Film 7 (8/28/2005)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Director: David Lean

Recommended by: BacardiJim, D Soler

Has Fentablar seen this before?: No.

Here is another film which is deserving of a longer, more in-depth review than what I am going to write here. Lawrence of Arabia is an absolutely beautiful film and can easily serve as the flagship - nay, the crown jewel - of epic cinema. Sadly, it doesn't seem that films like this are made anymore, nor does it seem that anyone is trying to make them. Lord of the Rings is the most recent example of good epic cinema I can think of, but before that - not much. Of course, this is probably because general audiences have demanded shorter films, which is a sad statement in itself. Yet films such as Lawrence of Arabia have proven to me time and time again that epic cinema is perhaps the highest form of art compared to all other artistic medium.

While it is an excellent all-around film, Lawrence of Arabia primarily boasts its cinematography which is absolutely gorgeous. When you consider that film-makers of the day did not have the digital luxuries available in this day, it is truly amazing to see how well David Lean executes many of its scenes. I would not be surprised to find out if this is the masterpiece which inspired future film-makers to use desert scenes for cinematic effect, yet none which I have seen do this nearly as well as Lawrence of Arabia - watching this film makes your pupils widen.

Aside from the cinematography, the acting in this film is also tremendous. This being his first major film, Peter O'Toole proves why he should be revered as a great actor. Also (and I say this with a little trepidation), it was nice to finally see an Alec Guiness film that wasn't Star Wars. I know he's starred in a great many other films, yet I had previously not seen any except Star Wars. It's quite apparent why Lucas wanted him to be Obi-Wan.

If you claim to be a person who appreciates good cinema, it is imperative to see this film if you haven't yet done so.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Plot Effectiveness: 5/5. Perhaps this is more a male perspective, given some of the buzz I've heard, but T.E. Lawrence proves himself to be a character whom you truly admire and respect.

Cinematography/Shot Selection: 5/5. I don't feel I need to say more on this matter.

Overall Acting: 5/5. Nor do I need to elaborate here.

Score/Soundtrack: 5/5. The moment the opening overture began, I recognized that this score has been sampled ad infinitum in one form or another through both film and television - and for good reason.

OVERALL RATING: 5/5

~Fentablar~