Sorry for the late upload and inconvenience! Definitely underestimated how long this would take to export and upload, especially when my computer shut off half way through lol! Hope you all enjoy and thank you for the support!
In the old days, instead of playing trailers for upcoming features as the audience was talking their seats, music associated with the big time movies was played. In the interest of completeness, it's included in the digital versions.
TBR i do not accept that you watched this movie on a laptop, please start a go fund me or something that we can help you get a proper monitor to watch epic movies like this ...
when captured by the Turks he was raped and beaten before his release, the movie hints to this as heavily as a film could in 1962. I saw that you noticed the change in him.
Yes, this was the point at which his personality changed (understandably), and also when he began to hate the Turks enough to slaughter them mercilessly. Unfortunately the film was subtle enough about the events of his captivity that people can miss it.
You two earned our respect and appreciation with this. I can't imagine how complex and time-consuming this edit and posting must have been. Let us tell you: it was worth it. This was a marvelous experience. We thank you.
100%. This would have taken ages. These two always represent the film and their reactions so brilliantly. It’s so hard to do well but they nail it every time. I love reliving these films this way.
@@paintedjaguar If a four-hour-long, sixty-year-old movie can make it through the filter of a Patreon poll, then there's hope for any film of quality. At least, on this channel.
@@mrkelso Some. Everybody's heard of "Lawrence" even if many or most haven't seen it. But a lot of excellent films were never that famous or have gotten lost in the shuffle. Add that to the current strong bias for more recent stuff... Once a popular channel puts something different up, others will too, but there are reasons why most reaction channels just copy each other's homework.
One thing I like about older movies is how much more subtle they are at showing and not telling. Lawrence's uniform at the start is a size too small, it was a decision made so that it made him look a bit more out of place compared to all the other troops.
FINALLY, someone tackles this mammoth of a classic! It's the film's 60th anniversary this year, so if y'all ever get the chance to catch this in the theater, do so! If there's one classic film that must be viewed in the theater, it's this one-- it's a whole different experience. I missed my chance in 2012, and had to wait until 2019, but damm was it worth it.
@@m.ericwatson968 No, that new 70mm restoration of the film that was done a few years back was never released in US theaters. Only in the UK for some reason
The "Overture" was played as the theater filled with audience members. It really helped build anticipation , as well as setting the tone of the picture. At the time "Lawrence of Arabia" first hit movie theaters, you could actually buy a souvenir book and the vinyl album of the score in the lobby of the theater. During intermission, people could leave their seats, get more popcorn and soft drinks or use the restroom. The End Tract or Exit Music played as people left, or would sit for a few minutes to take in the film. Movie going was a real experience. Not just a night out. Often times, especially for big films, reservations had to be made in advance, and ushers with flashlights would escort you to your seat. The house lights were always dimmed a bit, which also put you in the mood for the epic event. We still have the souvenir book and a brand new re-recording of Maurice Jarre's film score, that was recorded at Tadlow Studios in Prague. The fact that Cineplexes did not exist, at the time, meant that films like "Ben Hur," "The Longest Day," "El Cid," "The Agony and the Ecstasy," "The Great Escape," "Exodus," "West Side Story," "My Fair Lady," "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" might be booked solid for weeks, or, in the case of "Ben Hur" and Lawrence of Arabia" for up to a year. We will not see the likes of these moves ever again or the experience of attending an epic film, that was nothing short of an event. In all Honesty, there wasn't a single film that came out in 2021 that equaled the artistry, craftsmanship, and excellence that went into the making of "Lawrence of Arabia." So glad the two of you enjoyed it so much. The new 4K of "Lawrence of Arabia" is a stunner! Thank you so much for posting..
@@SuperGrimfandango There used to be superhero feature films as early as 1951 if we ignore the superhero movie serials of the '40s. Marvel killed the superhero genre. But it is very much possible to make an epic superhero film. Zack Snyder's Justice League was the closest we got...closest because the picture was unfortunately not exhibited in theaters. It was made for an IMAX experience and even overtures and intermissions were planned in case.
I might have to get the 4K. I have the 2-disc DVD set in the really nice tan fabric covered "book, with the souvenir booklet in miniature. I think it's the 2001 release.
If you read the real Lawrence's writings he describes the lashings as an overwhelming pain that literally shatters the mind and nothing exists but agony - for hours. It was a horrific trauma for him and broke him in many ways.
I love how these two take a broader approach to movies instead of other reaction channels which watch mostly more modern flicks. The fact that you are open minded enough to tackle cinema no matter how old shows the respect for all cinema that you both have.
In real life, Lawrence did not enjoy the killing and was deeply affected when he had to execute Gasim. Near the end when the British soldier says that he's happy to have met Lawrence and Lawrence asks if they met before, the soldier was the person who said this is outrageous about the hospital. He is also the guy from the beginning who said good things about Lawrence to the reporter even though he didn't know him.
Another thing I found out that seems to be a solid anachronism: Guineas (gold coins worth 1.05 pounds) were discontinued about a hundred years before the war. How is it that both the Ottoman government and Lawrence (via the British treasury) could pay bribes to that sheik in the form of Guineas, instead of the much more plausible form of Sovereigns?
@@theawesomeman9821I don’t think he meant that he enjoyed it. I think he slipped into a mindset that many soldiers slipped into in order to cope with the guilt and trauma of having to kill people in war - they built a false narrative in their heads, convincing themselves that killing was something they liked, that their guilt was actually satisfaction. It was a desperate survival method. Lawrence knew at that moment that war was on and he’d have to keep on killing, so he slipped into denial in order to compartmentalize his guilt and horror at taking lives.
To really understand the movie, it’s important to know more about the history. Lawrence didn’t die right after he went back to England. He was a huge celebrity, partly through the efforts of the European and US press; he wrote a book about his experiences that became world famous. He also tried, in the aftermath of WWI, to help Faisal negotiate with the European powers for an Arab state, with a capitol in Damascus - but failed. So he didn’t just break down, go home, and die. The story of what happened in the Middle East once oil was discovered in the early 1900s, before the war, and the European and US efforts to control it, vs. the rise of Arab nationalism, is long, complicated, and set the stage for everything going on today in the region. Essentially, this is a story about the assertion of European power over the Middle East. That’s partly why it ends on a sour note. If you search on UA-cam you can find interviews with O’Toole, Sharif, and director David Lean about the making of the film.
This was Peter O'Toole's first movie (he had been a stage actor). He improvised the scene where he looked at his reflection in the knife after getting his new clothes, and when the director saw it, he said "clever boy."
@@michaelceraso1977 Greatest performance ever captured on film. He carries the whole film, it's three and a half hours long and he's in virtually every scene. He's utterly compelling and brilliant. It's a monumental achievement and you simply can't imagine anyone else could have done it.
Actually, it was his 4th film. I believe they chose him for Lawrence based on his performance as a military captain in his previous film The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960).
All the many times I've watched this and it never occurred to me that he was using the knife to see his reflection! I'm an idiot! And of course it matches beautifully with the scene after "no prisoners" where he is again looking at his blood stained reflection, not in admiration this time, but in horror at what he has become. Genius!
The director David Lean perfected long war epics in the 1950s and 1960s. He is also known for Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957) and Dr. Zhivago (1965). This is his desert film. Bridge Over the River Kwai is his jungle film. Dr. Zhivago is his snow film. I recommend all three war films.
Lean's versions of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are wonderful in black and white. Sometimes I almost wish that he could have made them with the technology and color of his later works but they are still fairly perfect as they are. Zhivago is a personal favorite for its dark cold mood and blossoming of springtime.
The treaty discussed in the film is the reason why almost all borders in the Middle East exist where they are today, and is one of the largest contributing factors to regional instability, mistrust, and violence. It’s crazy to imagine, but a single decision made by British and French politicians over 100 years ago continues to plague the Middle East even now
Yeah, because the middle east was so stable before the Western powers got involved. Are you freaking serious? They've been fighting amongst each other for thousands of years. Did you miss the whole issue in the movie about the tribes not being able to unite because they have a tribe-against-tribe mentality, and can't let go of religious and tribal customs that are incompatible with an advanced civilization? Because it's a central theme throughout the film and dominates the whole last third of the film. And if you're going blame anybody for the Middle East being so messed up, then blame the Turks, because Arabia was part of the Ottoman Empire for a lot longer than than any Western Empire, and the atrocities committed by the Turks made anything the Western powers did look positively benevolent. GTFO with your woke, anti-Western, virtue-signaling lies. Leftists are the absolute scum of the earth, I swear. A bunch of liars and pedophiles. But you're going to get what's coming to you soon enough. The backlash against you has already begun and will only get MUCH worse. Your time is almost over, for good.
@@Dreamfox-df6bg Got that right. They should have stayed the hell out of there - but greed for oil kept them (and now the US) around and what a damn mess.
The film was made in 1962, and it chronicles events (primarily) between 1916 and 1918, 44 years earlier. It's as if someone now made a movie about the Carter Administration and the Iranian Revolution. There were still living people who remembered Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.
Yes there are a number of great cuts and sound bridges - when the motorcyclist shouts 'who are you' and the sound of a tram is heard before we cut to Cairo. Also, the cut when Lawrence says, 'they won't come for money, they'll come for me' from his epic profile to an army of thousands is very powerful. It's just a treasure trove of filmmaking from start to finish - camera angles, shots, transitions, dialogue, acting. Just one of the greatest films ever made period. When people mention Star Wars or Forrest Gump as one of the greatest films ever made and you think of this, there's just no comparison. Lawrence of Arabia makes those two movies look incredibly inferior on every level. There's no talk of the force in Lawrence, Peter O'Toole just embodies it.
59:31 _"Did they meet before?"_ Yes, he called Lawrence a _"filthy wog"_ in the Turkish Hospital at 58:54. He was at the beginning of the film as well, admitting that he didn't know Lawrence, but he had the honor of shaking his hand. *Peter O'Toole* is easily one of my favorites. Has been since I was a little kid. 🥰 *Edit:* So glad you managed to react to this film! Thank you!
By reacting to these classic films, you really do set yourself apart from many other reactors on here. I know it was a behemoth task to edit this reaction but the result was incredibly enjoyable so thank you very much! Although there were hardly 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.
In the UK the intermission was when a cinema attendant would stand at the front of the theatre selling ice cream and drinks, or as Monty python would have it, shouting and selling 'albatross'.
He didn't just went home and died. His accident was 1935 i.e. 17 years after the war. He wrote and translated several books of which "Seven pillars of wisdom" became a bestseller and the basis for the film. He also had a career in the RAF and wrote an Oxford thesis.
Lawrence had his hand-written manuscript of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" stolen from him on a train in England, which was devastating. He eventually got over that... and re-wrote his book.
@@HarryFlashmanVCthat's awesome! If you decide not to keep it around, please reply to this comment because I can't find the book anywhere in my country. By the way, I'm studying history & literature at college and Lawrence of Arabia is our essay assignment, however I can see Seven Pillars book would provide more informations than the film
For centuries, Overtures were common prior to live events like instrumental music performances and operas. Since audiences were accustomed to them, they continued to be used when feature-length motion pictures became a thing. By the end of the 1970s their use in movies had completely fallen out of favor and are now almost entirely absent from film releases.
There are other reviewers who wont touch this flick and other great films because they are "Too Old" to draw an audience. They're idiots. You guys are the best.
These classic movies with huge productions and shot on location are treasures. If this was made today, most of the background and extras would be CGI. They will never make movies like this again. Other great movies with awesome sets and huge productions you may want to check out: Ben-Hur, 1959 Waterloo, 1970 A Bridge Too Far, 1977 Bridge Over The River Kwai, 1957
TE didn’t “invent” guerrilla warfare, but it was a remarkable instance of such during a world-wide military conflict. TE was with Churchill in Paris 1919 representing the Arab argument. They failed in that but his reputation was well known in Paris at that time among diplomats. There was another man in Paris… at that time… watching and listening. His name was Nguyên Sinh Cung… later known as Ho Chi Minh. I don’t think history is mere coincidence.
@@syntrilliumc.e.p.9326 The colonial Americans engaged in guerilla warfare with the British. I’m sure that tactic developed long before the 19th century. The term originated as you said.
@@Condors55 I might posit the difference between them (if any measurable) is to the extent TE exploited the obvious issues surrounding the Ottoman Empire. In his instance-and as he pointed out in Seven Pillars-the Turks were rotting from the inside. They were stretched out too far, they had morale issues, they were generally hated in the Levant, there were abundant supply issues… it goes on and on. It might be too easy to over-assess the importance of the desert campaign but it CERTAINLY had a psychological impact that doubled their losses on the battlefield as Britain moved up the coast. It certainly wasn’t, “just TE” guiding this campaign but I think he adequately encapsulated the overall ETHIC of the campaign which was to make the Turks think every time they made a move. In WWII, I’d suggest the outcomes were more aligned to military goals rather than “purely psychological” goals while I also do not detract from the efforts of the WWII campaign(s).
@@iambecomepaul Well, with a less rotten foe, I suppose the Guerrillas would have to have more discipline on their own side, instead of “100 men desert every time they think they have enough Loot”.
Love your reactions and thanks for doing one of my favorites here. Keep up the great work. An explanation of why Lawrence turned so bloodthirsty in the third act: because it was 1962 and rules allowed the film to only intimate certain details, when Lawrence was captured by the Turks, he was tortured and repeatedly raped which filled him with the vengeful bloodlust that we then see. It's funny, so many modern viewers miss the film's clues of what the Turks did to him and get quite jarred by the change in Lawrence's character, but if you watch it again knowing the whole story, you will see what is hinted at.
The scene of the massacre that him and his men come across is also quite censored in the film vs as to how he describes it in the seven pillars of wisdom. I don't want to go into detail, since it is extremely explicit as to what they actually found, but I'm inclined to think he was being quite truthful in describing what happened, because of how he talked about how he and his men reacted... Namely they just started giggling in horror that they had lived to witness the violence inflicted upon the Arab civilians.
Yes you guys totally missed the fact the Turk was gay and not gay for love more like a prison thing, and was only looking for someone to brutally rape...
It's been a while since I've seen the full movie, but I believe that whole scene when he's arrested alludes to him being gay. The Turkish officer rips his clothes off....a close up of his eves showing, what? fear? excitement? A combination of both? Then tellingly... a close up of the officers mouth! And then he assaults the officer. There is no other reason to show a close up of the officers mouth in that sequence, or for that matter to show a close up of his eyes either. And why assault the officer anyway, unless the officers actions brought his repressed sexuality to the surface and he was enraged. Being gay during that period was taboo and a criminal offence. Also, during that time most men of his age would have a wife or sweetheart back home, but there's no mention of that in the movie? In fact in a movie running to almost 4 hours, are there any females at all?
@@thewildgoose7467 The scene certainly alludes to the Turkish officer's desire, but not Lawrence. And that is because it was a fact that Lawrence was sexually assaulted by the Turks in prison. Like the OP said, they couldn't show that in the movie, so they had to insinuate it. Just because people like you want everyone to be gay, doesn't mean they are. There's no mention of anyone's wives or sweethearts in the movie because it's not relevant. Does that mean that Prince Faisal, Sherif Ali, Ouda, Allenby, Brighton, Bentley, and all the other male characters are gay? And there's hardly any women in the movie because they just aren't relevant to this particular story. Master and Commander also had no speaking parts for women because it took place entirely in a male environment. Does that mean the main characters are gay?
I remember watching this with my grandpa when I was a kid, truly awesome experience since he had a massive box tv that took up half the wall it seemed like 😂 glad you guys watched this one
@@TBRSchmitt during filming O'Toole was bitten by a camel. Broke his thumb. Sprained his neck. Was concussed twice. Tore a groin muscle. Fractured his skull. Sprained both ankles. Tore ligaments in his hip and thigh. Suffered 3rd degree burns and..dislocated his spine.
Lawrence from the beginning had almost a prophetic vision of himself. He knew he was chosen for some great cause but he had no idea what it would be. So at the beginning he was awkward and odd, but with a spark of genius. Then as he became aware of what would be required of him he grew into a heroic figure. But the world is not all rewards and no pain. He came up against the reality of evil. The politicians would eventually get involved and tarnish his vision. But before then much blood would flow. Lawrence in his hubris felt he was beyond everything, he felt he was chosen. But he fell into the hands of the Turks and was gang raped and beaten. He became bloodthirsty and would revenge himself on the Turks. Then the politicians and reality asserted themselves and Lawrence was expendable. Even Faisal knew that Lawrence’s day was over. The bargaining and compromises would now replace his vision. This is real life and now Lawrence’s vision was a thing of the past. A brilliant film that shows vision and idealism vs what is possible in an imperfect world. (Only hinted at in the film was Lawrence’s strange obsessions. The real Lawrence was known to be a sado masochist. He apparently got sexual release from the infliction of pain.)
I don’t think he was a masochist; I think he hated himself for failing Arabia and punished himself by hurting himself. It’s truly sad when you think of how lonely he must’ve been; he really had no close family, friends or lovers to comfort him. He had to go through all that suffering alone with nobody who understood him. In the film, Ali is a fictional character but he clearly fills a void for Lawrence that sadly was never filled in real life.
Prince Fisel played by Alec Guiness...who played Obi Wan Kenobi in chapter 4 For more Peter O'Toole check out My Favorite Year Great stuff more 50's epics please
He actually watched it in a screening room one time with director David Lean, who explained what he did during production. It was like a live DVD audio commentary. Spielberg has noted "Lawrence" has influenced him while working on "Raiders Of The Lost Ark".
@@rafaelrosario5331 Don't forget O'Toole's two turns as King Henry II, in "Becket" (1964) and "The Lion in Winter" (1968). And he is fabulous in "The Stunt Man" as the movie director.
Great choice and reaction. Other epics to watch are "Ben Hur", "Bridge on the River Kwai", "Guns of Navarone", "Ten Commandments" etc. Some of the actors in Lawrence are in multiple epics.
T.E. Lawrence "of Arabia", the real one, is a major hero of mine. He was the last renaissance man, or person who has many skills and a lot of knowledge. He started out as a Medieval era archeologist with focus on the crusade castles. He was then a map maker before becoming what this movie is about. He went home and wrote some classic books about his service in World War I and his own philosophies about the Arabs and the desert. He also got home and entered the Air Force as a lower rank at his own request, having actually refused a major military award. He died in a tragic motorcycle ride at a rather young age when he swerved to miss some bicyclers. This is only a tip of the person he was.
There was a time in old Hollywood where "epics" were a thing. Gone with the Wind, The Ten Commandments, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and others all fall into this category. Having an overture at the start, an intermission with music and a big dramatic end credits with dramatic music was kind of standard. It was like seeing a play and big dramatic music, big amazing landscapes - everything big, big, big! They were filmed on wide film stock (think 70mm kinda stuff) and shown on GIANT movie screens in movie houses. Lawrence is one of the greatest examples. The cinematography is just amazing and one of the best examples of the genre.
Really enjoyed this. Lean's smaller, earlier films, like Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, are worth checking out too. Peter O'Toole (Lawrence) and Omar Sharif (Ali) became huge stars on the back of this. Sharif was the first Arab movie star in the western world, and he's the only real Arab in a major role. And did you spot Obi Wan Kenobi as Prince Faisal?
My all time favourite movie, the cinematography is still stunning even by today's standards and for O'Toole's first starring role it is probably still his finest performance and the rest of the cast is flawless too. Omar Sharif's entrance as a speck in the desert still makes the hair on your neck stand up - stunning!
It took me two watches to fully appreciate this masterpiece. I believe this movie had an enormous effect on a young Steven Spielberg, and finally pushed him into becoming a filmmaker. Great reaction.
A true classic. The great David Lean has left masterpieces. "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "Doctor Shivago" and my favorite "Ryan's Daughter", are a clear example.
The Skyes-Picot agreement (the "you get this bit here, I get this bit here" scene) defines the geography of the Middle East to this day. Most Westerners have never heard of it, but Arabs certainly have. One of ISIS's major recruiting calls was undoing Sykes-Picot.
Before the British and French it was the Turks and Persians... before the Turks and Persians it was the Romans and Parthians... before them the Ptolemaic Greek sand Seleucid Greeks... before them the Egyptians and Hittites... etc.. etc... the Middle East's borders almost always end up split by two great powers with no regard for the population, only the strategic element of the borders.
@@Fordo007 True, but we still bitch about the problems in the region that Sykes-Picot Agreement is responsible for. I won't argue that the area would probably a mess anyway, but it wouldn't be our mess. People wonder why China is the way it is? Check the Opium Wars and the unequal treaties. Why was there a Japanese Empire? Because someone taught them the lesson that ''might makes right' in 1854 followed by 'unequal treaties'. And the list goes on. All based on short-term decisions that sometimes didn't even last a decade. Like I said, the areas may or may not be a mess, but with the mess we have? That's the responsibility of the West. And we keep creating these messes.
I saw the making of this film and the logistics were absolutely hurculean. The Director wanted to film this movie as close to where Lawrence and the events happened so almost all this movie is on location.
The four minutes of music before the film starts is the overture. It sets the overall tone and presents the musical themes. The score on this movie is so amazing.
Credit to Patreon for making this decision instead of the usual choices you see everywhere. Maybe a poll with only films from the 60s and before in the future. Another classic David Lean film is The Bridge on the River Kwai. Other great films with similar themes are The Man Who Would be King starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery and The Wind and the Lion also starring Sean Connery. I never see anyone react to TWATL. It's a personal favorite. I saw it three times at the theater. Brian Keith plays Teddy Roosevelt and it started my interest in that President.
@@TBRSchmitt great! Seeing Claude Rains in this makes me think of Casablanca. I'm sure you already have the films for the poll picked. If not, let me suggest Bringing Up Baby Duck Soup The Adventures of Robin Hood A Face in the Crowd (no one reacts to this and it's a great film that's still relevant) Night of the Hunter Forbidden Planet To Be or Not to Be
@@richardb6260 Definitely some goodies in that list there. Some of my other favorites from the 30s and 40s are: Pretty much any early or mid 3 Stooges short: Punch Drunks, Disorder in the Court (which is in the public domain), A Plumbing We Will Go, etc. The Thin Man M Captain Blood King Kong Mr. Smith Goes to Washington The Lady Vanishes Casablanca The Maltese Falcon Lifeboat Mildred Pierce The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Citizen Kane Twelve O'Clock High
@@GuardianOwl great films. King Kong was an early obsession for me. I'll add Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Harvey The Man Who Could Work Miracles Arsenic and Old Lace Mighty Joe Young The Dam Busters (if only for the moment when they're watching the climax and they say "Hey, this reminds me of Star Wars") Curse of the Demon
Yup...Bridge on the River Kwai, Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, The Great Escape, The Odessa File & The Day of the Jackal (quite a few from that 50s to 70s era)
Tackling this puts you guys far ahead of the pack of UA-cam movie reactors; you are sharp as tacks; you picked up much more from the first viewing of the film than I did. I saw this back in the '80s on the big screen when the long-awaited restoration was released. It's really the only ideal way to see the movie, but barring that you guys picked up on the film's ample wit and the main points of the story. You're the kind of people who, in a theater setting, would be the cues for the rest of the audience to laugh in the right spots. It takes great concentration to watch this in a home setting and you guys did it impressively.
28:39 It's called a zaghārīt or tiɣri, a pretty common practice for women in western Asia and northern Africa. It's used to convey a strong emotion like joy, anger or, in this case, support with departing soldiers. If you ever go to an arab or amazigh wedding this thing will make you deaf 😂
Maurice Jarre , composer got an Oscar for this score. Funny thing is he was father of Jean-Michel Jarre, a pioneer in electronic music (Oxygen) They were estranged and almost did not know each other because he left family when son was 2yo but their music is similar even if one is classic and other electronic.
Respect for watching this. When you two are ready for another long, old film, consider checking out Ben-Hur (1959). It held the record for most Oscar wins for nearly 4 decades (and is still tied for the most) and I think that you'll enjoy its second half more than you did here.
What a great discussion! Thank you so much for taking the time to really take in and appreciate this film in depth. So many reaction channels just watch and call it a day, especially for an epic like this. I'd love to see you react to more classic films!
The craziest thing about that movie...among all the prize it won, Peter O'tool didn't won best actor which is madness for his acting !! He never won one either...Such a great actor and voice actor...RIP.
I don't know if you'll see this given this is an older reaction, but I wanted to point out *Lawrence* had about _16 years_ between leaving Arabia and dying on the motorcycle. So it didn't happen right when he returned home. I think it was around 1922 he joined the RAF. But he had to leave once his identity was discovered.
One of Spielberg's favorite movies, one that inspired him, and one that he got to work on, years later, doing the restoration for DVD, sitting alongside David Lean, one of his heroes.
The amazing theme music of "Lawrence of Arabia" was by French composer, Maurice Jarre. He also composed the music for the same director's film, "Doctor Zhivago", and won at least one Academy Award for his work Maurice Jarre's son, Jean-Michel Jarre, wrote and recorded a full-length electronic symphony album, called "Oxygene", in six movements. It sold many millions of copies around the world and is instantly recognizable. This was one of the first all-electronic, whole-album compositions, in the early 1970s.
'A matter of life and death' is an old movie you should watch. It is massively influential, the opening scene has been robbed relentlessly over the decades, but most recently by Marvel, twice.
The soldier who shook Lawrence's hand, where Lawrence goes, "haven't we met before?" is the same one who struck Lawrence in the face after seeing the conditions in the Damascus hospital. Of course he didn't recognize that it was Lawrence in his Bedouin garb. Commentary: in the end this is an anti-war film, which is what the second half was all about. No heroes. No winners.
Glad to finally see someone react to this masterpiece! Another great David Lean's movie you should check out would be Doctor Zhivago (1965), one of my favourites.
There was a lot of speculation about what actually happened to Lawrence when he was captured. He never revealed it himself in his autobiography (Seven Pillars of Wisdom), but it was thought to be enough to harm him psychologically. After that, he was pretty much "forced" to do a lot of this.
2 historical interresting thing about this movie...1. When you think WW1, most people think about trenches and Europe, but really half the war was also like in Arabia ! 2. The family of Hussein still rule over Jordan to this day...
You guys are doing this right. I was incredibly happy when you did Das Boot, and same here. I’m only 45, so these movies are well before my time as well. But mixing in the classics with the popular ones, that’s respectable. Many thanks!!
@@annbowen9656 Trying to imagine a 3 year old Barry appreciating all the nuances and atmosphere of Das Boot and it's making me laugh. Safe to say that anything that comes out before you even go to kindergarten is still before your time on a technicality.
I’m the same age (more or less). I’ve seen this movie one time, but I got to see it when the Cinerama in Seattle was newly remodeled (April/May 1999) and they started by showing all the AFI 100 best movies that were from Columbia Pictures. For some reason I went to an 11pm showing so in the intermission that was at like 1am I wondered what the heck I was doing at the movies at 1 in the morning. But it was the perfect screen to watch it on. I found an article about it which I’ll post separately in case it gets deleted. Turns out it was a restored 70mm print!
@@sidewaysoul I know, but still... I was born earlier in the 70s and remembered watching it at a young age. Didnt get everything. I still wouldn't call it before my time though.
A film I can watch incessantly. Saw it for the first time when I was fourteen and couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The performances, cinematography, score, the scale of everything, the history and politics, it's as if it commands your respect and refuses to be denied. One of the few "epic" films that genuinely earns that distinction. The great strength of a long story, be it a long novel or a long film, is that the length allows it to organically generate the feeling of time passing, such that when you reach the end you reflect back on details you started to forget but realize were all coming together bit by bit, the same way you'd reflect on the past.
This is my favorite movie of all time! Thank you for watching it and appreciating it! It's a masterpiece from start to finish! Some minor historical inaccuracies but forgivable! Thank you again.
In the old days, instead of playing trailers for upcoming features as the audience was talking their seats, music associated with the big time movies was played. In the interest of completeness, it's included in the digital versions.
That's nice, but I replied to this: "WreckingWood 4 days ago I remembered in the old days my theater would play movie soundtracks, particularly Gladiator, before the trailers start. Now it's just ads. -_-"
Hey, Schmitts! This is a David Lean masterpiece! It needs to be seen on a big screen! David Lean was a meticulous British director known for vast epics like "Bridge on the River Kwai", "Ryan's Daughter" and "Doctor Zhivago". Prince Faisal was none other than Sir Alec Guiness in brown-face! You know him as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Turkish Bey played by Jose Ferrer was homosexual and his lascivious leer was noted by Lawrence who reacted with revulsion at the prospect of sexual assault. The inference one makes about the reaction he had to the torture is that there was a component of sodomy. The British officer who slapped Lawrence in the hospital while he was dressed as an Arab was the same one who shook his hand when Lawrence was back in uniform. The motorcycle ahead on the desert road in the closing shot foreshadows his banal doom by hearkening back to the opening scene. Peter O'Toole as Lawrence, Alec Guiness as Faisal, Omar Sharif as Ali, Anthony Quinn as Auda, Jose Ferrer as the Bey and Claude Rains as the politician are all legendary actors. Claude Rains was playing a British politico, not a Frenchman. The well scene that introduces Sharif was replicated by William Shatner as the opening of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier".
I found this on my brother's pc in 2009. Unaware of the year and duration I kept watching it with joy, loved it on first watch. Then saw the release year was 1961 then I was like wtf, how.
There are only a few reactions to Lawrence of Arabia that I’ve been able to find, and yours is *by far* the best. Thank you for sharing your experience watching my favorite film of all time. There are plenty of great behind-the-scenes and making-of documentaries about the film to find (sand in the cameras was a continual nuisance). Also, Peter O’Toole made a legendary appearance on David Letterman many years later where he rides in on a camel.
List of long films: The Ten Commandments, 220 mins Gone With The Wind, 233 minutes. Ben Hur, 223 minutes The Greatest Story Ever Told, 200 minutes. The Lord Of The Rings Return Of The King, 202 minutes. Spartacus, 197 minutes. TITANIC,195 minutes Schindler's List, 195 minutes. Gandhi, 200 minutes. Cleopatra, 250 minutes. Dances With Wolves: Director's Cut, 250 minutes
It's the greatest film ever made. It's just magnificent on so many different levels, from the film itself, to the behind the scenes crafting and production of this film. David Lean also directed 2 other supreme classics around this era that are not to be missed- Bridge On The River Kwai, and Dr. Zhivago.
Lawrence was a lost soul after WW1. In time he sought a new name as a rank soldier in the RAF named Shaw. Even there he found little peace. Before that he saw the world being cut up at the peace conference in France. He did find some happiness in the RAF and helped with new rescue boats for pilots (which saved many in WW2). Got de mobbed after the RAF, then came his fatal crash. You can visit his home, grave and the memorial at the crash site today in Dorset.
This has been one of my favorite movies since I was a teenager, and shortly before COVID it was released for a limited run in select theaters nation wide, and seeing it on a large movie screen is absolutely breathtaking. So much so I think I saw it 3 times in one week before the run ended.
I took my sister to see it in 70 mm.. As we left the theatre she stopped to take off one of her shoes… She apologized and said she had to get the sand out of her shoe.. lol.. I thought that was pretty clever..
Thank you so much for tackling this timeless David Lean epic masterpiece. Your edit must have been hard work, true cinema buffs' labour of love. I'd like to share some (redacted) notes I prepared for a trivia site some years ago: Thomas Edward Lawrence (1888-1935) was a short, craggy, wiry Oxford-born archeologist-turned-saboteur who was fluent in Arabic and had a scholarly background in classical languages. He looked no more like Peter O'Toole than stocky Mel Gibson looked like the giant flame-haired guerrilla warrior William Wallace in 'Brave Heart'. In fact, fabled effete playwright, impresario and actor Noel Coward famously remarked to O'Toole at the London premiere 'If you'd looked any prettier, they should have called it 'Florence of Arabia'. Lawrence sought a life of pacifism and obscurity as an aircraft mechanic after the war, before the lethal mix of a love of speed and motorcycles claimed him prematurely. There is strong evidence of his sado-masochistic tendencies and sexual and physical abuse at the hands of the Turks, leading to what today we might call PTSD, considerably played down in the film. And what a film! Seven Oscars, ten nominations, stunning authentic 70mm cinematography (not just 70mm on 35mm film stock, as was the usual practice), one of the most majestic musical themes ever (Maurice Jarre), a Robert Bolt screenplay and brilliant performances all the way down the line speak for themselves. Despite significant historical inaccuracies (e.g. the strategic Red Sea port of Aqaba was taken with hardly a shot fired), it remains a critics' favourite to this day, regularly cropping up on 'top ten' lists, and deservedly so.
Lawrence Of Arabia influenced Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, JJ Abrams, Robert Zemeckis, Roland Emmerich, Martin Scorsese, George Miller, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Tim Burton, Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro G. Innirittu, Francois Truffaut, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bay, Denis Villeneuve, and Ridley Scott.
@ 1:35 That's correct, it's called the Overture and it gave those in their seats moments to get their chatting out of their systems because talking in theaters during movies was a no-no. But it's more of an alert to those in the lobby, concession area or bathrooms that the movie is about to start. Yes, in some single screen theaters the Overture and Entr'acte was piped in the bathrooms for that purpose! LOL! They are usually about 5 minutes long or less. Overtures also set the mood for the movie about to start. You saw (heard) one at the beginning of 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Wow, a heavy choice. As much I love this movie, it is very long. But it’s an emotional film especially at the end. It reminds me with Citizen Kane because it’s about a man and his flashbacks.
This and Zulu are timeless classics that I could rewatch time and time again. Please put Zulu with Michael Caine in one of your polls it's an amazing movie.
One of my favourite films, glad it's still being appreciated. Peter O'Toole's performance alone is masterful, and I also love Alec Guiness as Emir Faisal. Be sure to also check out David Lean's other epic, Doctor Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif, who also played Sharif Ali here, and the biggest of the classic Hollywood epics, Ben-Hur, with Charlton Heston in the leading role.
@@tim10243 I think that they should continue with this era with a more modern film but equally placed in the same geographic location and time period the name of the movie is The Light Horseman. It is an excellent Australian movie. If you haven't seen it you won't regret it if you do take time to watch it.
Thanks for this. This movie is a month older than I am. It's one of the "Oh. That's a thing. This stuff matters to me." movies that's just been there forever. Among quite a few that I honestly have no idea how many times I've seen. An hour and twenty minute reaction from you two? Fantastic. Here we go!
I was 12 when this was released in 1962. It was a "Road Show" release meaning one show a day during the week, matinee and evening on the weekends. Reserved seats. I saw it on a huge, curved screen with giant curtains opening as the musical Overture concluded. (The lights came down with the last of the music.) I still think it's one of the greatest films. Really enjoyed your reaction because "Lawrence" is a WHOLE evening experience.
"Lawrence" was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 7. I think that was the most nominations in history since Gone With The Wind in 1939. It deserved every one of them too. It's best to see it in IMAX preferably in 70mm as it was designed.
So it’s similar to the old man in The 10 Commandments saying “I prayed that I might lay eyes on The Deliverer before I croak…” As Captain Blackadder says: “God is very quick these days!”
this film really launched Peter O'Toole's career he was grateful to David Lean for casting him, and Alec Guinness as he was then had to plead Lean for his role. These were films of their time, massive long epics and the intermission in the cinema was essential and would last as long as 20 minutes halfway through the film back a trip to the cinema took up a whole evening.
Another great reaction. Love you guys. I saw this in high school at the theater when the restoration was released in 88. Later on I was able to visit several of the filming locations in the amazingly beautiful country of Morocco. As far as the dark turn in the film, the reaction Lawrence had with the Turkish officer was an implication of rape in addition to the torture, something that obviously couldn't have been shown. It obviously broke him and gave him a new revulsion and hatred for the Turks and maybe the whole region. That combined with his growing bloodlust from the execution to the last battle made for a very dark, yet realistic story arc. Not only is the movie beautiful but also a great examination of war and psychology.
Was wondering if you'd recognize Obi-Wan...😄😄 (When I was a kid I saw Star Wars in the theater when it came out in 1977. And I think of 'Lawrence of Arabia' as an old movie that came out way before I was born. To me it's kind of odd that Alec Guinness can be in both movies.)
That scene of Lawrence going back to grab the guy who fell... I remember a literature teacher showing that in High School as a perfect example of storytelling with no words.
Hey Schmitts! If anybody could make me sit down and watch other people watch a movie for slightly more than an hour, it has to be you two! Seriously, as many others pointed out, besides the beauty of the movie itself, your editing is superb! And ''Lawrence of Arabia'' is truly an epic film, with amazing actors like O'Toole, Sharif, Quinn and Guinness (Tell me you recognized Obi-Wan Kenobi, haha!), stunning visuals (probably the best film that truly shows the cruelty and mystique of the desert) and just the sheer scale of its cinematography almost unbelievable to modern audiences, as you point out, Daniel. Looking forward to whatever you pick from the Golden Age of Hollywood for next time - whatever it is, it is sure to be awesome!
One of my greatest filmic memories was watching this movie's restored director's cut in its rerelease in 1988 in a giant, old-fashioned one-screen movie palace in New York. This remains one of my favourite movies of all time.
That sounds awesome! One of my greatest film experiences was watching Fiddler on the Roof, tripping on mushrooms, in my family’s living room in Thanksgiving morning. I never thought I’d enjoy that movie as much as I did.
I saw it in Montreal with that same release. It was newly 'restored' with the awful Alec Guiness' redubs of some of his lines from the new found footage. But released in 70mm in selected theaters. Has to be seen on the BIG screen to be fully appreciated.
I remember seeing the restored 1989 70mm version on the big screen in London that summer. During the intermission I (& others from the audience) went to the fast food restaurant next to the theatre to get some burgers & fries to bring back for the second half of the film.
This is definitely one of the most influential films to exist in 20th century cinema, and one of the most dramatic history-based films we've had. TE Lawrence was an interesting person in real life and this movie has kept his memory alive. I think the movie was right on the money by pointing out most didn't really know him and challenges us to wonder if we truly can either. Fun fact, if you didn't recognize him, Prince Faisal is played by Alec Guinness AKA Obi-Wan.
Finally a reactor viewing a Peter O'Toole film. 8 times nominated for best actor and sadly overlooked EVERY time by the Academy. I would recommend The Stunt Man or My Favorite Year as follow ups as they capture his more eccentric flamboyant side.
@@jimtrela7588 I picked those two films even though Beckett and The Lion in Winter are probably better known. Stuntman is an acting tour de force and Favorite Year is by far his funniest and most light hearted work which closer matches his actual personality.
This is one of my favourite movies, and contains many fascinating historic characters. Lawrence, who preferred studying military history and medieval Arab culture, but proved to be a master in desert and modern guerrilla warfare. Auda Abu Tayi is the quintessential Bedouin as seen by Lawrence, balancing out the Arab Revolt with his fearsome warrior reputation, compared to Prince Faisal's high-minded religious and philosophical nature. The descendants of Prince Faisal's brother still reign today in Jordan, and the ruins of Hejaz Railway and locomotives blown up by Lawrence can still be seen in the desert. Although the unified Arab state envisioned by Lawrence and Prince Faisal (who also sought reconciliation between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and wider religious tolerance), stretching from Mecca to Damascus and Baghdad was not to be, and was undermined by French and British Imperialism.
When this movie got restored and brought back to theaters for a bit in 1989, my Dad took me to go see it at a very old-school movie theater. The kind with a HUGE screen and seats not just on the floor but up in the balcony. They had a 70mm print, and it was AMAZING. Watching those desert scenes made me genuinely thirsty, and I wasn't the only one. When we stepped out for the Intermission, the concession line was HUGE :)
What amazes me about the wide, epic scenes with big crowds in these classic films is that since there was no CGI or camera tricks, every person and every horse (or camel) is real.
One of my favorite films of all time. It has some of the best cinematography ever in a film. I wasn't even born yet when it was released but I was able to get to see the remastered anniversary version in theaters a couple of years ago. The small screen doesn't do this film justice. Anyways, glad someone is finally reacting to this classic.
The scene where Lawrence is alone and admiring himself in his new white robes, was improvised by O'Toole and the director loved it so much, he left it in.
Sorry for the late upload and inconvenience! Definitely underestimated how long this would take to export and upload, especially when my computer shut off half way through lol!
Hope you all enjoy and thank you for the support!
lol you won't like editing Gone with the Wind (1939), that's even longer.
No need for an apology, it's all good and this film is 60 years old, cool reaction as always Schmitt and Samantha, you both take care
I like your videos
In the old days, instead of playing trailers for upcoming features as the audience was talking their seats, music associated with the big time movies was played. In the interest of completeness, it's included in the digital versions.
TBR i do not accept that you watched this movie on a laptop, please start a go fund me or something that we can help you get a proper monitor to watch epic movies like this ...
when captured by the Turks he was raped and beaten before his release, the movie hints to this as heavily as a film could in 1962. I saw that you noticed the change in him.
"Have you ever been in a Turkish prison, Joey?"
Yes, this was the point at which his personality changed (understandably), and also when he began to hate the Turks enough to slaughter them mercilessly. Unfortunately the film was subtle enough about the events of his captivity that people can miss it.
@@jean-paulaudette9246 Ha, you picked up on that too!!🤣🤣🤣
46:55 One of the earliest homosexual moments in cinema.
Omar Sharif says: "He was humbled." In that culture the term 'humbled' is a direct reference to male anal r@ype.
That 'mirage' shot of Omar Sharif coming out of the desert is arguably the most mind-blowing shot in the history of cinema.
“CinemaTyler” did a whole video on that scene.
I watched the film again yesterday and today and when that scene came on I was thinking of the meme "Do I hear boss music?" 😭🤣😂
It's up there, but not quite at the top
It’s an amazing shot. And the most amazing edit is the cut from the match to the sun. I’ve seen it many times and it still thrills.
@@MarcosElMalo2 Greatest transition shot of all time.
You two earned our respect and appreciation with this. I can't imagine how complex and time-consuming this edit and posting must have been. Let us tell you: it was worth it. This was a marvelous experience. We thank you.
100%. This would have taken ages. These two always represent the film and their reactions so brilliantly. It’s so hard to do well but they nail it every time. I love reliving these films this way.
Lovely to see this, but it's sad that there are so many amazing films out there that will never make it through the filter of a Patreon poll.
@@paintedjaguar If a four-hour-long, sixty-year-old movie can make it through the filter of a Patreon poll, then there's hope for any film of quality. At least, on this channel.
@@mrkelso Some. Everybody's heard of "Lawrence" even if many or most haven't seen it. But a lot of excellent films were never that famous or have gotten lost in the shuffle. Add that to the current strong bias for more recent stuff... Once a popular channel puts something different up, others will too, but there are reasons why most reaction channels just copy each other's homework.
I am happy that people are being exposed to at least some of these classics.
One thing I like about older movies is how much more subtle they are at showing and not telling. Lawrence's uniform at the start is a size too small, it was a decision made so that it made him look a bit more out of place compared to all the other troops.
FINALLY, someone tackles this mammoth of a classic! It's the film's 60th anniversary this year, so if y'all ever get the chance to catch this in the theater, do so! If there's one classic film that must be viewed in the theater, it's this one-- it's a whole different experience. I missed my chance in 2012, and had to wait until 2019, but damm was it worth it.
You are so right Rustin!
Wow, only 60? It feels older.
Did get to see it in 70mm film, THX audio, it was magnificent
I said the same before I read your comment.
@@m.ericwatson968 No, that new 70mm restoration of the film that was done a few years back was never released in US theaters. Only in the UK for some reason
The "Overture" was played as the theater filled with audience members. It really helped build anticipation , as well as setting the tone of the picture. At the time "Lawrence of Arabia" first hit movie theaters, you could actually buy a souvenir book and the vinyl album of the score in the lobby of the theater. During intermission, people could leave their seats, get more popcorn and soft drinks or use the restroom. The End Tract or Exit Music played as people left, or would sit for a few minutes to take in the film. Movie going was a real experience. Not just a night out. Often times, especially for big films, reservations had to be made in advance, and ushers with flashlights would escort you to your seat. The house lights were always dimmed a bit, which also put you in the mood for the epic event. We still have the souvenir book and a brand new re-recording of Maurice Jarre's film score, that was recorded at Tadlow Studios in Prague. The fact that Cineplexes did not exist, at the time, meant that films like "Ben Hur," "The Longest Day," "El Cid," "The Agony and the Ecstasy," "The Great Escape," "Exodus," "West Side Story," "My Fair Lady," "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" might be booked solid for weeks, or, in the case of "Ben Hur" and Lawrence of Arabia" for up to a year. We will not see the likes of these moves ever again or the experience of attending an epic film, that was nothing short of an event. In all Honesty, there wasn't a single film that came out in 2021 that equaled the artistry, craftsmanship, and excellence that went into the making of "Lawrence of Arabia." So glad the two of you enjoyed it so much. The new 4K of "Lawrence of Arabia" is a stunner! Thank you so much for posting..
Their ignorance is amazing.
Movies used to not be bout super heroes.
@@SuperGrimfandango There used to be superhero feature films as early as 1951 if we ignore the superhero movie serials of the '40s. Marvel killed the superhero genre. But it is very much possible to make an epic superhero film. Zack Snyder's Justice League was the closest we got...closest because the picture was unfortunately not exhibited in theaters. It was made for an IMAX experience and even overtures and intermissions were planned in case.
I might have to get the 4K. I have the 2-disc DVD set in the really nice tan fabric covered "book, with the souvenir booklet in miniature. I think it's the 2001 release.
If you read the real Lawrence's writings he describes the lashings as an overwhelming pain that literally shatters the mind and nothing exists but agony - for hours. It was a horrific trauma for him and broke him in many ways.
I read “The Seven Pillars,” and thank God I saw the movie first, or I wouldn’t have any idea what was going on. A fine soldier, but a mediocre writer.
I'm pretty sure he was raped there also.
I love how these two take a broader approach to movies instead of other reaction channels which watch mostly more modern flicks. The fact that you are open minded enough to tackle cinema no matter how old shows the respect for all cinema that you both have.
Facts
In real life, Lawrence did not enjoy the killing and was deeply affected when he had to execute Gasim. Near the end when the British soldier says that he's happy to have met Lawrence and Lawrence asks if they met before, the soldier was the person who said this is outrageous about the hospital. He is also the guy from the beginning who said good things about Lawrence to the reporter even though he didn't know him.
Played by M. Marion Crawford. I recognized him from the 1950s BBC Shirlock Holmes TV series.
why was he portrayed to enjoy killing then?
Plus the No prisoners scene from what I’ve heard Peter o’toole was drunk
Another thing I found out that seems to be a solid anachronism:
Guineas (gold coins worth 1.05 pounds) were discontinued about a hundred years before the war. How is it that both the Ottoman government and Lawrence (via the British treasury) could pay bribes to that sheik in the form of Guineas, instead of the much more plausible form of Sovereigns?
@@theawesomeman9821I don’t think he meant that he enjoyed it. I think he slipped into a mindset that many soldiers slipped into in order to cope with the guilt and trauma of having to kill people in war - they built a false narrative in their heads, convincing themselves that killing was something they liked, that their guilt was actually satisfaction. It was a desperate survival method. Lawrence knew at that moment that war was on and he’d have to keep on killing, so he slipped into denial in order to compartmentalize his guilt and horror at taking lives.
To really understand the movie, it’s important to know more about the history. Lawrence didn’t die right after he went back to England. He was a huge celebrity, partly through the efforts of the European and US press; he wrote a book about his experiences that became world famous. He also tried, in the aftermath of WWI, to help Faisal negotiate with the European powers for an Arab state, with a capitol in Damascus - but failed. So he didn’t just break down, go home, and die.
The story of what happened in the Middle East once oil was discovered in the early 1900s, before the war, and the European and US efforts to control it, vs. the rise of Arab nationalism, is long, complicated, and set the stage for everything going on today in the region. Essentially, this is a story about the assertion of European power over the Middle East. That’s partly why it ends on a sour note.
If you search on UA-cam you can find interviews with O’Toole, Sharif, and director David Lean about the making of the film.
yeah, if it wasn’t for Western powers the middle east would be haven of peace. 😅
This was Peter O'Toole's first movie (he had been a stage actor). He improvised the scene where he looked at his reflection in the knife after getting his new clothes, and when the director saw it, he said "clever boy."
amazing 1st PERF by PETER, THO GREG peck did deserve the OSCAR that YEAR
@@michaelceraso1977 Greatest performance ever captured on film. He carries the whole film, it's three and a half hours long and he's in virtually every scene. He's utterly compelling and brilliant. It's a monumental achievement and you simply can't imagine anyone else could have done it.
Actually, it was his 4th film. I believe they chose him for Lawrence based on his performance as a military captain in his previous film The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960).
I loved that Clever Boy line but seeing him ripped to pieces by raptors afterwards was really shocking and clashed with the rest of the movie
All the many times I've watched this and it never occurred to me that he was using the knife to see his reflection! I'm an idiot! And of course it matches beautifully with the scene after "no prisoners" where he is again looking at his blood stained reflection, not in admiration this time, but in horror at what he has become. Genius!
The director David Lean perfected long war epics in the 1950s and 1960s. He is also known for Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957) and Dr. Zhivago (1965). This is his desert film. Bridge Over the River Kwai is his jungle film. Dr. Zhivago is his snow film. I recommend all three war films.
Lean's versions of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are wonderful in black and white. Sometimes I almost wish that he could have made them with the technology and color of his later works but they are still fairly perfect as they are. Zhivago is a personal favorite for its dark cold mood and blossoming of springtime.
Bridge Over the River Kwai also had Obi Wan...
@@marke8323 he was also in Dr. Zhivago. Alec Guiness acted in several of his films.
Exactly what I always say if there’s a director that perfected making long epic films it’s David lean
Greatest British director that made British films imo. Hitchcock made a fair amount of English films but most were Hollywood.
The treaty discussed in the film is the reason why almost all borders in the Middle East exist where they are today, and is one of the largest contributing factors to regional instability, mistrust, and violence. It’s crazy to imagine, but a single decision made by British and French politicians over 100 years ago continues to plague the Middle East even now
Yeah, because the middle east was so stable before the Western powers got involved. Are you freaking serious? They've been fighting amongst each other for thousands of years. Did you miss the whole issue in the movie about the tribes not being able to unite because they have a tribe-against-tribe mentality, and can't let go of religious and tribal customs that are incompatible with an advanced civilization? Because it's a central theme throughout the film and dominates the whole last third of the film. And if you're going blame anybody for the Middle East being so messed up, then blame the Turks, because Arabia was part of the Ottoman Empire for a lot longer than than any Western Empire, and the atrocities committed by the Turks made anything the Western powers did look positively benevolent. GTFO with your woke, anti-Western, virtue-signaling lies. Leftists are the absolute scum of the earth, I swear. A bunch of liars and pedophiles. But you're going to get what's coming to you soon enough. The backlash against you has already begun and will only get MUCH worse. Your time is almost over, for good.
All those decisions made really screwed the rest of us. Complete ignorance of the culture. Now the US inherited this mess which continues!
Though to be fair regional hostility had been bottled up and itching to explode under Ottoman rule.
@@CharlesDickens111 Sure, but that would have been their mess. Meddling in it made it the mess the West created.
@@Dreamfox-df6bg Got that right. They should have stayed the hell out of there - but greed for oil kept them (and now the US) around and what a damn mess.
The film was made in 1962, and it chronicles events (primarily) between 1916 and 1918, 44 years earlier. It's as if someone now made a movie about the Carter Administration and the Iranian Revolution. There were still living people who remembered Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.
That cut between the match burning and the desert sun, where the sound overlaps for a few frames is just superb film making.
Best cut in cinema for me. Obviously the famous cuts in 2001 and Schindler's List are similar and also great.
Greatest film cut ever.
Yes there are a number of great cuts and sound bridges - when the motorcyclist shouts 'who are you' and the sound of a tram is heard before we cut to Cairo. Also, the cut when Lawrence says, 'they won't come for money, they'll come for me' from his epic profile to an army of thousands is very powerful. It's just a treasure trove of filmmaking from start to finish - camera angles, shots, transitions, dialogue, acting. Just one of the greatest films ever made period. When people mention Star Wars or Forrest Gump as one of the greatest films ever made and you think of this, there's just no comparison. Lawrence of Arabia makes those two movies look incredibly inferior on every level. There's no talk of the force in Lawrence, Peter O'Toole just embodies it.
"nice dissolve." ....
@@TheDemonicPenguin what’s the famous cut in Schindler’s list.
59:31 _"Did they meet before?"_ Yes, he called Lawrence a _"filthy wog"_ in the Turkish Hospital at 58:54. He was at the beginning of the film as well, admitting that he didn't know Lawrence, but he had the honor of shaking his hand.
*Peter O'Toole* is easily one of my favorites. Has been since I was a little kid. 🥰
*Edit:* So glad you managed to react to this film! Thank you!
Lawrence was a real person in the British army during WWI. This movie is based on a true story.
By reacting to these classic films, you really do set yourself apart from many other reactors on here. I know it was a behemoth task to edit this reaction but the result was incredibly enjoyable so thank you very much! Although there were hardly 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.
Thanks for this information!
In the UK the intermission was when a cinema attendant would stand at the front of the theatre selling ice cream and drinks, or as Monty python would have it, shouting and selling 'albatross'.
He didn't just went home and died. His accident was 1935 i.e. 17 years after the war. He wrote and translated several books of which "Seven pillars of wisdom" became a bestseller and the basis for the film. He also had a career in the RAF and wrote an Oxford thesis.
His tactics on desert warfare are still widely read (fewer camel I expect).
Lawrence had his hand-written manuscript of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" stolen from him on a train in England, which was devastating. He eventually got over that... and re-wrote his book.
I have a signed first edition of The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
@@HarryFlashmanVCthat's awesome! If you decide not to keep it around, please reply to this comment because I can't find the book anywhere in my country. By the way, I'm studying history & literature at college and Lawrence of Arabia is our essay assignment, however I can see Seven Pillars book would provide more informations than the film
@@darthmaul7661 my grandfather was a friend of TE Lawrence and Lawrence gave him the copy I now have.
For centuries, Overtures were common prior to live events like instrumental music performances and operas. Since audiences were accustomed to them, they continued to be used when feature-length motion pictures became a thing. By the end of the 1970s their use in movies had completely fallen out of favor and are now almost entirely absent from film releases.
Instead you get trailer after trailer of upcoming releases now.
Kingdom Of Heaven director’s cut roadshow version had Overture and Intermission music.
There are other reviewers who wont touch this flick and other great films because they are "Too Old" to draw an audience. They're idiots. You guys are the best.
These classic movies with huge productions and shot on location are treasures. If this was made today, most of the background and extras would be CGI. They will never make movies like this again. Other great movies with awesome sets and huge productions you may want to check out:
Ben-Hur, 1959
Waterloo, 1970
A Bridge Too Far, 1977
Bridge Over The River Kwai, 1957
Spartacus from 1960 was another.
Jesus of Nazareth.
I just posted the same thought.
You are limiting yourself: Your list should include "War and Peace", with half the Red Army as extras.
Bridge on the River Kwai.
TE didn’t “invent” guerrilla warfare, but it was a remarkable instance of such during a world-wide military conflict. TE was with Churchill in Paris 1919 representing the Arab argument. They failed in that but his reputation was well known in Paris at that time among diplomats. There was another man in Paris… at that time… watching and listening. His name was Nguyên Sinh Cung… later known as Ho Chi Minh. I don’t think history is mere coincidence.
@@syntrilliumc.e.p.9326 The colonial Americans engaged in guerilla warfare with the British. I’m sure that tactic developed long before the 19th century. The term originated as you said.
Well, the link between desert warfare back then and the Long Range Desert Group/Special Air Service in WW2 is obvious.
@@Condors55 I might posit the difference between them (if any measurable) is to the extent TE exploited the obvious issues surrounding the Ottoman Empire. In his instance-and as he pointed out in Seven Pillars-the Turks were rotting from the inside. They were stretched out too far, they had morale issues, they were generally hated in the Levant, there were abundant supply issues… it goes on and on. It might be too easy to over-assess the importance of the desert campaign but it CERTAINLY had a psychological impact that doubled their losses on the battlefield as Britain moved up the coast. It certainly wasn’t, “just TE” guiding this campaign but I think he adequately encapsulated the overall ETHIC of the campaign which was to make the Turks think every time they made a move. In WWII, I’d suggest the outcomes were more aligned to military goals rather than “purely psychological” goals while I also do not detract from the efforts of the WWII campaign(s).
@@iambecomepaul Well, with a less rotten foe, I suppose the Guerrillas would have to have more discipline on their own side, instead of “100 men desert every time they think they have enough Loot”.
Love your reactions and thanks for doing one of my favorites here. Keep up the great work.
An explanation of why Lawrence turned so bloodthirsty in the third act: because it was 1962 and rules allowed the film to only intimate certain details, when Lawrence was captured by the Turks, he was tortured and repeatedly raped which filled him with the vengeful bloodlust that we then see.
It's funny, so many modern viewers miss the film's clues of what the Turks did to him and get quite jarred by the change in Lawrence's character, but if you watch it again knowing the whole story, you will see what is hinted at.
The scene of the massacre that him and his men come across is also quite censored in the film vs as to how he describes it in the seven pillars of wisdom. I don't want to go into detail, since it is extremely explicit as to what they actually found, but I'm inclined to think he was being quite truthful in describing what happened, because of how he talked about how he and his men reacted... Namely they just started giggling in horror that they had lived to witness the violence inflicted upon the Arab civilians.
Yes you guys totally missed the fact the Turk was gay and not gay for love more like a prison thing, and was only looking for someone to brutally rape...
Correct. The film will subtly alludes to it but it is easy to miss.
It's been a while since I've seen the full movie, but I believe that whole scene when he's arrested alludes to him being gay. The Turkish officer rips his clothes off....a close up of his eves showing, what? fear? excitement? A combination of both? Then tellingly... a close up of the officers mouth! And then he assaults the officer. There is no other reason to show a close up of the officers mouth in that sequence, or for that matter to show a close up of his eyes either.
And why assault the officer anyway, unless the officers actions brought his repressed sexuality to the surface and he was enraged. Being gay during that period was taboo and a criminal offence.
Also, during that time most men of his age would have a wife or sweetheart back home, but there's no mention of that in the movie? In fact in a movie running to almost 4 hours, are there any females at all?
@@thewildgoose7467 The scene certainly alludes to the Turkish officer's desire, but not Lawrence. And that is because it was a fact that Lawrence was sexually assaulted by the Turks in prison. Like the OP said, they couldn't show that in the movie, so they had to insinuate it. Just because people like you want everyone to be gay, doesn't mean they are. There's no mention of anyone's wives or sweethearts in the movie because it's not relevant. Does that mean that Prince Faisal, Sherif Ali, Ouda, Allenby, Brighton, Bentley, and all the other male characters are gay? And there's hardly any women in the movie because they just aren't relevant to this particular story. Master and Commander also had no speaking parts for women because it took place entirely in a male environment. Does that mean the main characters are gay?
There are so many reasons why this is possibly the best film ever made.
I remember watching this with my grandpa when I was a kid, truly awesome experience since he had a massive box tv that took up half the wall it seemed like 😂 glad you guys watched this one
Sounds like an amazing memory and experience!
@@TBRSchmitt during filming O'Toole was bitten by a camel. Broke his thumb. Sprained his neck. Was concussed twice. Tore a groin muscle. Fractured his skull. Sprained both ankles. Tore ligaments in his hip and thigh. Suffered 3rd degree burns and..dislocated his spine.
@Miles Doyle TL; DR
@Miles Doyle TL; DR
Lawrence from the beginning had almost a prophetic vision of himself. He knew he was chosen for some great cause but he had no idea what it would be. So at the beginning he was awkward and odd, but with a spark of genius. Then as he became aware of what would be required of him he grew into a heroic figure. But the world is not all rewards and no pain. He came up against the reality of evil. The politicians would eventually get involved and tarnish his vision. But before then much blood would flow. Lawrence in his hubris felt he was beyond everything, he felt he was chosen. But he fell into the hands of the Turks and was gang raped and beaten. He became bloodthirsty and would revenge himself on the Turks. Then the politicians and reality asserted themselves and Lawrence was expendable. Even Faisal knew that Lawrence’s day was over. The bargaining and compromises would now replace his vision. This is real life and now Lawrence’s vision was a thing of the past. A brilliant film that shows vision and idealism vs what is possible in an imperfect world.
(Only hinted at in the film was Lawrence’s strange obsessions. The real Lawrence was known to be a sado masochist. He apparently got sexual release from the infliction of pain.)
Lawrence was never raped in Dar‘a . There is no legitimate proof that it happened and he probably made the whole event up.
I don’t think he was a masochist; I think he hated himself for failing Arabia and punished himself by hurting himself. It’s truly sad when you think of how lonely he must’ve been; he really had no close family, friends or lovers to comfort him. He had to go through all that suffering alone with nobody who understood him. In the film, Ali is a fictional character but he clearly fills a void for Lawrence that sadly was never filled in real life.
This is one of Steven Spielberg's favourite movie, and he apparently watches it once a year to help remind him how to make great movies.
Prince Fisel played by Alec Guiness...who played Obi Wan Kenobi in chapter 4
For more Peter O'Toole check out My Favorite Year
Great stuff more 50's epics please
He actually watched it in a screening room one time with director David Lean, who explained what he did during production. It was like a live DVD audio commentary. Spielberg has noted "Lawrence" has influenced him while working on "Raiders Of The Lost Ark".
@@rafaelrosario5331 Don't forget O'Toole's two turns as King Henry II, in "Becket" (1964) and "The Lion in Winter" (1968). And he is fabulous in "The Stunt Man" as the movie director.
28:08 - "Thine mother mated with a scorpion", a poetic way of calling him a devious SOB.
Great choice and reaction. Other epics to watch are "Ben Hur", "Bridge on the River Kwai", "Guns of Navarone", "Ten Commandments" etc. Some of the actors in Lawrence are in multiple epics.
T.E. Lawrence "of Arabia", the real one, is a major hero of mine. He was the last renaissance man, or person who has many skills and a lot of knowledge. He started out as a Medieval era archeologist with focus on the crusade castles. He was then a map maker before becoming what this movie is about. He went home and wrote some classic books about his service in World War I and his own philosophies about the Arabs and the desert. He also got home and entered the Air Force as a lower rank at his own request, having actually refused a major military award. He died in a tragic motorcycle ride at a rather young age when he swerved to miss some bicyclers. This is only a tip of the person he was.
There was a time in old Hollywood where "epics" were a thing. Gone with the Wind, The Ten Commandments, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and others all fall into this category. Having an overture at the start, an intermission with music and a big dramatic end credits with dramatic music was kind of standard. It was like seeing a play and big dramatic music, big amazing landscapes - everything big, big, big! They were filmed on wide film stock (think 70mm kinda stuff) and shown on GIANT movie screens in movie houses. Lawrence is one of the greatest examples. The cinematography is just amazing and one of the best examples of the genre.
Really enjoyed this. Lean's smaller, earlier films, like Oliver Twist and Great Expectations, are worth checking out too. Peter O'Toole (Lawrence) and Omar Sharif (Ali) became huge stars on the back of this. Sharif was the first Arab movie star in the western world, and he's the only real Arab in a major role. And did you spot Obi Wan Kenobi as Prince Faisal?
Alec Guiness?
@@theawesomeman9821 Yup! A sort of good luck charm for Lean since Great Expectations, though they weren't exactly chums.
My all time favourite movie, the cinematography is still stunning even by today's standards and for O'Toole's first starring role it is probably still his finest performance and the rest of the cast is flawless too. Omar Sharif's entrance as a speck in the desert still makes the hair on your neck stand up - stunning!
It took me two watches to fully appreciate this masterpiece. I believe this movie had an enormous effect on a young Steven Spielberg, and finally pushed him into becoming a filmmaker. Great reaction.
Spielberg was particularly taken with the opening POV with the motorcycle.
A true classic. The great David Lean has left masterpieces. "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "Doctor Shivago" and my favorite "Ryan's Daughter", are a clear example.
Those are great. I also like Brief encounter (1945), another early classic from David Lean.
Still love River Kwai. 😊
I have just realised I have not seen Ryan's Daughter!
Ryan's Daughter is way too underrated. It's no Lawrence of Arabia but it's still potent.
The Skyes-Picot agreement (the "you get this bit here, I get this bit here" scene) defines the geography of the Middle East to this day. Most Westerners have never heard of it, but Arabs certainly have. One of ISIS's major recruiting calls was undoing Sykes-Picot.
Before the British and French it was the Turks and Persians... before the Turks and Persians it was the Romans and Parthians... before them the Ptolemaic Greek sand Seleucid Greeks... before them the Egyptians and Hittites... etc.. etc... the Middle East's borders almost always end up split by two great powers with no regard for the population, only the strategic element of the borders.
@@Fordo007 True, but we still bitch about the problems in the region that Sykes-Picot Agreement is responsible for. I won't argue that the area would probably a mess anyway, but it wouldn't be our mess.
People wonder why China is the way it is? Check the Opium Wars and the unequal treaties. Why was there a Japanese Empire? Because someone taught them the lesson that ''might makes right' in 1854 followed by 'unequal treaties'. And the list goes on.
All based on short-term decisions that sometimes didn't even last a decade.
Like I said, the areas may or may not be a mess, but with the mess we have? That's the responsibility of the West. And we keep creating these messes.
So true- I teach a whole unit on it in my Modern World History class.
@@Fordo007
You're going a little far back. The modern Middle East was created in the wake of WWI.
@@harrybirchall3308 That’s neo-colonialism for ya.
Elegant, clever deep, witty actors with an elegant, clever deep, witty director and an elegant, clever, deep, witty script, what else can we ask for?
I saw the making of this film and the logistics were absolutely hurculean. The Director wanted to film this movie as close to where Lawrence and the events happened so almost all this movie is on location.
The four minutes of music before the film starts is the overture. It sets the overall tone and presents the musical themes. The score on this movie is so amazing.
Credit to Patreon for making this decision instead of the usual choices you see everywhere. Maybe a poll with only films from the 60s and before in the future.
Another classic David Lean film is The Bridge on the River Kwai. Other great films with similar themes are The Man Who Would be King starring Michael Caine and Sean Connery and The Wind and the Lion also starring Sean Connery. I never see anyone react to TWATL. It's a personal favorite. I saw it three times at the theater. Brian Keith plays Teddy Roosevelt and it started my interest in that President.
“Golden Age of Hollywood” Poll coming to Patreon on Saturday!
@@TBRSchmitt great! Seeing Claude Rains in this makes me think of Casablanca.
I'm sure you already have the films for the poll picked. If not, let me suggest
Bringing Up Baby
Duck Soup
The Adventures of Robin Hood
A Face in the Crowd (no one reacts to this and it's a great film that's still relevant)
Night of the Hunter
Forbidden Planet
To Be or Not to Be
@@richardb6260 Definitely some goodies in that list there. Some of my other favorites from the 30s and 40s are:
Pretty much any early or mid 3 Stooges short: Punch Drunks, Disorder in the Court (which is in the public domain), A Plumbing We Will Go, etc.
The Thin Man
M
Captain Blood
King Kong
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
The Lady Vanishes
Casablanca
The Maltese Falcon
Lifeboat
Mildred Pierce
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Citizen Kane
Twelve O'Clock High
@@GuardianOwl great films. King Kong was an early obsession for me. I'll add
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Harvey
The Man Who Could Work Miracles
Arsenic and Old Lace
Mighty Joe Young
The Dam Busters (if only for the moment when they're watching the climax and they say "Hey, this reminds me of Star Wars")
Curse of the Demon
Yup...Bridge on the River Kwai, Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare, The Great Escape, The Odessa File & The Day of the Jackal (quite a few from that 50s to 70s era)
Tackling this puts you guys far ahead of the pack of UA-cam movie reactors; you are sharp as tacks; you picked up much more from the first viewing of the film than I did. I saw this back in the '80s on the big screen when the long-awaited restoration was released. It's really the only ideal way to see the movie, but barring that you guys picked up on the film's ample wit and the main points of the story. You're the kind of people who, in a theater setting, would be the cues for the rest of the audience to laugh in the right spots. It takes great concentration to watch this in a home setting and you guys did it impressively.
28:39 It's called a zaghārīt or tiɣri, a pretty common practice for women in western Asia and northern Africa. It's used to convey a strong emotion like joy, anger or, in this case, support with departing soldiers. If you ever go to an arab or amazigh wedding this thing will make you deaf 😂
The only “speaking” parts that female characters got in this movie. ☺️
58:54 the soldier who wanted to shake his hand when Lawrence of Arabia leaves is the one who slapped him in the Turkish military hospital. ...
My late grandfather took my grandma to see this on their first date.....this movie literally help my family into existence
Maurice Jarre , composer got an Oscar for this score. Funny thing is he was father of Jean-Michel Jarre, a pioneer in electronic music (Oxygen) They were estranged and almost did not know each other because he left family when son was 2yo but their music is similar even if one is classic and other electronic.
Respect for watching this. When you two are ready for another long, old film, consider checking out Ben-Hur (1959). It held the record for most Oscar wins for nearly 4 decades (and is still tied for the most) and I think that you'll enjoy its second half more than you did here.
Another long but great film from this era is Dr Zhivago.
There are so many of the 40s, 50s and 60s long history movies.
The Ten Commandments as well.
@@greenporker i would like pure history movies. Less of the history fantasy.
@@unwokeneuropean3590 El Cid?
What a great discussion! Thank you so much for taking the time to really take in and appreciate this film in depth. So many reaction channels just watch and call it a day, especially for an epic like this. I'd love to see you react to more classic films!
The craziest thing about that movie...among all the prize it won, Peter O'tool didn't won best actor which is madness for his acting !! He never won one either...Such a great actor and voice actor...RIP.
He did get an honorary Oscar at least.
I don't know if you'll see this given this is an older reaction, but I wanted to point out *Lawrence* had about _16 years_ between leaving Arabia and dying on the motorcycle. So it didn't happen right when he returned home.
I think it was around 1922 he joined the RAF. But he had to leave once his identity was discovered.
One of Spielberg's favorite movies, one that inspired him, and one that he got to work on, years later, doing the restoration for DVD, sitting alongside David Lean, one of his heroes.
The amazing theme music of "Lawrence of Arabia" was by French composer, Maurice Jarre. He also composed the music for the same director's film, "Doctor Zhivago", and won at least one Academy Award for his work
Maurice Jarre's son, Jean-Michel Jarre, wrote and recorded a full-length electronic symphony album, called "Oxygene", in six movements. It sold many millions of copies around the world and is instantly recognizable. This was one of the first all-electronic, whole-album compositions, in the early 1970s.
'A matter of life and death' is an old movie you should watch. It is massively influential, the opening scene has been robbed relentlessly over the decades, but most recently by Marvel, twice.
The soldier who shook Lawrence's hand, where Lawrence goes, "haven't we met before?" is the same one who struck Lawrence in the face after seeing the conditions in the Damascus hospital. Of course he didn't recognize that it was Lawrence in his Bedouin garb. Commentary: in the end this is an anti-war film, which is what the second half was all about. No heroes. No winners.
Glad to finally see someone react to this masterpiece! Another great David Lean's movie you should check out would be Doctor Zhivago (1965), one of my favourites.
With Omar Sharif in his most significant role...
There was a lot of speculation about what actually happened to Lawrence when he was captured. He never revealed it himself in his autobiography (Seven Pillars of Wisdom), but it was thought to be enough to harm him psychologically. After that, he was pretty much "forced" to do a lot of this.
2 historical interresting thing about this movie...1. When you think WW1, most people think about trenches and Europe, but really half the war was also like in Arabia ! 2. The family of Hussein still rule over Jordan to this day...
The location shoots were done in Spain, and Jordan.
Hitting “like” before your reaction starts because this is my #1 favorite movie.
You guys are doing this right. I was incredibly happy when you did Das Boot, and same here. I’m only 45, so these movies are well before my time as well. But mixing in the classics with the popular ones, that’s respectable. Many thanks!!
Das Boot was in 1981.
@@annbowen9656 Trying to imagine a 3 year old Barry appreciating all the nuances and atmosphere of Das Boot and it's making me laugh. Safe to say that anything that comes out before you even go to kindergarten is still before your time on a technicality.
I’m the same age (more or less). I’ve seen this movie one time, but I got to see it when the Cinerama in Seattle was newly remodeled (April/May 1999) and they started by showing all the AFI 100 best movies that were from Columbia Pictures. For some reason I went to an 11pm showing so in the intermission that was at like 1am I wondered what the heck I was doing at the movies at 1 in the morning. But it was the perfect screen to watch it on. I found an article about it which I’ll post separately in case it gets deleted. Turns out it was a restored 70mm print!
@@sidewaysoul I know, but still... I was born earlier in the 70s and remembered watching it at a young age. Didnt get everything. I still wouldn't call it before my time though.
@@sidewaysoul Thank you. I definitely didn’t watch it until the late 90s
A film I can watch incessantly. Saw it for the first time when I was fourteen and couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The performances, cinematography, score, the scale of everything, the history and politics, it's as if it commands your respect and refuses to be denied. One of the few "epic" films that genuinely earns that distinction. The great strength of a long story, be it a long novel or a long film, is that the length allows it to organically generate the feeling of time passing, such that when you reach the end you reflect back on details you started to forget but realize were all coming together bit by bit, the same way you'd reflect on the past.
This is my favorite movie of all time! Thank you for watching it and appreciating it! It's a masterpiece from start to finish! Some minor historical inaccuracies but forgivable! Thank you again.
"The Sun's Anvil" Has there ever been a more descriptive title for a place so utterly devoid of life?
In the old days, instead of playing trailers for upcoming features as the audience was talking their seats, music associated with the big time movies was played. In the interest of completeness, it's included in the digital versions.
I remembered in the old days my theater would play movie soundtracks, particularly Gladiator, before the trailers start. Now it's just ads. -_-
Uh, no. What's playing is the overture. Google it.
@@NoHandleGrr No. I'm correct. "Overture" is, what it is callel, and is what I mean.
That's nice, but I replied to this: "WreckingWood
4 days ago
I remembered in the old days my theater would play movie soundtracks, particularly Gladiator, before the trailers start. Now it's just ads. -_-"
@@NoHandleGrr Okay.
Hey, Schmitts! This is a David Lean masterpiece! It needs to be seen on a big screen!
David Lean was a meticulous British director known for vast epics like "Bridge on the River Kwai", "Ryan's Daughter" and "Doctor Zhivago".
Prince Faisal was none other than Sir Alec Guiness in brown-face! You know him as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The Turkish Bey played by Jose Ferrer was homosexual and his lascivious leer was noted by Lawrence who reacted with revulsion at the prospect of sexual assault. The inference one makes about the reaction he had to the torture is that there was a component of sodomy.
The British officer who slapped Lawrence in the hospital while he was dressed as an Arab was the same one who shook his hand when Lawrence was back in uniform.
The motorcycle ahead on the desert road in the closing shot foreshadows his banal doom by hearkening back to the opening scene.
Peter O'Toole as Lawrence, Alec Guiness as Faisal, Omar Sharif as Ali, Anthony Quinn as Auda, Jose Ferrer as the Bey and Claude Rains as the politician are all legendary actors.
Claude Rains was playing a British politico, not a Frenchman.
The well scene that introduces Sharif was replicated by William Shatner as the opening of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier".
I found this on my brother's pc in 2009. Unaware of the year and duration I kept watching it with joy, loved it on first watch. Then saw the release year was 1961 then I was like wtf, how.
There are only a few reactions to Lawrence of Arabia that I’ve been able to find, and yours is *by far* the best. Thank you for sharing your experience watching my favorite film of all time. There are plenty of great behind-the-scenes and making-of documentaries about the film to find (sand in the cameras was a continual nuisance).
Also, Peter O’Toole made a legendary appearance on David Letterman many years later where he rides in on a camel.
List of long films:
The Ten Commandments, 220 mins
Gone With The Wind, 233 minutes.
Ben Hur, 223 minutes
The Greatest Story Ever Told, 200 minutes.
The Lord Of The Rings Return Of The King, 202 minutes.
Spartacus, 197 minutes.
TITANIC,195 minutes
Schindler's List, 195 minutes.
Gandhi, 200 minutes.
Cleopatra, 250 minutes.
Dances With Wolves: Director's Cut, 250 minutes
It's the greatest film ever made. It's just magnificent on so many different levels, from the film itself, to the behind the scenes crafting and production of this film. David Lean also directed 2 other supreme classics around this era that are not to be missed- Bridge On The River Kwai, and Dr. Zhivago.
You should do rest of the "David Lean Epic" Trilogy. Dr Zhivago and Bridge on the River Kwai next.
All great films.
Great idea..
Dr. Zhivago. My German girlfriend’s dad’s favorite film.
Agree!
Yes, I totally agree.
Three Masterpieces!!
Lawrence was a lost soul after WW1. In time he sought a new name as a rank soldier in the RAF named Shaw. Even there he found little peace. Before that he saw the world being cut up at the peace conference in France. He did find some happiness in the RAF and helped with new rescue boats for pilots (which saved many in WW2). Got de mobbed after the RAF, then came his fatal crash. You can visit his home, grave and the memorial at the crash site today in Dorset.
This has been one of my favorite movies since I was a teenager, and shortly before COVID it was released for a limited run in select theaters nation wide, and seeing it on a large movie screen is absolutely breathtaking. So much so I think I saw it 3 times in one week before the run ended.
Yes! I was able to see it in theaters. It was remastered and looked fantastic on the big screen!
I took my sister to see it in 70 mm.. As we left the theatre she stopped to take off one of her shoes… She apologized and said she had to get the sand out of her shoe.. lol.. I thought that was pretty clever..
Thank you so much for tackling this timeless David Lean epic masterpiece. Your edit must have been hard work, true cinema buffs' labour of love. I'd like to share some (redacted) notes I prepared for a trivia site some years ago:
Thomas Edward Lawrence (1888-1935) was a short, craggy, wiry Oxford-born archeologist-turned-saboteur who was fluent in Arabic and had a scholarly background in classical languages. He looked no more like Peter O'Toole than stocky Mel Gibson looked like the giant flame-haired guerrilla warrior William Wallace in 'Brave Heart'. In fact, fabled effete playwright, impresario and actor Noel Coward famously remarked to O'Toole at the London premiere 'If you'd looked any prettier, they should have called it 'Florence of Arabia'. Lawrence sought a life of pacifism and obscurity as an aircraft mechanic after the war, before the lethal mix of a love of speed and motorcycles claimed him prematurely. There is strong evidence of his sado-masochistic tendencies and sexual and physical abuse at the hands of the Turks, leading to what today we might call PTSD, considerably played down in the film.
And what a film! Seven Oscars, ten nominations, stunning authentic 70mm cinematography (not just 70mm on 35mm film stock, as was the usual practice), one of the most majestic musical themes ever (Maurice Jarre), a Robert Bolt screenplay and brilliant performances all the way down the line speak for themselves. Despite significant historical inaccuracies (e.g. the strategic Red Sea port of Aqaba was taken with hardly a shot fired), it remains a critics' favourite to this day, regularly cropping up on 'top ten' lists, and deservedly so.
Lawrence Of Arabia influenced Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, JJ Abrams, Robert Zemeckis, Roland Emmerich, Martin Scorsese, George Miller, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Tim Burton, Guillermo Del Toro, Alejandro G. Innirittu, Francois Truffaut, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bay, Denis Villeneuve, and Ridley Scott.
Also Sam Peckinpah, Akira Kurosawa and Zack Snyder.
@ 1:35 That's correct, it's called the Overture and it gave those in their seats moments to get their chatting out of their systems because talking in theaters during movies was a no-no. But it's more of an alert to those in the lobby, concession area or bathrooms that the movie is about to start. Yes, in some single screen theaters the Overture and Entr'acte was piped in the bathrooms for that purpose! LOL! They are usually about 5 minutes long or less. Overtures also set the mood for the movie about to start. You saw (heard) one at the beginning of 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Wow, a heavy choice. As much I love this movie, it is very long. But it’s an emotional film especially at the end. It reminds me with Citizen Kane because it’s about a man and his flashbacks.
It ended a lot heavier than we thought and it was very long haha! But it was well worth the time because it was excellent!
Not at all similar to Citizen Kane imo. Nicely filmed but CK was boring imo
This and Zulu are timeless classics that I could rewatch time and time again. Please put Zulu with Michael Caine in one of your polls it's an amazing movie.
One of my favourite films, glad it's still being appreciated. Peter O'Toole's performance alone is masterful, and I also love Alec Guiness as Emir Faisal. Be sure to also check out David Lean's other epic, Doctor Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif, who also played Sharif Ali here, and the biggest of the classic Hollywood epics, Ben-Hur, with Charlton Heston in the leading role.
And Omar Sharif also played in Top Secret! He was the one who wore a car crushed as a cube.
And Ryan's Daughter. Not a epic movie, but a good David Lean's one!
Oh yes, Zhivago should be next!
All of these are in my movie collection. I recommend them all
@@tim10243 I think that they should continue with this era with a more modern film but equally placed in the same geographic location and time period the name of the movie is The Light Horseman. It is an excellent Australian movie. If you haven't seen it you won't regret it if you do take time to watch it.
TE Lawrence lived for a week before he died. The doctor who treated him created the first crash helmet.
Thanks for this. This movie is a month older than I am. It's one of the "Oh. That's a thing. This stuff matters to me." movies that's just been there forever. Among quite a few that I honestly have no idea how many times I've seen. An hour and twenty minute reaction from you two? Fantastic. Here we go!
I was 12 when this was released in 1962. It was a "Road Show" release meaning one show a day during the week, matinee and evening on the weekends. Reserved seats. I saw it on a huge, curved screen with giant curtains opening as the musical Overture concluded. (The lights came down with the last of the music.) I still think it's one of the greatest films. Really enjoyed your reaction because "Lawrence" is a WHOLE evening experience.
One of my favorite movies. Hope you two are having an great and awesome day. Much ❤ as always
Amazing movie! Thank you and you too!
"Lawrence" was nominated for 10 Oscars and won 7. I think that was the most nominations in history since Gone With The Wind in 1939. It deserved every one of them too. It's best to see it in IMAX preferably in 70mm as it was designed.
No. Ben-Hur received 12 nominations with 11 wins. It only lost Best Screenplay because of a dispute over the authorship.
10:55 I love this scene. Faisal is praying for a miracle for his people. Looks up and Lawrence is suddenly there.
So it’s similar to the old man in The 10 Commandments saying “I prayed that I might lay eyes on The Deliverer before I croak…”
As Captain Blackadder says: “God is very quick these days!”
this film really launched Peter O'Toole's career he was grateful to David Lean for casting him, and Alec Guinness as he was then had to plead Lean for his role. These were films of their time, massive long epics and the intermission in the cinema was essential and would last as long as 20 minutes halfway through the film back a trip to the cinema took up a whole evening.
Another great reaction. Love you guys. I saw this in high school at the theater when the restoration was released in 88. Later on I was able to visit several of the filming locations in the amazingly beautiful country of Morocco. As far as the dark turn in the film, the reaction Lawrence had with the Turkish officer was an implication of rape in addition to the torture, something that obviously couldn't have been shown. It obviously broke him and gave him a new revulsion and hatred for the Turks and maybe the whole region. That combined with his growing bloodlust from the execution to the last battle made for a very dark, yet realistic story arc. Not only is the movie beautiful but also a great examination of war and psychology.
Such a wonderful score, there is no score that does expansive like The Lawrence of Arabia theme. Truly for you heir lawrence nothing is written.
Was wondering if you'd recognize Obi-Wan...😄😄
(When I was a kid I saw Star Wars in the theater when it came out in 1977. And I think of 'Lawrence of Arabia' as an old movie that came out way before I was born. To me it's kind of odd that Alec Guinness can be in both movies.)
That scene of Lawrence going back to grab the guy who fell... I remember a literature teacher showing that in High School as a perfect example of storytelling with no words.
Peter is fantastic but so is Omar Sharif. You have got to watch another Lean classic with Omar, Doctor Zhivago, with a gorgeous Julie Christie.
Hey Schmitts! If anybody could make me sit down and watch other people watch a movie for slightly more than an hour, it has to be you two! Seriously, as many others pointed out, besides the beauty of the movie itself, your editing is superb!
And ''Lawrence of Arabia'' is truly an epic film, with amazing actors like O'Toole, Sharif, Quinn and Guinness (Tell me you recognized Obi-Wan Kenobi, haha!), stunning visuals (probably the best film that truly shows the cruelty and mystique of the desert) and just the sheer scale of its cinematography almost unbelievable to modern audiences, as you point out, Daniel.
Looking forward to whatever you pick from the Golden Age of Hollywood for next time - whatever it is, it is sure to be awesome!
One of my greatest filmic memories was watching this movie's restored director's cut in its rerelease in 1988 in a giant, old-fashioned one-screen movie palace in New York. This remains one of my favourite movies of all time.
That sounds awesome!
One of my greatest film experiences was watching Fiddler on the Roof, tripping on mushrooms, in my family’s living room in Thanksgiving morning. I never thought I’d enjoy that movie as much as I did.
I saw it in Montreal with that same release. It was newly 'restored' with the awful Alec Guiness' redubs of some of his lines from the new found footage. But released in 70mm in selected theaters. Has to be seen on the BIG screen to be fully appreciated.
I remember seeing the restored 1989 70mm version on the big screen in London that summer. During the intermission I (& others from the audience) went to the fast food restaurant next to the theatre to get some burgers & fries to bring back for the second half of the film.
If you mean the Ziegfeld saw it there as well. Truly amazing.
This is definitely one of the most influential films to exist in 20th century cinema, and one of the most dramatic history-based films we've had. TE Lawrence was an interesting person in real life and this movie has kept his memory alive. I think the movie was right on the money by pointing out most didn't really know him and challenges us to wonder if we truly can either. Fun fact, if you didn't recognize him, Prince Faisal is played by Alec Guinness AKA Obi-Wan.
Finally a reactor viewing a Peter O'Toole film. 8 times nominated for best actor and sadly overlooked EVERY time by the Academy. I would recommend The Stunt Man or My Favorite Year as follow ups as they capture his more eccentric flamboyant side.
He also delivered arguably the best monologue in a Pixar movie.
My Favorite Year is so funny.
I LOVE My Favorite Year😊👍
The Stunt Man is his portrayal of an unreasonable director, an homage to David Lean.
@@jimtrela7588 I picked those two films even though Beckett and The Lion in Winter are probably better known. Stuntman is an acting tour de force and Favorite Year is by far his funniest and most light hearted work which closer matches his actual personality.
This is one of my favourite movies, and contains many fascinating historic characters. Lawrence, who preferred studying military history and medieval Arab culture, but proved to be a master in desert and modern guerrilla warfare. Auda Abu Tayi is the quintessential Bedouin as seen by Lawrence, balancing out the Arab Revolt with his fearsome warrior reputation, compared to Prince Faisal's high-minded religious and philosophical nature.
The descendants of Prince Faisal's brother still reign today in Jordan, and the ruins of Hejaz Railway and locomotives blown up by Lawrence can still be seen in the desert. Although the unified Arab state envisioned by Lawrence and Prince Faisal (who also sought reconciliation between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and wider religious tolerance), stretching from Mecca to Damascus and Baghdad was not to be, and was undermined by French and British Imperialism.
When this movie got restored and brought back to theaters for a bit in 1989, my Dad took me to go see it at a very old-school movie theater. The kind with a HUGE screen and seats not just on the floor but up in the balcony. They had a 70mm print, and it was AMAZING. Watching those desert scenes made me genuinely thirsty, and I wasn't the only one. When we stepped out for the Intermission, the concession line was HUGE :)
What amazes me about the wide, epic scenes with big crowds in these classic films is that since there was no CGI or camera tricks, every person and every horse (or camel) is real.
One of my favorite films of all time. It has some of the best cinematography ever in a film. I wasn't even born yet when it was released but I was able to get to see the remastered anniversary version in theaters a couple of years ago. The small screen doesn't do this film justice. Anyways, glad someone is finally reacting to this classic.
The scene where Lawrence is alone and admiring himself in his new white robes, was improvised by O'Toole and the director loved it so much, he left it in.