gerald H Charlemagne was a lucky bastard. Literally. He was born before his parents canonical marriage. As for Napoleon his invasion of Russia was one of the most lethal military campaigns in history. I just really don't like the French.
My favorite quote from T. E. Lawrence “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture! This film is a major influence on Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Herbert, Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick. It's pretty impressive and still the greatest motion picture ever made.
And no surprise, even Ridley Scott... there are a number of movies where he'll have his character's outright quote the movie, and actually, the same line; he did it in Prometheus in the beginning where the android is actually watching LoA, and again in A Good Year. Both times the lines are: "why do you like the desert... Because it's clean."
Obviously you need to set up shots, cameras, lights, makeup people but there are no unplanned footprints in those huge desert scenes- the work and patience required to accomplish that is amazing
The reason for the black screen with music at the beginning was that it was an overture. If you've been to live opera or musical theatre you may know this, but an overture is essentially a big megamix of a lot of the musical themes you'll be hearing throughout the show. It's played before the show begins to set the stage and is generally about 3 to 5 minutes long to make sure everyone's in their seats when the show begins. Plenty of older "epic" films parroted the overture, which in this case has lots of the musical motifs from the film such as the desert theme, the battle theme, Lawrence's contemplation, etc.
@@vandergrad The 2-disc set I have includes the interval music. Like the rest of the score, it is composed by Maurice Jarre, father of Jean-Michel Jarre (of "Oxygene" fame).
@@joonaa2751 most younger people can't even stand it when an older movie runs some of the credits at the beginning like they used to... don't think they could handle a proper overture, lol.
The other much reacted to movie with an overture is of course 2001 a Space Odyssey. I've seen some youtubers worried that maybe the visuals have broken down, and their copy might be faulty.
"I think you are another of these desert-loving English. No Arab loves the desert. We love water and green trees. There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing." is a line in this that hit me like a truck.
I love whe he mentions Gordon of Khartoum. "Khartoum" is another great Epic Film set in the Sudan and based on historical events. It stars Charlton Heston and Lawrence Olivier. Gordon too was a complex character.
"My lord, I think... I think your book is right. 'The desert is an ocean in which no oar is dipped' and on this ocean the Bedu go where they please and strike where they please. This is the way the Bedu have always fought. You're famed throughout the world for fighting in this way and this is the way you should fight now!"
Each time I see this film I love it even more. The writing, the cinematography, the music, and the acting are all simply outstanding. The performances of Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, and Alec Guinness are unforgettable. The music, too, will stay with you long after you've watched the film.
I was lucky enough to see him in 2 West End plays. "Yahoo" a one man play about Jonathon Swift and "Another Country" about British traitors who spied for the USSR.
I reckon most of us who know and love this movie chuckled a bit when you praised the composition of the opening shot and said to themselves "if you think that's a good shot, prepare to have your mind completely blown when we get to the desert!".
I believe Frank Herbert himself (Writer of the DUNE Books) has said that Lawrence of Arabia was one of the biggest influences on the books and that same goes for Denis Villeneuve and his adaptation.
@@LaughingMan2GIG Wild...I didn't know that. I was first introduced to the story as a kid on my Apple II and then my parents bought me the book when I wouldn't shut up about video games. Edit: Just had to look this up for the nostalgia factor. ua-cam.com/video/4VMbPzf_pq8/v-deo.html
The suave grey-suited politician Dryden is played by Claude Rains, who was also the charming and delightfully corrupt police captain Louis Renault in 'Casablanca'. A great talent who's not as well-remembered as he deserves.
I think our minds these days are so tuned to seeing cgi, that the sheer scope of this movie goes over our heads. The charge through the town is a mind boggling shot. Also "Thy mother mated with a scorpion" is such an epic burn.
Very accurate, I first saw this film nearly a decade ago, and while it indelibly left an impression and I adored the film for its scope, it took me coming back much later, and with a far deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of filmmaking to truly appreciate the masterstroke of its cinematography. The greatest I've ever seen, and I suspect of all time.
When people make the argument for watching movies at home instead of in the theater, this is the movie I refer them to. The scope of the Cinerama 70 mm style can only be appreciated on a huge screen. The scene of Lawrence on the train in the desert is awe inspiring.
Lawrence started out as an amateur archeologist, traveling through northern Palestine and Syria, sketching and describing castles and ruins and eventually becoming fluent in Arabic. He worked on the excavation of Carchemish and gained the respect of the British Museum which was funding the dig. At the outbreak of the war Turkey sided with Germany and Lawrence found himself in the Arab Bureau in Cairo as an intelligence analyst. He was sent to the Heijaz area of Arabia to get information on and to encourage Faisal and his sons. From the beginning he was encouraged by Faisal to wear arab clothes in order to blend in. He was quite comfortable with this as he had been doing it for years. Interesting note, this was, I believe, the first western major movie for the Egyptian actor Omar Sharif ("Ali").
After seeing this film several times, something just occurred to me. Seeing Lawrence die in the opening of the film gives the audience the same overconfidence in the invulnerability of Lawrence that the character has throughout most of the film. The thought never enters your head that he could die in the desert.
he also dies in a hubristic and pathetically random way which cuts down and challenges his megalomania and the idolization of militaristic and colonialist "heroes"
Although there were barely any women in front of the camera, two women on the production side were integral in making this a masterpiece. Anne Coates, the film editor, won an Academy Award for her work on this film and was responsible for what is arguably the greatest edit in all of film: the direct cut from Lawrence blowing out the match to the rising sun in the desert. And it was genius how Phyllis Dalton, the costume designer, used progressively thinner material for Lawrence's white robes to show his mental and emotional deterioration as the film progressed. I'm so thankful that the first time I saw this film was in a theater because the emersion is unlike anything I have ever experienced before or since-and the music during the overture and intermission played a huge role in that. If you liked Omar Sharif's performance as Sherif Ali, I must recommend watching him as the titular character in "Doctor Zhivago," which was also directed by David Lean a few years later.
Also, how embarrassing it remains that Phyllis Dalton wasn't nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar only because whoever at Columbia Pictures was handling Oscars submission paperwork forgot to put her name down. (Dalton did go on to win for 1965's _Doctor Zhivago,_ David Lean's follow-up, and then Kenneth Branagh's _Henry V_ in 1989.)
@@Wired4Life2 Great versatility! She also edited two of my personal favorites: "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) and "Out of Sight" (1998). There's a YT clip of Coates discussing how she and director Steven Soderbergh edited the classic bar sequence in the latter film and it's utterly fascinating. James: I don't believe you've done "Out of Sight" yet but it's a great, sexy, funny crime drama with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney in what I think are their best performances. It also has an incredible supporting cast with Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks and Ving Rhames.
@@evechanning1173 Of that version of "Murder on the Orient Express", I find the introductory montage particularly striking. The way they cut from a short silent shot to a newspaper headline and back feels almost musical, and it makes the last headline in that sequence all the more chilling.
David Lean's films are incredible - epic, moving, and beautifully made. The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, A Passage To India, and this film are all must-see.
For historical context: Lawrence's mission was part of the British effort in WW1 to incite rebellion amongst the Arab tribes against the Ottoman Empire (Turks). For 400 years the Arabs had lived under the Ottoman empire. To bring the Turks down, the British encouraged Arab nationalism and made the Arabs a promise that, if they revolt against the Turks, they would be granted a state of their own which would unite the Arabs. The British did not follow through on their promise and carved up the region at the end of the war between themselves and France. The state of Iraq was created Shortly after the war but was a vassal to the British.
He also wrote the forward to Charles Montague Doughty's 1888 book Travels Through the Arabian Desert. Excellent book... REALLY LONG book. One of the best books I have ever tackled that shares culture without being racist.
Yeah.... after the whole "using the Arab peoples as enthusiastic meat shields under the false promise of an independent Arab Nation" bit the british and french chopped up the remains of the ottoman empire amongst themselves, ignoring the cultural differences of people they lumped together into pseudocolonies. one such territory ruled for the next twenty years or so by British mandate was Palestine - and this ended because the arab people living there were not so receptive to colonial rule (and were just really angry with the British for some strange reason?). Well, that and there was this thing going on in the forties where people of another ethnic group the British didn't particularly like was subject to, let's say, especially unkind treatment in continental europe and trying to flee to the British Isles as refugees. Sending them to form a proxy-colony in Palestine was a real "two birds one stone" solution for the British Government; I'm sure if Thatcher could've gotten away with doing something similar like setting up all the refugees from the Falklands to occupy and rule Ireland she would've.
I consider this to be the best movie ever filmed. I try to watch it at least twice a year. Lawrences torture by the Turks is the darkening of his soul. The Turks robbed him of The Deserts beauty and introduced a cruelty to replace the beauty. I may be wrong but I think that they not only beat him, but they sodomized him, to try and break his spirit. They tried to take his manliness away to break him. What they stripped away was his wonder, and belief, and what they exposed him to was the cruelness of man to man. This was made evident when they showed him having showing no compunction to killing on the battlefield. Where previously he was reticent to wanton killing; the cruelness was exposed in his soul, and he was lost to the pettiness and bloodlust of cruelty. This was later exacerbated by he double dealing of the politicians. Hr was betrayed on so many levels. In the end he learned He was just a man, and was to be tossed about by fate, like other men, but even then he was a force to be reckoned with. I learn something new from the film every time I watch it. I am 56 and I've been watching this movie for over 40+ years, and it still amazes me. "I am a river unto my people..." One of the best lines ever said in a movie. Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan-Kenobi) and Omar Shariff, and Peter O'Toole are some of the finest actors to ever grace the screen at the same time. This is a Master Class in Acting in a single movie.
I'm pretty sure I read David Lean saying that he thought he would have to be more explicit about the beating scene, but then they came up with Jose Ferrer's cough and somehow, it made it obvious to audiences of that time that they were going to sodomize Lawrence.
Lawrence admits he enjoyed executing the guy he saved well before the Turkish incident. The incident merely brought him back down to earth. He believed himself to be a God like figure.
It's a crime that they forgot to submit the costume designer for an Oscar. She added so many fantastic imperceptible details, like making his military uniform slightly too small, to make him look awkward in it, compared to the clothes he's given later. Or making several versions of those clothes, in thinner and thinner materials, to reflect his state of mind as things begin to unravel. This whole movie is just a fantastic achievement, and beautiful in every regard.
"I love that we're getting all different types of deserts, too." T.E. Lawrence's book about the war is full of descriptions of various canyons, dry river beds, and unusual striations on the rocks. Clearly, David Lean sought to bring some of that geological variety to the screen.
Blank screens with music are the intros from the early films...it gets people in their seats and settled. It is from a time before previews. Its like going to a musical theatre.
And this film, along with John Ford's The Searchers, inspired pretty much every epic that came after, including Star Wars. The burning homestead scene on Tatooine is a near copy of a scene in The Searchers.
It's incredible when you see the epic, wide shots of battles in films of this era to think that there was no CGI or other special effects back then, so every man and every horse was real.
If you've ever gone to see operas, especially back in the older days, the orchestra would play an overture, which was meant to give a kind of instrumental introduction to bits of all the musical pieces the audience would hear throughout the entirety of the performance. This practice goes back centuries of operatic performances. Older films, especially big epics, would do this as well, sorta growing out of opera to theater to film.
DUUUUUDE!!!!! All time favorite movie. An absolute masterpiece and a sublime work of art. Imagine a director today saying "hey let's film five mins of sunrise", or "let's hire hundreds and hundreds extras and run through the desert". Of course cgi could solve thise problems today, but back then this was a herculean undertaking. Thanks so much for watching!
I've seen dozens of your reactions to films and you always floor me with your insights and your perceptions of film language and the emotional power that you experience through the medium. You have an amazing ability to see into the films you react to and understand that so much is happening between all the various aspects such as editing, acting, music, framing, the set up of scenes, pacing. This mirrors my love of film and I truly appreciate it when I watch your reactions. Lawrence of Arabia is one of those films that the word epic is meant for but still is inadequate to describing Lawrence the man, the myth. He sought glory in the name of right but lost himself as a desert god/man who just wanted to become an ordinary man again but couldn't. A film of such scope and power that will live forever as a testament to a man's vision of reaching into the infinite while alive and to the grandness that film art can achieve.
So glad to see you appreciating this magnificent film. I went to see it in my hometown when it was released in 1962. I was 15 years old and had an interest in filmmaking. Well, I was stunned by what I saw. I had never seen anything like it before. I had never heard of TE Lawrence or for that matter Peter O'Toole and David Lean. I went home and thought about nothing else for a few days. I went back to see it again and I was stunned again. I saw it repeatedly during its long run in our town. In fact, I saw it so many times that eventually the woman in the ticket booth would just wave me in free of charge. There is nothing like it for me and although I love so many films this is always my standard for what filmmaking, storytelling, acting, cinematography and film music should be. It literally changed my life.
This movie is epic. Cinematography, soundtrack, acting, writing, editing. Thank you for reacting to this masterpiece (i think this term is thrown around too much these days but it definitely applies to this classic).
The famous Irish actor Peter O'Toole held the unique record of being the actor who received the most Oscar nominations without a win, which was 8 nominations. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2002 for lifetime achievement. Eventually, the actress Glenn Close matched his record of 8 Oscar nominations without a win, just last year.
@@kingamoeboid3887 Agreed. Gregory Peck was great in To Kill a Mockingbird, but the part didn't have the range and scope of Peter O'Toole's work here. I think he didn't win only because he was such a newcomer to film.
@@melanie62954 That's debatable, but the veteran factor definitely helped Peck, even though he wasn't in that year's Best Picture winner. _The Lion in Winter_ should've been O'Toole's Oscar. The only reason why many would tolerate Cliff Robertson as an Oscar winner these days is because he was Uncle Ben in 2002's _Spider-Man._
Wadi Rum is such a breathtaking landscape. Just makes you escape the world. This is such a golden film, especially out of the filmography of David Lean. The casting is pristine, writing is crisp, the music complementing the story, and the shots are spectacular! One of my personal favorite films!
My high school history teacher had the class go to the theater to see this. Must have been the best school day I ever had ! Seeing it on a big screen was amazing.
I can highly recommend Seven Pillars of Wisdom which Lawrence wrote about this time in his life. It was used by Lean as the source material for the film.
There are a lot of 70 mm prints still in circulation, and if you're anywhere near a major metro area you can probably catch a theatrical screening of one of them within a year or two if you're willing to keep an eye on the schedules for the theaters that do that sort of thing. I can't recommend that experience enough.
Stellar cast: Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif and peter O'Toole is just legend! Lawrence is an historical enigma bringing the tribes from Beersheba to Damascus...and the Saudis still rule in Arabia!
AHHHH i love that you reacted to this, James! I think it's definitely one of cinema's greatest movies of all time. Sir Peter O'Toole is the actor that plays Lawrence and I really encourage you to seek out more stuff where he stars in. He, likewise, is one of the all time greats. An amazing shakespearean actor that started his career in the british theater and then gradually moved towards film acting. He's one of those actors that you can just tell are completely and utterly in love with their craft, and are completely devoted body and soul to it as well and that comes through with every performance. I know you didn't ask for this (lmao sorry) but if you ever feel like watching more stuff with him (for this channel or in your own time), I'd recommend Becket (1964) for a really passionate performance or Troy (2004) if you haven't seen it. This last one is more contemporary, and it's with an old Peter O'Toole in one of his last roles as the king of Troy, at the time facing the threat of invasion by the Greek army. Even though he's not the main character, there is a beautiful monologue about honor, respect and compassion between enemies that imo slinglehandedly elevated the movie from "good" to "great". It still brings a tear to my eye every single time I watch it.
The Chief that Lawrence meets in the tent near the beginning is Obi Wan in brownface (Sir Alec Guiness). It was a different time for sure. Amazing movie with all the practical effects and extras needed to make it happen. A true epic in every sense. That scene of Lawrence appearing out of the desert almost as a mirage as he comes closer to the camera is revered as one of the top cinematic scenes of all time. These pre-VFX directors found ways to make their vision a reality. Google how the beginning pool scene was filmed in Sunset Blvd. Ingenious.
I have such mixed feelings, because I generally sneer at brownface, but I absolutely LOVE Alec Guiness in this role. He's so perfect. He also plays a Hindu professor in David Lean's A Passage to India.
@@melanie62954 I look at it as the actors were a product of their times and no offense was meant. It's just the way it was. Now Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's is certainly hard to watch now. Ooof.
@@bigredtlc1828 True that, I guess I was thinking more about East and South Asian characters played by white actors re: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Black Narcissus (which I still love!), and The Good Earth.
I remember watching this at the drive-in movie theater as a young kid. This is one of the 'epic' films from that time, another one I remember is "Dr, Zhivago" 1965, which is another amazing experience, 'Bridge over the river Kwai" also an epic movie. Thank you James.
I am afraid to tell you the scene where Lawrence got beaten.... he didn't only get beaten.... that's why it all came apart for him afterwards mentally. Or at least was a very major factor (and yes that part is relatively accurate. historically confusing as to the full truth. But accurate enough).
@@benjaminramsey498 yeah - and in the later scene where he orders no prisoners to be taken after his men witness the aftermath of the town massacre it too was... Censored for the sake of the movie. In his book he goes into detail of some of the stuff which happened and - I know that in the time of WW1 there was a lot of propaganda of different sides that was grossly exaggerated (Germans throwing babies in the air so as to bayonet them being one of those that was made up) - I am inclined to believe it actually happened. Because he describes how be and his men reacted. They didn't weep at the injustice, or swear revenge in some nationalist fervor. They... Giggled. Giggled in absolute disbelieving horror that they had lived long enough to witness these atrocities with their own eyes.
That blank screen with music is what was called the overture. I was a kid in the sixties when this film was made so I can't say that I know what the purpose of it was. I always assumed it was a way to get the audience introduced to the musical themes in the film and perhaps move the audience into the world of the film. It was not a common device and I think it was mostly done on big, blockbuster films.
It’s basically the definition of epic. Bits like the loooong take of the bloke in the desert, you’ll see mirrored in the good the bad and the ugly, and a hundred movies since. Would have loved to see peoples reaction at the time of release.
Lean needs more props. Kubrick and all that lot get these accolades, but DL was THE widescreen director for long enough. Like Turner, he knew how to reach the limit of his canvas.
Started reading Lawrence's book "The seven Pillars of Wisdom" after a few pages I stopped. When I have time, I will start again, but with Google images on hand, to see the amazingly described venues in the book.
Slightly easier listening to it as an audiobook in Audible, though I'm still not very far through that either. Further than I got through the printed book.
I took The Seven Pillars of Wisdom to read on holiday one year. When I got into the book, I realised it may not have been the most sensitive choice as my holiday was in Turkey, which didn't come out well in the book.
Peter O'Toole Said that shortly after the film came out Legendary Actor & Writer Noel Coward approached him and told him.."If they'd made you look any prettier they could have called it 'Florence Of Arabia'..😁😁
The script for this one and Bridge over river Kwai are flawless. Now you must watch another Peter O'toole creation on The Last Emperor, another great movie with flawless script, beautiful cinematography, Oscar winning music and perfect casting.
I highly highly recommend the book Lawrence in Arabia for any history buffs out there. Such a great overview of Lawrence and other main characters in this theater leading up to and through WWI
David lean was a painter, and he framed every shot like a Renaissance painting. It is a masterclass in composing a shot with shadows and light depth of field and color. He also took his time letting scenes unfold within his careful compositions. My favorite shot is at the well where he lingers for a full 3 minutes before Omar Sharif comes into view and shoots Laurence's guide. I saw an interview where Lean said he chickened out, the original cut had him ride all the way in in one long shot, but he ended up cutting away to shorten the time.
You have now joined the ranks of those who have watched this epic many times and if it is shown at a theater near you, watch in the darkness and feel yourself disappear into it. ( sorry to say the sixtieth year anniversary just passed in 2022. It was great to see it in the theater again)
Omar Shariff and Peter O'Toole just light up every scene. Both at the very top of their game. One of the last grand movies of the era and you could not have cast this better.
I saw this in London on a big screen during a classic film screening series. I was amazed to find the cinema packed to the very last seat and a wide range of ages:18-88 and even had a live spoken intro at the front talking about David Leans films. To say that the vastness of the movie was amplified by watching this movie in an actual big screen cinema would be an understatement. The grandeur of the desert… the close up shots… the sound… just glorious.
The opening with the black screen was actually used back in the day to give people time to get to their seats and get settled in. What's also wild is there were times when they could only shoot one shot a day because they had to wait for the tracks in the sand to fill in
This is the greatest feat of film making in the history of cinema. It's epic but a deep character study. An amazing cast, perfect direction, unmatched cinematography, a great score. And it was filmed on location with a cast of thousands and on actual film. Nothing will ever approach this achievement.
This is my favorite movie of all time. I was lucky enough to see it 3 times in 70mm at the Cinerama in Seattle (RIP). Absolutely phenomenal, HUGE canvas but such a personal story about a complicated character.
When you said Ali was head over heels for Lawrence, you were actually right on the nose. There is some evidence that the real Lawrence might’ve been gay, and David Lean, the director, said many years later that they intended to imply that Lawrence was gay in their interpretation, which Peter O’Toole purposely incorporated into his performance. Lean also said they meant to imply that Lawrence and Ali became lovers offscreen during the journey, but they had to keep it to subtext since it was the 60s. With that in mind, Ali’s tearful last scene where Auda figures out “you love him” really hits differently, as does the moment where Lawrence stands up in the car at the very end to watch the Bedouins go by, trying to get one last glimpse of the man he still loves.
Whether I agree or not I can much more see LoA earning the title of GOAT more than Citizen Kane or Vertigo. This film just *feels* like an appropriate best of all time even if it isn't your own favorite. I saw it for the first time on a rerelease and sitting in the dark theater with the overture blaring was a sensory *experience* I'll say that right now. Maybe the best theater trip I've ever had. I was shaking exiting the place that day.
But...but...it doesn't have a middle-aged male character obsessed with recapturing his unattainable ideal! In all seriousness though, I suspect the reason Lawrence isn't in the top spot is because there are no female characters and not many of the intelligentsia can relate deeply to his character, not to mention the modern-day quibbles with Lawrence's written retelling of history and postcolonial discomfort with British military protagonists of that period. As a woman though, I've never thought that Lawrence of Arabia suffers from the lack of female representation, and I don't consider Citizen Kane or Vertigo any more friendly to my half of the population, since both are entrenched in the male gaze. Citizen Kane isn't particularly engaging watching, but it is Lawrence of Arabia's equal when it comes to film-as-a-textbook-for-filmmaking.
@@melanie62954 Lol, woe is me, you're right! How ever will I see it the same? In all seriousness I'm a woman too (If that wasn't obvious...) and I don't honestly have any issues whatever about CK's or Vertigo's portrayals thereof, even with you being right that they are rather male gazey in a way Lean really isn't making a bid for in this case. But still, they don't quite grab me like this does and I do often find it the case that a movie with no women interests me more than one with women who don't particularly resonate with me. And as for the discomfort, I'd mostly feel it outstandingly valid if the whole movie was the contents pre-intermission. It's difficult post intermission to the ending to see Lawrence as having been glorified, impossible even I'd dare say. What also aids in my liking it better is of course, the presence of Claude Rains. Does Citizen Kane or Vertigo have Claude Rains? *smug* That's what I thought. 😁
@@bespectacledheroine7292 You're right, the second half totally undercuts the colonial perspective. And no film can be everything, from every gaze, of course. Hahaha, Claude Rains! He bumps every film he's in up a notch. My favorite role of his is Notorious.
@@melanie62954 I literally can't choose, I always love him. In Notorious in particular, when Alicia's vision goes blurry and he's closing in....terrifying.
A theater near me used to do a couple of series of old movies a year. 10 bucks for 10 classics. One of them had this, Godfather part 1 and North By Northwest. So great to watch on the big screen.
I’m so glad you reacted to this, it’s truly spell-binding. I had to watch it more than once to understand some of the nuances going on but it’s one of a kind to be sure. Bravo! 👏👏👏
I was with my wife many years ago in the desert, on a camel each. Every other minute we burst into the Theme from Lawrence of Arabia as we travel from one point to another.
The UA-cam channel "History Buffs" has really good breakdowns of the context and actual stories movies are based on. Here is the one for Lawrence of Arabia: ua-cam.com/video/R9scZDbKxtY/v-deo.html
After the premiere Noël Coward quipped, "If Peter O'Toole had been any prettier they'd have had to call it Florence of Arabia." There are four films by David Lean that are essential viewing for anyone interested in cinema and cinematography: _Brief Encounter_ (1945). With a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his one-act play, _Still Life,_ it is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly one of the greatest romantic films; _The Bridge on the River Kwai_ (1957), another of Lean's films considered one of the greatest of all time, it won seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Alec Guiness. It is adapted from Pierre Boulle's novel, _The Bridge Over the River Kwai,_ which he based on his experiences in a Japanese forced labor camp during WWII; _Lawrence of Arabia_ 'nuff said; _Doctor Zhivago_ (1965). It is an epic romance film based on Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel. It won five Oscars and five Golden Globes, and in the intervening years has grown in reputation. Like _Lawrence_ it has a gorgeous score by Maurice Jarre.
Very perceptive comments! T.E. Lawrence was a very real person. He was conflicted, as he loved Arabia and its people but was also a British Officer, and loyal to both. He had a keen intellect and spoke Arabic fluently. He was a true poet/warrior and he wrote a book about his experiences during this time "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" with an evocative poem that begins, "I loved you so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars..." I won't go into detail, but the parts of the movie that appear like pure Hollywood script writing actually happened. I think at the end of the movie, Lawrence was let down by both of his loves, the people of Arabia went right back to fighting among themselves, and the British right back to fulfilling their love of desolate places. When I was younger, I always thought the part at the end when they are negotiating in Damascus was less dramatic than the rest of the movie, but I have come to see it as even more; there is a great soundless thud when Lawrence realizes neither side understands the victory for what it should have meant, although each of them, every one, knew what Lawrence thought it should mean. No one shared his aspirations for them, and that broke him. P.S. he was more than beaten in Denbo.
This is the gold standard in cinematography. It's such an impeccably gorgeous movie that only a few of the very best modern movies come close to visually.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was a real historical person, British soldier who "liaised" with the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottomans (for strategic purposes in WWI). He's the same Lawrence of Arabia mentioned in Uncharted 3, which drew off the "Dreamers of the Day" being dangerous men, acting out their dreams with open eyes to make them possible, theme. Because Lawrence was talking about himself, what he accomplished, but also how it unsettled him, which was probably a main part of why he left and returned to England.
This is my favorite film of all time, It was filmed in 70mm Panavision, which makes those super wide shots that much more impressive. It was directed by the great David Lean. This film has the distinction of being the first time an actual desert mirage was successfully filmed, and masterfully so. Remember, it was 1962, so everything had to be created in the real world. In the iconic 'Ali's well' scene, Lean perfectly captured the emergence of Ali (Omar Sharif) from the distant horizon on his camel, preceded by hints of dust over the ocean of the mirage. It was done using a prototype 800mm lens on loan from Panavision. Interesting note: Omar Sharif wasn't initially supposed to be wearing all black, but the black was needed to get the right contrast in the distant shot on the mirage, so he ended up having to wear black throughout the film to keep continuity. For more from David Lean, check out The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) another great one.
Thank you for this reaction. The Bridge on the River Kwai is probably my favorite movie, but Lawrence of Arabia and its' vast epic quality has it in my top five of all time. You can hear echos of David Lean in Schindler's List and Dune. If I might suggest a personal favorite of mine, check out Searching for Bobby Fischer. It's a beautiful, gentle story about chess...and fathers and sons.
Absolutely love this movie even if it’s just for it’s sheer scope but there is so much happening and so much being implied that it’s a movie you can watch again and again and still catch something you’ve missed. One of my favourites is that last scene as he is driven along the desert road and the vehicle is overtaken by a motorcyclist and as Lawrence watches it drive into the distance,we know that it’s foreshadowing his death… absolutely stunning shot and composition and an epic ending to an epic movie
The score is amazing! The grandiosity especially in the beginning of finding Prince Faisal in the desert is a character in itself, expertly communicating to us the wonder, danger, uncertainty of the desert and Lawrence himself experience occur during the film.
The incredible musical score is by Maurice Jarre, who won many awards for his film scores. He also wrote the music for "Doctor Zhivago". His son Jean Michel Jarre is a ground-breaking electronic composer. His early-70s album. "Oxygene", was the first all-electronic, complete album original symphony. Almost 50 years later and it still gets played on the radio or in movies, and is still instantly recognizable.
James, The more I watch your video reactions (I’ve seen maybe a dozen?), the more I appreciate your considerate, intelligent observations and general “take” on some of my favorite movies. I can see you are a thoughtful, smart guy who loves this cinema thing. To get your take on such movies as Hitchcock’s, or any of the other great directors is a fine way to spend an afternoon or evening. Thank you for your channel, I’m glad I found it.
One of my all time favorite films. David Lean is in my personal Top 5 Favorite Directors. I was fortunate to see this at the Ziegfeld Theater in NYC back in 2002 on the film's digitally remastered 50th anniversary. It was quite a night.
I saw this at the cinema when it came out and you can imagine how BIG those sweeping desert scenes were on the big screen for a 10 year old. Bad films feel longer than they actually are and good films the opposite, and I have never felt that films like this , or Seven Samurai for example, are too long. If anything the time flies by. I read two volumes of Lawrences' letters, probably thirty five years ago now, and as far as knowing him is concerned, he still remains an enigma. My feeling and perhaps false memory is that he seemed rather cold and disconnected apart from one letter where he was writing to the widow of a comrade who was killed. For once he was not repressed nor 'buttoned-up'. It seems to me that he might have been a man you might know for thirty years yet never feel you could call him a friend. Nice reaction.
About the detonators. Dynamite is actually paper that's been soaked in nitro-glycerin, dried up, and rolled together. That's why wet, old dynamite is so dangerous. So you can set it on fire, and nothing will happen, because it's not using gunpowder. The detonators were mercury fulminate blasting caps, triggered by electrical energy, or a sudden shock.
David Lean was an incredible filmmaker. Lawrence is virtually a textbook of filmmaking His early films are excellent and his later epics are stunning. You should watch In Which We Serve, Brief Encounter, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan's Daughter. Overtures, Intermissions, Entr'actes and Exit music were often used to help create an experience from seeing a film, similar to attending the theatre.
So this film is where the term match cut comes from as the scene where Lawrence says "It's gonna be fun" and he blows out the match and cuts to the desert that wasn't supposed to happen, but it is one of the best accidents to happen. If the man playing the Prince seems familiar that is because it is Alec Guiness who would go on to be Obi-Wan Kenobi. What you experienced at the beginning of the film is known as an Overture it is usually at the beginning of long films and it gave people a chance to sit down in the theater and prepare for the film. While the intermission and Entra'cte Gabe people the chance to get up stretch, go to the bathroom etc, Lawrence was a real man and all of this really occurred.
31:06 The shot of Lawrence is shot the same way as Morticia Addams, with the light just across the eyes. This film, and especially its cinematography echoes down the decades!
James! First time watching one of your reactions. And I'm so glad it was Lawrence of Arabia. This is a Ferrari among films ... NIIIIIICE to see a reactor who appreciates how it works, from the epic wide shots w/hundreds of extras to the lighting on Peter O'Toole's face. Love your filmmaker's perspective. Really cool for me to watch how YOU watch a film. You said at the beginning that LoA is a "patient" film. So very true. It reflects a lot of Lawrence's own approach in the beginning -- how he observes, learns, deliberates. We don't see a lot of patient filmmaking these days, at least not with big studio films of this type. Seems to be a lost art in the chase for loud/fast/spectacular. The movie used Lawrence's own memoir, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," for much of the story. I bought a copy back in college from a used bookstore after I saw this movie in one of those arthouse theaters. Lawrence was a heckuva writer. GREAT JOB on the reaction. I will be watching more of your videos. Intelligent, observant, focusing on the filmmaking and storytelling -- way to go, sir.
One of the strangest things about life is how you feel most alive right at the cusp of death. Lawrence was desperate to feel alive, but you can't stay so close to death without some of it bleeding into you. Nietzsche truly put it best when he said "If you battle monsters, take care that you do not become a monster. And when you gaze into the abyss, know that the abyss also gazes back."
As someone pretty big into films, seeing this in 70mm is what I consider my cinematic 'awakening'. To this day I've only seen it once however, I somehow can't imagine a repeat viewing living up to the initial experience - I don't feel that way about other great films, I watch 2001 or the Godfather again and again and know they'll be great. The character of T.E Lawrence is based on...T.E Lawrence. Aka Lawrence of Arabia, before there even was a film. The treaty signed by the British and French in WWi to carve up the Arab territories after the war is real, it's called the Sykes-Picot agreement and you can trace a lot of how the Middle East is today back to it. Though unlike the film version, the real Lawrence knew about it all the time he was living and fighting with the Arabs. The real Lawrence was gay and there is a homoerotic subtext that culminates in the scene where he's flogged/tortured after being captured by the Ottoman soldiers. If you're impressed by the scale and the number of extras, a contemporary film Cleopatra surpasses even Lawrence in that regard, though not as a film overall - lacking a larger-than-life Lawrence to exist in that vast space, even the way they're shot is inferior to this film in that thye're mostly static compositions just very crowded, but it's a great film if you enjoy sets and costumes. It's a natural companion piece in a way, if Lawrence of Arabia is the apotheosis of the 'serious' Hollywood epic (despite being a British film), Cleopatra is the same for the more campy and colorful kind
@@MrZilla There's certainly a strong hint in the film with the two Arabic boys he's so fond of. Many think he may have been asexual or at least probably had no overtly sexual experiences.
I don’t know if someone has mentioned this yet, but i remember learning about film history and in those days when they filmed this you couldn’t just watch what you had just filmed. It had to be processed and then they would watch it later that day. ( these were known as “daily’s”) they talk about this movie and that it took days sometimes before they could watch the daily’s because of the location of the shoot. And one scene had to be reshot because the lighting was all messed up. But that fact about not having a digital scene to watch right there just blows my mind.
I had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen a few years ago, after having watched it many times at home. It was a whole new experience. It’s so magnificently shot, and the score is perfection. I hope you explore more of David Lean’s work!
This film is DEEPLY LAYERED. Would love your thoughts below..!
Hopping into The Boys S3 & Fargo S3 LIVE on the patreon! Click here for early access: www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema
Have a great day everyone!
When you began with such admiration for Lawrence (who was a real person), I did say out loud, "Oh, but they DO break him for a while." I don't think u realized that he wasn't only BEATEN on that table with the stick and it changed him and Omar Sharif and his relationship, and his spirit. Glad you finally watched some of my favorite actors. Quinn, Ferrer, O'Toole, Sharif!, Guiness, Rains!! OH my!!! Ferrer as Cyrano you will LOVE!
This should be called filmmaker react to the legendary filmmaker David Lean.
This is Spielberg's favorite film. I think when anyone watches it, you can see why.
You do realize this is a biography, right? T E Lawrence was very much a real man, with a great many flaws and virtues. You're talking about him like he's a fictional character
The movie is loosely based on Lawrence's autobiographical book "Seven Pillars of Wisdom".
Though some aspects didn't get mentioned in his book because after all part of his work was secret diplomacy. He also wasn't as idealistic and maybe naive about the true intentions of the British Empire and France like it gets depicted in the movie. And also not as hateful about the Turks.
One of his counterparts and opponents was Alois Musil from the Austro-Hungarian-Empire. A similar larger then life figure.
wikipedia: Alois_Musil
Also look up: St. John Philby
T.E. Lawrence, wasnt a character, he was a real person. Extra ordinary, he actually retired from the army after the war, and joined the airforce as a new recruit. He was a man of passion, a man of pride and a legend to anyone who has heard of his exploits.
He was also idolised by the Arabian people, where even Sultan's would bow to him. But even through he brought a sense of peace and agreement between the many tribes, he was haunted afterwards by how the British divided the regions in the Middle East.
@Gerald H Have to commend your knowledge on Middle Eastern history. Thanks for sharing.
Wasn't very good on the motorcycke unfortunately
@Gerald H I have often said that the only thing the French ever did with any competency was plant trees so Germans could march in the shade.
@Gerald H Charlemagne was a lucky bastard. Literally. He was born before his parents canonical marriage. As for Napoleon his invasion of Russia was one of the most lethal military campaigns in history. I just really don't like the French.
My favorite quote from T. E. Lawrence “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”
Found the Uncharted 3 player
Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture!
This film is a major influence on Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Herbert, Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick.
It's pretty impressive and still the greatest motion picture ever made.
I can definitely see why! This is packed.
Steven Spielberg has said that he always watches it before starting to make a new movie.
And no surprise, even Ridley Scott... there are a number of movies where he'll have his character's outright quote the movie, and actually, the same line; he did it in Prometheus in the beginning where the android is actually watching LoA, and again in A Good Year. Both times the lines are: "why do you like the desert... Because it's clean."
Obviously you need to set up shots, cameras, lights, makeup people but there are no unplanned footprints in those huge desert scenes- the work and patience required to accomplish that is amazing
Citizen Kane
The reason for the black screen with music at the beginning was that it was an overture. If you've been to live opera or musical theatre you may know this, but an overture is essentially a big megamix of a lot of the musical themes you'll be hearing throughout the show. It's played before the show begins to set the stage and is generally about 3 to 5 minutes long to make sure everyone's in their seats when the show begins. Plenty of older "epic" films parroted the overture, which in this case has lots of the musical motifs from the film such as the desert theme, the battle theme, Lawrence's contemplation, etc.
Yup, not only did this movie have a traditional overture, it also had a formal intermission because its viewing time was so long.
@@vandergrad The 2-disc set I have includes the interval music. Like the rest of the score, it is composed by Maurice Jarre, father of Jean-Michel Jarre (of "Oxygene" fame).
It would be nice if overtures were brought back
@@joonaa2751 most younger people can't even stand it when an older movie runs some of the credits at the beginning like they used to... don't think they could handle a proper overture, lol.
The other much reacted to movie with an overture is of course 2001 a Space Odyssey. I've seen some youtubers worried that maybe the visuals have broken down, and their copy might be faulty.
"I think you are another of these desert-loving English. No Arab loves the desert. We love water and green trees. There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing." is a line in this that hit me like a truck.
I love whe he mentions Gordon of Khartoum. "Khartoum" is another great Epic Film set in the Sudan and based on historical events. It stars Charlton Heston and Lawrence Olivier. Gordon too was a complex character.
"My lord, I think... I think your book is right. 'The desert is an ocean in which no oar is dipped' and on this ocean the Bedu go where they please and strike where they please. This is the way the Bedu have always fought. You're famed throughout the world for fighting in this way and this is the way you should fight now!"
The desert is clean.
Each time I see this film I love it even more. The writing, the cinematography, the music, and the acting are all simply outstanding. The performances of Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, and Alec Guinness are unforgettable. The music, too, will stay with you long after you've watched the film.
"That guy" who is "so damn cool" is Alec Guiness, who is also Obi-wan Kenobie in Star Wars, among about a million other genius roles!
I was lucky enough to see him in 2 West End plays. "Yahoo" a one man play about Jonathon Swift and "Another Country" about British traitors who spied for the USSR.
I reckon most of us who know and love this movie chuckled a bit when you praised the composition of the opening shot and said to themselves "if you think that's a good shot, prepare to have your mind completely blown when we get to the desert!".
I believe Frank Herbert himself (Writer of the DUNE Books) has said that Lawrence of Arabia was one of the biggest influences on the books and that same goes for Denis Villeneuve and his adaptation.
For sure. It might have been subtle but I definitely remember the desert theme of Dune also had something Lawrence-esque about it.
I wish Dennis Villeneuve would direct the Alien franchise for a bit. 3 films is all I ask.
At one point David Lean, the director of this film, was asked to direct a Dune film in the 1960/70
@@LaughingMan2GIG Wild...I didn't know that. I was first introduced to the story as a kid on my Apple II and then my parents bought me the book when I wouldn't shut up about video games.
Edit: Just had to look this up for the nostalgia factor.
ua-cam.com/video/4VMbPzf_pq8/v-deo.html
Miguel Ferrer is here, and played Emperor Shaddam in Lynch's Dune.
The suave grey-suited politician Dryden is played by Claude Rains, who was also the charming and delightfully corrupt police captain Louis Renault in 'Casablanca'. A great talent who's not as well-remembered as he deserves.
Deception is a favorite but of course, Now Voyager and especially The Invisible Man! So many good ones!
@@rostand5264 oh yes, his Invisible Man is a master class in acting.
And Prince John in Robin Hood, and in Mr. Smith goes to Washington with Jimmy Stewart.
As a curiosity Claude Rains was a veteran of WW1 and suffered lung injuries during a gas attack on the somme.
I think our minds these days are so tuned to seeing cgi, that the sheer scope of this movie goes over our heads. The charge through the town is a mind boggling shot.
Also "Thy mother mated with a scorpion" is such an epic burn.
Very accurate, I first saw this film nearly a decade ago, and while it indelibly left an impression and I adored the film for its scope, it took me coming back much later, and with a far deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of filmmaking to truly appreciate the masterstroke of its cinematography.
The greatest I've ever seen, and I suspect of all time.
When people make the argument for watching movies at home instead of in the theater, this is the movie I refer them to. The scope of the Cinerama 70 mm style can only be appreciated on a huge screen. The scene of Lawrence on the train in the desert is awe inspiring.
Lawrence started out as an amateur archeologist, traveling through northern Palestine and Syria, sketching and describing castles and ruins and eventually becoming fluent in Arabic. He worked on the excavation of Carchemish and gained the respect of the British Museum which was funding the dig. At the outbreak of the war Turkey sided with Germany and Lawrence found himself in the Arab Bureau in Cairo as an intelligence analyst. He was sent to the Heijaz area of Arabia to get information on and to encourage Faisal and his sons.
From the beginning he was encouraged by Faisal to wear arab clothes in order to blend in. He was quite comfortable with this as he had been doing it for years.
Interesting note, this was, I believe, the first western major movie for the Egyptian actor Omar Sharif ("Ali").
After seeing this film several times, something just occurred to me.
Seeing Lawrence die in the opening of the film gives the audience the same overconfidence in the invulnerability of Lawrence that the character has throughout most of the film. The thought never enters your head that he could die in the desert.
he also dies in a hubristic and pathetically random way which cuts down and challenges his megalomania and the idolization of militaristic and colonialist "heroes"
Although there were barely any women in front of the camera, two women on the production side were integral in making this a masterpiece. Anne Coates, the film editor, won an Academy Award for her work on this film and was responsible for what is arguably the greatest edit in all of film: the direct cut from Lawrence blowing out the match to the rising sun in the desert. And it was genius how Phyllis Dalton, the costume designer, used progressively thinner material for Lawrence's white robes to show his mental and emotional deterioration as the film progressed. I'm so thankful that the first time I saw this film was in a theater because the emersion is unlike anything I have ever experienced before or since-and the music during the overture and intermission played a huge role in that. If you liked Omar Sharif's performance as Sherif Ali, I must recommend watching him as the titular character in "Doctor Zhivago," which was also directed by David Lean a few years later.
And he was also in Top Secret!, munched up in his car at one point. He was a great actor.
Anne V. Coates edited both _Lawrence of Arabia_ and _Fifty Shades of Grey._ If that's not versatility, then I don't know what is.
Also, how embarrassing it remains that Phyllis Dalton wasn't nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar only because whoever at Columbia Pictures was handling Oscars submission paperwork forgot to put her name down. (Dalton did go on to win for 1965's _Doctor Zhivago,_ David Lean's follow-up, and then Kenneth Branagh's _Henry V_ in 1989.)
@@Wired4Life2 Great versatility! She also edited two of my personal favorites: "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) and "Out of Sight" (1998). There's a YT clip of Coates discussing how she and director Steven Soderbergh edited the classic bar sequence in the latter film and it's utterly fascinating. James: I don't believe you've done "Out of Sight" yet but it's a great, sexy, funny crime drama with Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney in what I think are their best performances. It also has an incredible supporting cast with Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks and Ving Rhames.
@@evechanning1173 Of that version of "Murder on the Orient Express", I find the introductory montage particularly striking. The way they cut from a short silent shot to a newspaper headline and back feels almost musical, and it makes the last headline in that sequence all the more chilling.
David Lean's films are incredible - epic, moving, and beautifully made. The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, A Passage To India, and this film are all must-see.
Without checking I think Passage to India is one of Attenborough’s isn’t it?
@@tacticalgrace6456 Nope, David Lean directed it. It was his last film.
Also Brief Encounter
+ Ryan's Daughter
@@tacticalgrace6456 Attenborough made the impressive (though not quite at the level of Lawrence) epic Ghandi, maybe that's what you're thinking of.
For historical context: Lawrence's mission was part of the British effort in WW1 to incite rebellion amongst the Arab tribes against the Ottoman Empire (Turks). For 400 years the Arabs had lived under the Ottoman empire. To bring the Turks down, the British encouraged Arab nationalism and made the Arabs a promise that, if they revolt against the Turks, they would be granted a state of their own which would unite the Arabs. The British did not follow through on their promise and carved up the region at the end of the war between themselves and France. The state of Iraq was created Shortly after the war but was a vassal to the British.
He also wrote the forward to Charles Montague Doughty's 1888 book Travels Through the Arabian Desert. Excellent book... REALLY LONG book. One of the best books I have ever tackled that shares culture without being racist.
Yeah.... after the whole "using the Arab peoples as enthusiastic meat shields under the false promise of an independent Arab Nation" bit the british and french chopped up the remains of the ottoman empire amongst themselves, ignoring the cultural differences of people they lumped together into pseudocolonies.
one such territory ruled for the next twenty years or so by British mandate was Palestine - and this ended because the arab people living there were not so receptive to colonial rule (and were just really angry with the British for some strange reason?). Well, that and there was this thing going on in the forties where people of another ethnic group the British didn't particularly like was subject to, let's say, especially unkind treatment in continental europe and trying to flee to the British Isles as refugees. Sending them to form a proxy-colony in
Palestine was a real "two birds one stone" solution for the British Government; I'm sure if Thatcher could've gotten away with doing something similar like setting up all the refugees from the Falklands to occupy and rule Ireland she would've.
I consider this to be the best movie ever filmed. I try to watch it at least twice a year. Lawrences torture by the Turks is the darkening of his soul. The Turks robbed him of The Deserts beauty and introduced a cruelty to replace the beauty. I may be wrong but I think that they not only beat him, but they sodomized him, to try and break his spirit. They tried to take his manliness away to break him. What they stripped away was his wonder, and belief, and what they exposed him to was the cruelness of man to man. This was made evident when they showed him having showing no compunction to killing on the battlefield. Where previously he was reticent to wanton killing; the cruelness was exposed in his soul, and he was lost to the pettiness and bloodlust of cruelty. This was later exacerbated by he double dealing of the politicians. Hr was betrayed on so many levels. In the end he learned He was just a man, and was to be tossed about by fate, like other men, but even then he was a force to be reckoned with. I learn something new from the film every time I watch it. I am 56 and I've been watching this movie for over 40+ years, and it still amazes me. "I am a river unto my people..." One of the best lines ever said in a movie. Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan-Kenobi) and Omar Shariff, and Peter O'Toole are some of the finest actors to ever grace the screen at the same time. This is a Master Class in Acting in a single movie.
I'm pretty sure I read David Lean saying that he thought he would have to be more explicit about the beating scene, but then they came up with Jose Ferrer's cough and somehow, it made it obvious to audiences of that time that they were going to sodomize Lawrence.
Lawrence admits he enjoyed executing the guy he saved well before the Turkish incident. The incident merely brought him back down to earth. He believed himself to be a God like figure.
It's a crime that they forgot to submit the costume designer for an Oscar. She added so many fantastic imperceptible details, like making his military uniform slightly too small, to make him look awkward in it, compared to the clothes he's given later. Or making several versions of those clothes, in thinner and thinner materials, to reflect his state of mind as things begin to unravel. This whole movie is just a fantastic achievement, and beautiful in every regard.
Great point about the opening scene showing Lawrence's embracing of danger as a harbinger of things to come. The director set that up perfectly.
"I love that we're getting all different types of deserts, too."
T.E. Lawrence's book about the war is full of descriptions of various canyons, dry river beds, and unusual striations on the rocks.
Clearly, David Lean sought to bring some of that geological variety to the screen.
I first saw this in a grand movie theater with a very large screen; all the visuals were nothing short of spectacular.
Blank screens with music are the intros from the early films...it gets people in their seats and settled. It is from a time before previews. Its like going to a musical theatre.
This film and Casablanca were inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Also another epic you should watch is Ben Hur.
Ahhhh that gives my comment later in the video some points!
Ben-Hur and Spartacus. Both highly intelligent Epic films!
And this film, along with John Ford's The Searchers, inspired pretty much every epic that came after, including Star Wars. The burning homestead scene on Tatooine is a near copy of a scene in The Searchers.
Him blowing the match out in to the sun on the horizon shot . That's cinema bay-beeeeee!
It's incredible when you see the epic, wide shots of battles in films of this era to think that there was no CGI or other special effects back then, so every man and every horse was real.
That is one of things that makes this, and other such films, great.
If you've ever gone to see operas, especially back in the older days, the orchestra would play an overture, which was meant to give a kind of instrumental introduction to bits of all the musical pieces the audience would hear throughout the entirety of the performance. This practice goes back centuries of operatic performances.
Older films, especially big epics, would do this as well, sorta growing out of opera to theater to film.
2001 A Space Odyssey opens with an overture aswell
@@bassterix7151 As does West Side Story.
DUUUUUDE!!!!! All time favorite movie. An absolute masterpiece and a sublime work of art. Imagine a director today saying "hey let's film five mins of sunrise", or "let's hire hundreds and hundreds extras and run through the desert". Of course cgi could solve thise problems today, but back then this was a herculean undertaking. Thanks so much for watching!
I've seen dozens of your reactions to films and you always floor me with your insights and your perceptions of film language and the emotional power that you experience through the medium. You have an amazing ability to see into the films you react to and understand that so much is happening between all the various aspects such as editing, acting, music, framing, the set up of scenes, pacing. This mirrors my love of film and I truly appreciate it when I watch your reactions. Lawrence of Arabia is one of those films that the word epic is meant for but still is inadequate to describing Lawrence the man, the myth. He sought glory in the name of right but lost himself as a desert god/man who just wanted to become an ordinary man again but couldn't. A film of such scope and power that will live forever as a testament to a man's vision of reaching into the infinite while alive and to the grandness that film art can achieve.
Hey this comment is everything for real. Appreciate the kind words and happy to hear the vibes are equal! 🙏🏽
Yes. Thoroughly enjoyed your reaction to this great film.
So glad to see you appreciating this magnificent film. I went to see it in my hometown when it was released in 1962. I was 15 years old and had an interest in filmmaking. Well, I was stunned by what I saw. I had never seen anything like it before. I had never heard of TE Lawrence or for that matter Peter O'Toole and David Lean. I went home and thought about nothing else for a few days. I went back to see it again and I was stunned again. I saw it repeatedly during its long run in our town. In fact, I saw it so many times that eventually the woman in the ticket booth would just wave me in free of charge. There is nothing like it for me and although I love so many films this is always my standard for what filmmaking, storytelling, acting, cinematography and film music should be. It literally changed my life.
This movie is epic. Cinematography, soundtrack, acting, writing, editing. Thank you for reacting to this masterpiece (i think this term is thrown around too much these days but it definitely applies to this classic).
I absolutely agree haha!
The famous Irish actor Peter O'Toole held the unique record of being the actor who received the most Oscar nominations without a win, which was 8 nominations. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2002 for lifetime achievement. Eventually, the actress Glenn Close matched his record of 8 Oscar nominations without a win, just last year.
I think he should’ve won for this film and The Lion In Winter (1968).
@@kingamoeboid3887 Agreed. Gregory Peck was great in To Kill a Mockingbird, but the part didn't have the range and scope of Peter O'Toole's work here. I think he didn't win only because he was such a newcomer to film.
@@kingamoeboid3887 And The Stunt Man...and My Favorite Year. And Venus.
@@melanie62954 That's debatable, but the veteran factor definitely helped Peck, even though he wasn't in that year's Best Picture winner.
_The Lion in Winter_ should've been O'Toole's Oscar. The only reason why many would tolerate Cliff Robertson as an Oscar winner these days is because he was Uncle Ben in 2002's _Spider-Man._
All amazing films but My Favourite Year is my favourite
Wadi Rum is such a breathtaking landscape. Just makes you escape the world. This is such a golden film, especially out of the filmography of David Lean. The casting is pristine, writing is crisp, the music complementing the story, and the shots are spectacular! One of my personal favorite films!
Wait till you see David Lean's "Dr. Zhivago".
My high school history teacher had the class go to the theater to see this. Must have been the best school day I ever had ! Seeing it on a big screen was amazing.
I can highly recommend Seven Pillars of Wisdom which Lawrence wrote about this time in his life. It was used by Lean as the source material for the film.
There are a lot of 70 mm prints still in circulation, and if you're anywhere near a major metro area you can probably catch a theatrical screening of one of them within a year or two if you're willing to keep an eye on the schedules for the theaters that do that sort of thing. I can't recommend that experience enough.
if you see it in a theater bring water. the presence of the desert is real
if you see it in a theater bring water. the presence of the desert is real
Stellar cast: Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif and peter O'Toole is just legend! Lawrence is an historical enigma bringing the tribes from Beersheba to Damascus...and the Saudis still rule in Arabia!
AHHHH i love that you reacted to this, James! I think it's definitely one of cinema's greatest movies of all time. Sir Peter O'Toole is the actor that plays Lawrence and I really encourage you to seek out more stuff where he stars in. He, likewise, is one of the all time greats. An amazing shakespearean actor that started his career in the british theater and then gradually moved towards film acting. He's one of those actors that you can just tell are completely and utterly in love with their craft, and are completely devoted body and soul to it as well and that comes through with every performance. I know you didn't ask for this (lmao sorry) but if you ever feel like watching more stuff with him (for this channel or in your own time), I'd recommend Becket (1964) for a really passionate performance or Troy (2004) if you haven't seen it. This last one is more contemporary, and it's with an old Peter O'Toole in one of his last roles as the king of Troy, at the time facing the threat of invasion by the Greek army. Even though he's not the main character, there is a beautiful monologue about honor, respect and compassion between enemies that imo slinglehandedly elevated the movie from "good" to "great". It still brings a tear to my eye every single time I watch it.
The Chief that Lawrence meets in the tent near the beginning is Obi Wan in brownface (Sir Alec Guiness). It was a different time for sure. Amazing movie with all the practical effects and extras needed to make it happen. A true epic in every sense. That scene of Lawrence appearing out of the desert almost as a mirage as he comes closer to the camera is revered as one of the top cinematic scenes of all time. These pre-VFX directors found ways to make their vision a reality. Google how the beginning pool scene was filmed in Sunset Blvd. Ingenious.
And José Ferrer (the turkish bey), who would go on to be in 1984's Dune.
I have such mixed feelings, because I generally sneer at brownface, but I absolutely LOVE Alec Guiness in this role. He's so perfect. He also plays a Hindu professor in David Lean's A Passage to India.
@@melanie62954 I look at it as the actors were a product of their times and no offense was meant. It's just the way it was. Now Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's is certainly hard to watch now. Ooof.
@@bigredtlc1828 True that, I guess I was thinking more about East and South Asian characters played by white actors re: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Black Narcissus (which I still love!), and The Good Earth.
@@bigredtlc1828 Brando going Japanese in Teahouse of the August Moon was also pretty bad.
If you Go to Lawrence's cottage and the grave yard, you will find his grave covered in flowers from the Arab states.
He was a real man
I remember watching this at the drive-in movie theater as a young kid. This is one of the 'epic' films from that time, another one I remember is "Dr, Zhivago" 1965, which is another amazing experience, 'Bridge over the river Kwai" also an epic movie. Thank you James.
@cayminlast I agree with you and all 3 (including this) are by the same director; David Lean.
Agreed. Seeing it fresh, and it hitting you in the solar plexus was a fantastic experience, as was 2001 in massive Cinerama. Just amazing.
I am afraid to tell you the scene where Lawrence got beaten.... he didn't only get beaten....
that's why it all came apart for him afterwards mentally. Or at least was a very major factor (and yes that part is relatively accurate. historically confusing as to the full truth. But accurate enough).
I just mentioned that. One of my favorite actors, Ferrer, becomes very unlikable to me after that. But, yeah, that broke him.
@@benjaminramsey498 unfortunately
@@benjaminramsey498 yeah - and in the later scene where he orders no prisoners to be taken after his men witness the aftermath of the town massacre it too was... Censored for the sake of the movie.
In his book he goes into detail of some of the stuff which happened and - I know that in the time of WW1 there was a lot of propaganda of different sides that was grossly exaggerated (Germans throwing babies in the air so as to bayonet them being one of those that was made up) - I am inclined to believe it actually happened. Because he describes how be and his men reacted. They didn't weep at the injustice, or swear revenge in some nationalist fervor. They... Giggled. Giggled in absolute disbelieving horror that they had lived long enough to witness these atrocities with their own eyes.
That blank screen with music is what was called the overture. I was a kid in the sixties when this film was made so I can't say that I know what the purpose of it was. I always assumed it was a way to get the audience introduced to the musical themes in the film and perhaps move the audience into the world of the film. It was not a common device and I think it was mostly done on big, blockbuster films.
It’s basically the definition of epic. Bits like the loooong take of the bloke in the desert, you’ll see mirrored in the good the bad and the ugly, and a hundred movies since. Would have loved to see peoples reaction at the time of release.
Lean needs more props. Kubrick and all that lot get these accolades, but DL was THE widescreen director for long enough. Like Turner, he knew how to reach the limit of his canvas.
I like the Lean/Turner comparison! Lean's films definitely have a strong dose of Romanticism in them.
@@melanie62954 Indeed. I hope FM will delve into more ... Great Expectations hopefully ...
It is the single greatest work ever put to film.
Started reading Lawrence's book "The seven Pillars of Wisdom" after a few pages I stopped. When I have time, I will start again, but with Google images on hand, to see the amazingly described venues in the book.
Slightly easier listening to it as an audiobook in Audible, though I'm still not very far through that either. Further than I got through the printed book.
It's absolutely worth reading. He also did a brilliant translation of The Odyssey, and advised Robert Graves on I, Claudius.
I took The Seven Pillars of Wisdom to read on holiday one year. When I got into the book, I realised it may not have been the most sensitive choice as my holiday was in Turkey, which didn't come out well in the book.
James at the beginning "this film is almost 4 hours". At the end "What!? Its over?"
Peter O'Toole Said that shortly after the film came out Legendary Actor & Writer Noel Coward approached him and told him.."If they'd made you look any prettier they could have called it 'Florence Of Arabia'..😁😁
O'Toole was SO beautiful, even covered with sand!
glad to see that you appreciate proper film making before CGI and 'superheroes. enjoyed your reaction and comments.
The script for this one and Bridge over river Kwai are flawless.
Now you must watch another Peter O'toole creation on The Last Emperor, another great movie with flawless script, beautiful cinematography, Oscar winning music and perfect casting.
I highly highly recommend the book Lawrence in Arabia for any history buffs out there. Such a great overview of Lawrence and other main characters in this theater leading up to and through WWI
And maybe "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom".
David lean was a painter, and he framed every shot like a Renaissance painting. It is a masterclass in composing a shot with shadows and light depth of field and color. He also took his time letting scenes unfold within his careful compositions. My favorite shot is at the well where he lingers for a full 3 minutes before Omar Sharif comes into view and shoots Laurence's guide. I saw an interview where Lean said he chickened out, the original cut had him ride all the way in in one long shot, but he ended up cutting away to shorten the time.
You have now joined the ranks of those who have watched this epic many times and if it is shown at a theater near you, watch in the darkness and feel yourself disappear into it.
( sorry to say the sixtieth year anniversary just passed in 2022. It was great to see it in the theater again)
Omar Shariff and Peter O'Toole just light up every scene. Both at the very top of their game. One of the last grand movies of the era and you could not have cast this better.
I saw this in London on a big screen during a classic film screening series. I was amazed to find the cinema packed to the very last seat and a wide range of ages:18-88 and even had a live spoken intro at the front talking about David Leans films. To say that the vastness of the movie was amplified by watching this movie in an actual big screen cinema would be an understatement. The grandeur of the desert… the close up shots… the sound… just glorious.
The opening with the black screen was actually used back in the day to give people time to get to their seats and get settled in. What's also wild is there were times when they could only shoot one shot a day because they had to wait for the tracks in the sand to fill in
This is the greatest feat of film making in the history of cinema. It's epic but a deep character study. An amazing cast, perfect direction, unmatched cinematography, a great score. And it was filmed on location with a cast of thousands and on actual film. Nothing will ever approach this achievement.
This is my favorite movie of all time. I was lucky enough to see it 3 times in 70mm at the Cinerama in Seattle (RIP). Absolutely phenomenal, HUGE canvas but such a personal story about a complicated character.
This is one of those films where all the pieces are great on their own, but fit magnificently together!
When you said Ali was head over heels for Lawrence, you were actually right on the nose. There is some evidence that the real Lawrence might’ve been gay, and David Lean, the director, said many years later that they intended to imply that Lawrence was gay in their interpretation, which Peter O’Toole purposely incorporated into his performance. Lean also said they meant to imply that Lawrence and Ali became lovers offscreen during the journey, but they had to keep it to subtext since it was the 60s. With that in mind, Ali’s tearful last scene where Auda figures out “you love him” really hits differently, as does the moment where Lawrence stands up in the car at the very end to watch the Bedouins go by, trying to get one last glimpse of the man he still loves.
Whether I agree or not I can much more see LoA earning the title of GOAT more than Citizen Kane or Vertigo. This film just *feels* like an appropriate best of all time even if it isn't your own favorite. I saw it for the first time on a rerelease and sitting in the dark theater with the overture blaring was a sensory *experience* I'll say that right now. Maybe the best theater trip I've ever had. I was shaking exiting the place that day.
I’m not opposed to that honestly. I think it’s a reasonable way to feel, this film is seriously masterful.
But...but...it doesn't have a middle-aged male character obsessed with recapturing his unattainable ideal!
In all seriousness though, I suspect the reason Lawrence isn't in the top spot is because there are no female characters and not many of the intelligentsia can relate deeply to his character, not to mention the modern-day quibbles with Lawrence's written retelling of history and postcolonial discomfort with British military protagonists of that period. As a woman though, I've never thought that Lawrence of Arabia suffers from the lack of female representation, and I don't consider Citizen Kane or Vertigo any more friendly to my half of the population, since both are entrenched in the male gaze. Citizen Kane isn't particularly engaging watching, but it is Lawrence of Arabia's equal when it comes to film-as-a-textbook-for-filmmaking.
@@melanie62954 Lol, woe is me, you're right! How ever will I see it the same?
In all seriousness I'm a woman too (If that wasn't obvious...) and I don't honestly have any issues whatever about CK's or Vertigo's portrayals thereof, even with you being right that they are rather male gazey in a way Lean really isn't making a bid for in this case.
But still, they don't quite grab me like this does and I do often find it the case that a movie with no women interests me more than one with women who don't particularly resonate with me. And as for the discomfort, I'd mostly feel it outstandingly valid if the whole movie was the contents pre-intermission. It's difficult post intermission to the ending to see Lawrence as having been glorified, impossible even I'd dare say.
What also aids in my liking it better is of course, the presence of Claude Rains. Does Citizen Kane or Vertigo have Claude Rains? *smug* That's what I thought. 😁
@@bespectacledheroine7292 You're right, the second half totally undercuts the colonial perspective. And no film can be everything, from every gaze, of course.
Hahaha, Claude Rains! He bumps every film he's in up a notch. My favorite role of his is Notorious.
@@melanie62954 I literally can't choose, I always love him. In Notorious in particular, when Alicia's vision goes blurry and he's closing in....terrifying.
A theater near me used to do a couple of series of old movies a year. 10 bucks for 10 classics. One of them had this, Godfather part 1 and North By Northwest. So great to watch on the big screen.
I’m so glad you reacted to this, it’s truly spell-binding. I had to watch it more than once to understand some of the nuances going on but it’s one of a kind to be sure. Bravo! 👏👏👏
I was with my wife many years ago in the desert, on a camel each. Every other minute we burst into the Theme from Lawrence of Arabia as we travel from one point to another.
The UA-cam channel "History Buffs" has really good breakdowns of the context and actual stories movies are based on. Here is the one for Lawrence of Arabia: ua-cam.com/video/R9scZDbKxtY/v-deo.html
My favorite score from any movie, very moving!
After the premiere Noël Coward quipped, "If Peter O'Toole had been any prettier they'd have had to call it Florence of Arabia."
There are four films by David Lean that are essential viewing for anyone interested in cinema and cinematography:
_Brief Encounter_ (1945). With a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his one-act play, _Still Life,_ it is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly one of the greatest romantic films;
_The Bridge on the River Kwai_ (1957), another of Lean's films considered one of the greatest of all time, it won seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Alec Guiness. It is adapted from Pierre Boulle's novel, _The Bridge Over the River Kwai,_ which he based on his experiences in a Japanese forced labor camp during WWII;
_Lawrence of Arabia_ 'nuff said;
_Doctor Zhivago_ (1965). It is an epic romance film based on Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel. It won five Oscars and five Golden Globes, and in the intervening years has grown in reputation. Like _Lawrence_ it has a gorgeous score by Maurice Jarre.
Very perceptive comments! T.E. Lawrence was a very real person. He was conflicted, as he loved Arabia and its people but was also a British Officer, and loyal to both. He had a keen intellect and spoke Arabic fluently. He was a true poet/warrior and he wrote a book about his experiences during this time "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" with an evocative poem that begins, "I loved you so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars..." I won't go into detail, but the parts of the movie that appear like pure Hollywood script writing actually happened. I think at the end of the movie, Lawrence was let down by both of his loves, the people of Arabia went right back to fighting among themselves, and the British right back to fulfilling their love of desolate places. When I was younger, I always thought the part at the end when they are negotiating in Damascus was less dramatic than the rest of the movie, but I have come to see it as even more; there is a great soundless thud when Lawrence realizes neither side understands the victory for what it should have meant, although each of them, every one, knew what Lawrence thought it should mean. No one shared his aspirations for them, and that broke him. P.S. he was more than beaten in Denbo.
This is the gold standard in cinematography. It's such an impeccably gorgeous movie that only a few of the very best modern movies come close to visually.
Thomas Edward Lawrence was a real historical person, British soldier who "liaised" with the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottomans (for strategic purposes in WWI). He's the same Lawrence of Arabia mentioned in Uncharted 3, which drew off the "Dreamers of the Day" being dangerous men, acting out their dreams with open eyes to make them possible, theme. Because Lawrence was talking about himself, what he accomplished, but also how it unsettled him, which was probably a main part of why he left and returned to England.
I have never seen this film before and watched it for the first time at the movie theater last night. It was one of the best things ever!
This is my favorite film of all time, It was filmed in 70mm Panavision, which makes those super wide shots that much more impressive.
It was directed by the great David Lean.
This film has the distinction of being the first time an actual desert mirage was successfully filmed, and masterfully so.
Remember, it was 1962, so everything had to be created in the real world.
In the iconic 'Ali's well' scene, Lean perfectly captured the emergence of Ali (Omar Sharif) from the distant horizon on his camel, preceded by hints of dust over the ocean of the mirage.
It was done using a prototype 800mm lens on loan from Panavision.
Interesting note: Omar Sharif wasn't initially supposed to be wearing all black, but the black was needed to get the right contrast in the distant shot on the mirage, so he ended up having to wear black throughout the film to keep continuity.
For more from David Lean, check out The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) another great one.
Thank you for reacting to this film. It is a film with depth, great acting, great photography and a significant story.
Thank you for this reaction. The Bridge on the River Kwai is probably my favorite movie, but Lawrence of Arabia and its' vast epic quality has it in my top five of all time.
You can hear echos of David Lean in Schindler's List and Dune. If I might suggest a personal favorite of mine, check out Searching for Bobby Fischer. It's a beautiful, gentle story about chess...and fathers and sons.
Absolutely love this movie even if it’s just for it’s sheer scope but there is so much happening and so much being implied that it’s a movie you can watch again and again and still catch something you’ve missed.
One of my favourites is that last scene as he is driven along the desert road and the vehicle is overtaken by a motorcyclist and as Lawrence watches it drive into the distance,we know that it’s foreshadowing his death… absolutely stunning shot and composition and an epic ending to an epic movie
I'm rewatching this for probably the third time. David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" is an absolute master class in movie making.
About the 8th time for me. But, I'm old.
@@margaretbowen867 oh, I'm talking about this video. I have the 2001 DVD, so I've watched it at least a dozen times....I'm old too.
James you definitely want to watch the making of this movie. The stories the actors and crew tell are just as great as the movie itself.
I recall Peter and Omar got very drunk and tied themselves to their camels during the race into the city
The score is amazing! The grandiosity especially in the beginning of finding Prince Faisal in the desert is a character in itself, expertly communicating to us the wonder, danger, uncertainty of the desert and Lawrence himself experience occur during the film.
The incredible musical score is by Maurice Jarre, who won many awards for his film scores. He also wrote the music for "Doctor Zhivago".
His son Jean Michel Jarre is a ground-breaking electronic composer. His early-70s album. "Oxygene", was the first all-electronic, complete album original symphony. Almost 50 years later and it still gets played on the radio or in movies, and is still instantly recognizable.
James,
The more I watch your video reactions (I’ve seen maybe a dozen?), the more I appreciate your considerate, intelligent observations and general “take” on some of my favorite movies.
I can see you are a thoughtful, smart guy who loves this cinema thing. To get your take on such movies as Hitchcock’s, or any of the other great directors is a fine way to spend an afternoon or evening. Thank you for your channel, I’m glad I found it.
Got to see this in a theater during it's 25th anniversary re-release. Absolutely stunning.
As close to a perfect film as I've ever seen - stunning.
One of my all time favorite films. David Lean is in my personal Top 5 Favorite Directors. I was fortunate to see this at the Ziegfeld Theater in NYC back in 2002 on the film's digitally remastered 50th anniversary. It was quite a night.
I saw this at the cinema when it came out and you can imagine how BIG those sweeping desert scenes were on the big screen for a 10 year old. Bad films feel longer than they actually are and good films the opposite, and I have never felt that films like this , or Seven Samurai for example, are too long. If anything the time flies by.
I read two volumes of Lawrences' letters, probably thirty five years ago now, and as far as knowing him is concerned, he still remains an enigma. My feeling and perhaps false memory is that he seemed rather cold and disconnected apart from one letter where he was writing to the widow of a comrade who was killed. For once he was not repressed nor 'buttoned-up'. It seems to me that he might have been a man you might know for thirty years yet never feel you could call him a friend.
Nice reaction.
Your instinctive and intuitive understanding of this film is impressive.
About the detonators. Dynamite is actually paper that's been soaked in nitro-glycerin, dried up, and rolled together. That's why wet, old dynamite is so dangerous. So you can set it on fire, and nothing will happen, because it's not using gunpowder. The detonators were mercury fulminate blasting caps, triggered by electrical energy, or a sudden shock.
Love seeing Omar Sharif, superlative actor
David Lean was an incredible filmmaker. Lawrence is virtually a textbook of filmmaking His early films are excellent and his later epics are stunning. You should watch In Which We Serve, Brief Encounter, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan's Daughter. Overtures, Intermissions, Entr'actes and Exit music were often used to help create an experience from seeing a film, similar to attending the theatre.
20:50 "Who are you?" "My name is for my friends"
So this film is where the term match cut comes from as the scene where Lawrence says "It's gonna be fun" and he blows out the match and cuts to the desert that wasn't supposed to happen, but it is one of the best accidents to happen.
If the man playing the Prince seems familiar that is because it is Alec Guiness who would go on to be Obi-Wan Kenobi.
What you experienced at the beginning of the film is known as an Overture it is usually at the beginning of long films and it gave people a chance to sit down in the theater and prepare for the film. While the intermission and Entra'cte Gabe people the chance to get up stretch, go to the bathroom etc,
Lawrence was a real man and all of this really occurred.
Awesome! Thank you for the info, especially with the Over Turn. Did not know that, but it makes sense. Shout out to Medieval Times lmfao.
@@JamesVSCinema I wish that overtures would make a return to films it gives you the sense the film you are going to see is going to be big.
This was a really interesting reaction. I didn't expect you to handle the pace so well. On point.
31:06 The shot of Lawrence is shot the same way as Morticia Addams, with the light just across the eyes. This film, and especially its cinematography echoes down the decades!
James! First time watching one of your reactions. And I'm so glad it was Lawrence of Arabia. This is a Ferrari among films ... NIIIIIICE to see a reactor who appreciates how it works, from the epic wide shots w/hundreds of extras to the lighting on Peter O'Toole's face. Love your filmmaker's perspective. Really cool for me to watch how YOU watch a film. You said at the beginning that LoA is a "patient" film. So very true. It reflects a lot of Lawrence's own approach in the beginning -- how he observes, learns, deliberates. We don't see a lot of patient filmmaking these days, at least not with big studio films of this type. Seems to be a lost art in the chase for loud/fast/spectacular. The movie used Lawrence's own memoir, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," for much of the story. I bought a copy back in college from a used bookstore after I saw this movie in one of those arthouse theaters. Lawrence was a heckuva writer.
GREAT JOB on the reaction. I will be watching more of your videos. Intelligent, observant, focusing on the filmmaking and storytelling -- way to go, sir.
One of the strangest things about life is how you feel most alive right at the cusp of death. Lawrence was desperate to feel alive, but you can't stay so close to death without some of it bleeding into you. Nietzsche truly put it best when he said "If you battle monsters, take care that you do not become a monster. And when you gaze into the abyss, know that the abyss also gazes back."
As someone pretty big into films, seeing this in 70mm is what I consider my cinematic 'awakening'. To this day I've only seen it once however, I somehow can't imagine a repeat viewing living up to the initial experience - I don't feel that way about other great films, I watch 2001 or the Godfather again and again and know they'll be great. The character of T.E Lawrence is based on...T.E Lawrence. Aka Lawrence of Arabia, before there even was a film. The treaty signed by the British and French in WWi to carve up the Arab territories after the war is real, it's called the Sykes-Picot agreement and you can trace a lot of how the Middle East is today back to it. Though unlike the film version, the real Lawrence knew about it all the time he was living and fighting with the Arabs. The real Lawrence was gay and there is a homoerotic subtext that culminates in the scene where he's flogged/tortured after being captured by the Ottoman soldiers. If you're impressed by the scale and the number of extras, a contemporary film Cleopatra surpasses even Lawrence in that regard, though not as a film overall - lacking a larger-than-life Lawrence to exist in that vast space, even the way they're shot is inferior to this film in that thye're mostly static compositions just very crowded, but it's a great film if you enjoy sets and costumes. It's a natural companion piece in a way, if Lawrence of Arabia is the apotheosis of the 'serious' Hollywood epic (despite being a British film), Cleopatra is the same for the more campy and colorful kind
I don't think he was gay.
@@MrZilla i think he was, there was a rumor in his hometown though.
There were popular accounts after the war questioning is sexuality. Most of the serious biographers though discount that.
@@MrZilla There's certainly a strong hint in the film with the two Arabic boys he's so fond of. Many think he may have been asexual or at least probably had no overtly sexual experiences.
@Gerald H true
I don’t know if someone has mentioned this yet, but i remember learning about film history and in those days when they filmed this you couldn’t just watch what you had just filmed. It had to be processed and then they would watch it later that day. ( these were known as “daily’s”) they talk about this movie and that it took days sometimes before they could watch the daily’s because of the location of the shoot. And one scene had to be reshot because the lighting was all messed up. But that fact about not having a digital scene to watch right there just blows my mind.
I had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen a few years ago, after having watched it many times at home. It was a whole new experience. It’s so magnificently shot, and the score is perfection. I hope you explore more of David Lean’s work!
I greatly appreciate that your approach. It’s uncommon today to find reaction videos by thoughtful, intelligent and articulate individuals. Well done.