Lawrence of Arabia

Director: David Lean

Writers: T.E. Lawrence, Robert Bolt

Cast: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Claude Rains, Omar Sharif

Strength: Acting, Cinematography, Story

Runtime: 216min

Rating: 8/10

PLOT: Produced in 1962, this masterclass of a movie is set in the World War 1 era. “Lawrence of Arabia” is about the adventures of a British Lieutenant T. E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), who was sent to the Arab bureau to talk with Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness) in order to serve as a liaison for both the British and Arabia to join forces in order to defeat the Turkish army. Labelled as both a hero and a zero, Lawrence was sent to Arabia by Mr. Dryden (Claude Rains). During his journey he faces many hurdles on his way to meet the Prince. He crosses the deserts where he forms his own guerilla army and for two long years fought off the Turkish army in a series of train wrecks, camel attacks and night time desert raids. Ultimately, he takes his army forward into defeating the last of the Ottoman Empire.

REVIEW: Considering the fact that this movie came out 55 years ago, the level of cinematography and artistic shots that were shown is mind-blowing. The entrance of Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) in a camel, slowly emerging through the iridescent heat miasma; the scene where Lawrence's blown-out match is contrasted to the sweltering desert sun, is just one of the few examples of  beautiful cinematography in this movie. Another inordinate thing about this movie is the character development. Each character had enough screen time so that the audience can really get attached to every individual. The scenes of the battles and fighting scenes are very powerful and emotional. Overall, “Lawrence of Arabia” is a movie one should not miss and should be a must in their 'to-watch' list.