An epic film deserves an epic viewing experience. So throwing caution to the wind, I took off from work, cleared the afternoon, and spend 4 hours watching the big-screen version of this classic. Me and 2 other people. They left after the intermission, and I watched the second half like the big-screen mogul that I aspire to be.
"They don't make them like they used to"... that is what I thought I'd say. But really, they DO make them like this. The Speilbergs and Lucases and Jacksons just break them up into multiple movies. Otherwise, the long sweeping shots, the meglomaniacal warriors, the hoards of people are all common in our current multiplex.
Peter O'Toole is Lt. Lawrence, assigned to Cairo to guard British interests in the Suez Canal. As a quirkly soldier, he is deemed expendable to send deep into Arabia (not yet a country) in the pre-WW I era to find Lord Feisel. Alone. He has a "meet-cute" with Sherif Ali who takes him to the Lord. Lawrence then volunteers to lead a misfit bunch on a folly battle to fight the Turks. As with most movies, he unexpectedly succeeds and becomes a hero to his fellow Arabs.
Interestingly, this is somewhat of a "gay" film according to some reviews(not that there's anything wrong with that). Of course being made in the early 1960s, you have to use some imagination, in a pre-Code type of way: swishing robes, young boys, ripped shirts, beautiful men, and so on.
The second half introduces a newpaper hack designed to stir things up. Reminded me of the Freddy Lounds character in Manhunter/Red Dragon. Lawrence becomes a man without a country, unwelcome and out of place in two societies.
On viewing the credits, you could see that Speilberg and Lucas had not only been influenced, but also truly bought in, having been credited with re-producing and re-optimizing the film for the big screen. This was worth the time to see it.
* * * * (deserving of its classic reputation)
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