Best Picture Winner: 1962

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

My initial reaction to seeing Lawrence of Arabia for the first time was twofold: I was emotionally overwhelmed by the experience, and I wanted to immediately start the movie over and watch it again. Here is a complex epic that explores the many aspects of war – the physical, the political, the strategical, the psychological, concepts of loyalty - and its effects on the enigmatic T.E. Lawrence, a British soldier whose wartime exploits became world known thanks to an American war correspondent. What T.E. Lawrence experiences during his tenure makes for an all-consuming film experience.

During World War I, the British army recruits Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole), known to be well educated if a bit eccentric, to assess the prospects of a British alliance with Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness) against the Turks. Lawrence meets Feisal and suggests an attack on Aqaba, a town near the ocean that could be used by Great Britain to ship wartime supplies. By traveling across the treacherous Nefud Desert, Aqaba could be taken by surprise. But Lawrence is not totally prepared emotionally for the atrocities he will witness and the measures he will have to take to persevere in this volatile part of the world.

The images in Lawrence of Arabia are frequently stunning, as director David Lean pans over picturesque desert landscapes or guides us through the architecturally rich housing for the army. There are several actions set pieces such as the attack on Aqaba and the assault of a Turkish caravan. And there is much scheming as the British leaders plan their double crosses (they never have the intention of letting the Arabs rule their own land) of which Lawrence is not aware. The cumulative impact on Lawrence of the events dramatized in Lawrence of Arabia is what gives the film its ultimate power.

When we first meet Lawrence he is a pleasant sort with a twinkle in his eye, although his attitude does not sit well with his superior officers. But when Lawrence witnesses his desert guide being shot and killed for drinking from another man’s well, he realizes he is amongst people he does not fully understand. Later he will be forced to kill people to avoid a tribal war and prevent an injured man from being captured. He will be attacked and (by implication) raped. And he will ultimately learn how impossible it is to remain loyal to both his commanders and the Arab people he hoped to help. While his rank continually increases as he achieves the military’s goals, Lawrence is actually on a downward spiral emotionally. He tries to leave several times but is lured back not just by flattering remarks from his superiors, but also by his own seemingly contradictory love of war. Lawrence is such a rich, intriguing character that the final shot of him in the film packs a wallop.

Peter O’Toole delivers one the great screen performances. He shows us Lawrence tortured and exhilarated, confused and self confident, frustrated and determined. Several times these conflicting emotions can be occurring at the same time. We feel Lawrence’s desperation to return to a more normal way of life after being molested by a Turkish leader. And O’Toole perfectly plays the devastation when Lawrence realizes what his commanders’ intentions for Arabia really were.

O’Toole is supported by a first rate cast including Alec Guinness, Claude Rains, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quayle, and José Ferrer. It’s hard to imagine how the casting could have been improved upon. The scene between O’Toole and Quinn, as Lawrence tries to persuade Quinn’s tribal leader to join the revolt, is just one example of how these actors bring out the best in each other. Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson’s screenplay (based on T.E. Lawrence various publications) balances incident and exposition in such a way that the film never loses its grip on us during the three and half hour running time. And the technical aspects are so well handled there are times we feel like we’re in the desert right along with the cast.

The best films invite the audience to be participants, not mere observers. Lawrence of Arabia pulls us into its time and place and never lets us go.