Two men stand by a drinking well. They have been traveling all day
across barren desert. Their destination is not in sight, but that
is not important to them. All that matters is quenching their thirst.
They have been here for some time choosing the rest for a spell before
carrying on with their journey. It is during this time that they realize
they are not alone. They look into the distance and you do as well
for you are there with them at the well. At first you see nothing
and then ever so faintly you see a black spot appear on the horizon.
It steadily grows larger and then, to your astonishment, it begins
reflecting upon the surface of the desert creating a mirage. You can
now see that it is a man riding a camel and he is coming straight
for the well. Your guide pulls out a revolver and is gunned down before he knows
what hit him. The man arrives at the well and dismounts. You stand
there stunned, unable to move.
You have just witnessed the most brilliant character entrance of all
time and what may very well be the single greatest scene ever committed
to film. My description does not do it justice. You must see it for
yourself to be able to understand the enormity of it's impact within
the context of the film. I have never seen anything like it and I
find it quite unlikely that you have either.
The "mirage" scene is just one of many images that this
film etched in my mind as it carried me through it's world for nearly
four hours. Quite possibly the greatest transition ever resides here
as well. Lawrence has just described the prospect of going to the
deserts of Arabia as "funny". He lights a match as he says
this and concludes the conversation by blowing out the match. Cut
to the sun rising over the deserts of Arabia. It is the sort of brilliant,
awe-inspiring moment that only the motion picture industry can provide.
One other transition that I feel the need to mention occurs late in
the film. It is night time and Auda abu Tayi finds himself outside
near a pool of water. He looks into the pool to see the reflection
of the moon. Seeing this he looks to the sky and stretches in much
the same way as someone who has awoken from a good night's rest. Cut
to a curtain being drawn aside to show that morning has arrived. I
know my mouth hung agape for the majority of the viewing out of sheer
awe for seeing moments such as these and many others contained within.
Not only is the film breathtaking in the visual sense, but it also
has a great story to tell that is every bit the match of the cinematography.
It is the story of a man who is driven by his inner demons to perform
what can only be described as "miracles" by the people who
follow him. In performing these "miracles" he comes to be revered as
something akin to a God by the Arabs and, over time, he comes to believe
it as well. This will eventually be his undoing as he takes more and
more risks thinking that he is indestructible.
The man is T. E. Lawrence and he is portrayed with passion and precision
by Peter O'Toole (in his first film role). He is a blunt man who,
being of little use to the military, is sent into the deserts of Arabia
to appraise the situation that has arisen between the warring factions. Upon
his arrival in the camp of Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness) he almost
immediately begins overstepping his bounds. He speaks of how he thinks
the situation should be handled which is in stark contrast to how
his superior officer feels it should be done. The Prince listens,
but inevitably takes the side of Lawrence's superior. Lawrence, undeterred,
convinces the Prince's right hand man Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) that
they can take the city of Aqaba from land rather than the sea. They
can do this, he explains, because the city's guns are pointed toward
the sea and cannot be turned. Aqaba has not anticipated the possibility
of a land attack and Lawrence believes this will be their undoing.
Ali explains that there is a large problem with his plan. There is
a large desert between them and Aqaba that has been described as "uncrossable".
This does not phase Lawrence and he is able to get the Prince to give
him fifty men across the desert.
It is in the desert that Lawrence performs his first miracle. A man
was mistakenly left behind in the desert and nobody will go back for
him. It is suicide they say. Lawrence chooses to go back on his own
and when he returns from the desert with the man in tow he is received
as by the people as a man who is larger than life. He is given Arab
clothing by Ali, which only inspires him to be even bolder in
his aspirations. While dancing about in his new clothes, during a
rare private moment, he makes the acquaintance of Auda abu Tayi (Anthony
Quinn) the leader of a rival Arab tribe. Lawrence manages to unite
the two tribes into one unit to realize the greater goal of freeing
Arabia. This unification is, in effect, his second miracle.
This will lead to Lawrence performing what the Arabian people view
as more miracles. They will embolden him to think of himself as something
of a deity and to take chance that mortal men would not even dream
of doing.
The world of Lawrence is brought to life by the man whose name is
synonymous with the word epic: David Lean. If you want an epic made,
he's your man. "The
Bridge on the River Kwai" was a film of epic proportions
that, for virtually any other director, would have been a masterpiece
incapable of being surpassed. For Lean it was merely a stepping stone
to his masterpiece: "Lawrence of Arabia". Every shot is
perfect, for lack of a better word, in composition, duration and effectiveness.
Not a single one is wasted, nor is a second of the near four hour
run time either. It is he who is responsible for the great moments
I mentioned at the top of the review. The mirage sequence and the
brilliant transitions are all David Lean. I knew this man was a genius,
but even the brilliance of "Kwai"
could not prepare me for this unparalleled motion picture spectacle.
Lean's greatness exists because he knows exactly what he wants from
a scene and how he has to go about getting what he wants translated
to the screen. This can be anything from shot selection to drawing
great performances from his actors. The brilliance of his visual sense
has already been discussed, but I have yet to touch upon the mesmerizing
performances contained within the experience that is "Lawrence
of Arabia".
Peter O'Toole gives a tour-de-force performance as T. E. Lawrence.
His piercing blue eyes penetrate into the soul of the viewer, as they
watch this man become more and more derailed. O' Toole makes us cheer
him on, because he is everything anyone could ever want to be. He
steps on his superior's toes, dares to do the impossible and ends
up doing the impossible. Lawrence is a passionate man that desires
to do the right thing, even if it takes committing a few wrongs to
attain the desired results. O'Toole delivers in every way throughout
the course of our journey with Lawrence. I could not find a flaw in
his performance, or in the performance of any other cast member for
that matter.
Anthony Quinn ("The Guns of Navarone") is unhinged in the
role of Auda abu Tayi. He is a surly, yet reasonable sort of man.
He is in this world to get money. Not for himself, but for his people.
It is easy to see that this is an honorable man caught up in dishonorable
circumstances. In a way he is the Robin Hood of the Middle East and
I am sure that you will find yourself enjoying every moment he is
onscreen alongside the likes of O'Toole, Guinness and Sharif.
Speaking of Omar Sharif ("Doctor
Zhivago"). This was his first performance outside of
his native lands and he made the most of it. In the role of Sharif
Ali he brings class and nobility to a character that hardly seems
noble at all. He is the man who comes from the desert in the
fabled "mirage" sequence and he proves to be worthy of such
an entrance, becoming a key ingredient in the picture's recipe for success.
At first he thinks little of Lawrence, but as time passes he comes
to love this man, following him in his pursuits, despite the ramifications.
I now understand what all the the talk was about when I heard Omar
Sharif's name spoken in my childhood. People were speaking of a man
who delivered one of the finest supporting performances in motion
picture history.
So there you have it. "Lawrence of Arabia" is, quite
possibly, the most ambitious, beautifully shot film of all time. It
is anchored by performances that can be described as nothing short
of mesmerizing, brilliant, thought-provoking masterpieces in and of
themselves. The performances are driven by a script with no holes
and by a director who knows where he wants to go and how he wants
to get there. All of these ingredients culminate in one of the greatest
films ever made, which should be all the more reason anyone needs
to see this unrivalled spectacle of motion picture history lay itself
out before their very eyes.
"Lawrence of Arabia" is a cinematic experience unlike any
other that needs to be taken in and absorbed by anyone and everyone
who has a place in their heart for the cinema. It is a journey of
awe-inspiring, epic proportions that you may never want to return
from. This film seduced me in much the same way that the deserts of
Arabia seduced a young T. E. Lawrence so long ago. He didn't want
to return from those breathtaking lands, nor did I want this film
to end.
In a way "Lawrence of Arabia" never ends. It lives on in
the mind long after it has come to the end of it's journey. It is
in the mind that I feel like my journey through the deserts of Arabia
has just begun.
That is the stuff the truly great epics are made of.
