Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Lawrence of Arabia is a British war film first released in 1962, directed by David Lean.  The film is based on a book by T.E. Lawrence and stars Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins and Omar Sharif.  Our overall rating for this film is: excellent.


In the early years of the First World War, Oxford-educated archaeologist T.E. Lawrence finds himself in Cairo, a deskbound lieutenant in the British Army.  Lawrence’s wish to make use of his specialist knowledge of the region is granted when an official in the Arab Bureau recruits him for an important assignment.  His mission is to locate the Arab leader Prince Feisal and report on his ability to lead a revolt against the Turks.  After an arduous desert crossing, Lawrence succeeds in finding Prince Feisal and manages to persuade him to launch an attack on the Turkish stronghold of Aquba, thereby strengthening the position of the British forces in the area.  With a party of Arabs led by Sherif Ali, Lawrence undertakes the crossing of the notorious Nefud Desert.  Reaching the other side of the desert, they encounter another Arab tribe, led by the mercenary Auda abu Tayi.  Although initially distrustful, this second tribe agrees to lend their support to an assault on the Turks.  The attack on Aquba is a success and Lawrence is feted as a hero by his Arab followers.  Lawrence returns to Cairo and persuades his military superiors to give their support to an all-out guerrilla war against the Turks.  On his return to the front, Lawrence quickly becomes disillusioned by the war and longs for an ordinary and uneventful life.  Unfortunately, his superiors have other ideas....

Lawrence of Arabia is one of the great film classics of the Twentieth Century, a lavish and absorbing spectacle that deserves the epithet "epic" more than perhaps any film before or since.  Numerous directors claim to have been inspired by this film, which remains highly regarded amongst critics and film-goers.  With its glorious Super Panavision 70 cinematography and its highly evocative score (which, once heard, remains with you forever), the film vividly conveys the sublime lyrical power of the desert landscape, that desolation to which, as one character puts it, all Englishmen are drawn.  The desert is central to this film and the story it has to tell.  It isn’t merely an eye-catching backdrop for the drama; it has a much deeper significance.  It is a visual representation of the soul of the central protagonist, expressing his inner yearnings, his frustrations and his chaotic existential angst.

At the outset, we see the vast expanse of sand through Lawrence’s eyes, as a thing of beauty and of wonder, dangerous but alluring.  The desert is a kind of young man’s Utopia, a vast virginal canvas on which he may paint the world as he wants it to be.   But by the end of the film, the desert has become something quite different – an empty, hostile wilderness, soaked with blood and strewn with bitter memories.  It is now a metaphor for the failed hopes and sterility of a man who, his energies spent and hopes shattered, would drift through the remainder of his life, as though he were traversing a hinterland of the soul, alone and without a compass.   Lawrence of Arabia is far more than a war film.  It is the chronicle of a man who begins as an idealistic army recruit, a man who believes he has a Messianic purpose to change the world, and ends as a disillusioned, battle hardened soldier, devastated by his failure to realise his dream, the creation of an independent and united Arab state. 

Lawrence of Arabia  is closely based on T.E. Lawrence’s autobiographical account of his wartime exploits, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, a fascinating literary work that sheds light on an extraordinarily complex individual.  The film was directed by David Lean, at the time the most acclaimed of all British filmmakers, and produced by Sam Spiegel.  The two men had recently completed The Bridge on the River Kwai, another very impressive war film.  Although it was intended that the film would be shot within six months, endless production problems and Lean’s perfectionism caused the shoot to be extended to just over two years, making it one of the most expensive British films ever made.

The casting of the role of T.E. Lawrence was one of the biggest challenges posed by the film.  Marlon Brando and the (then) virtually unknown Albert Finney were considered for the part before Peter O’Toole was "discovered".  Having only appeared in supporting and minor roles in a handful of films, O’Toole was a risky proposition, but Lean and Spiegel considered him a perfect casting choice.  Another actor whose name would be made by this film was Omar Sharif, who was then known only to Arab audiences.  He would take the lead role in David Lean’s next film, Doctor Zhivago (1965).

Although, at 6 foot two inches, he was a good nine inches taller than T.E. Lawrence, O’Toole bears a striking physical resemblance to him.  The actor would, however, come in for considerable criticism from some quarters for his portrayal, which was judged to be too mannered and effeminate, implying that Lawrence was an egoistical exhibitionist with barely latent homosexual tendencies.   Others regarded O’Toole’s portrayal to be close to the mark, evoking the narcissistic and darkly masochistic aspects of Lawrence’s character that can be gleaned from his voluminous writings.  Even though he wrote much about himself, T.E. Lawrence remains an enigma, a man who was scarcely fathomed by those closest to him.  O’Toole’s interpretation of him may be controversial but it can hardly be described as fanciful.

In spite of its daunting runtime (222 minutes for its first release, trimmed to 202 minutes for its subsequent releases), Lawrence of Arabia was a major box office success.  It garnered no fewer than seven Oscars in 1963, including awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Score.  Both Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif were nominated for Oscars but, remarkably, neither was a recipient.  O’Toole would however pick up a BAFTA for what was destined to be the performance of his career.  A haunting and compelling film, shot through with layers of ambiguity that make it endlessly fascinating, Lawrence of Arabia is a masterpiece of cinematic art that, once seen, is never forgotten.

© James Travers 2009

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