I heard Spielberg gives Laurence Of Arabia a watch once a year because of the cinematography.
Texags classic movie of the week: Lawrence of Arabia
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Last: 2 yr ago by Zombie Jon Snow
If you've ever been in the deep deserts of Arabia or somewhere similar (I've never been to the Sahara but imagine it's quite the same) it's incredibly impressive visually and in terms of scope. Really nothing like it in the Western Hemisphere.
This movie captures that amazingly well, and, IMO, the "camel riding" scenes are necessary and additive because they develop what is essentially one of the main characters of the movie, the desert itself.
I love this movie, even though I find O'Toole's acting at times to border on overly dramatic and unrelatable.
This movie captures that amazingly well, and, IMO, the "camel riding" scenes are necessary and additive because they develop what is essentially one of the main characters of the movie, the desert itself.
I love this movie, even though I find O'Toole's acting at times to border on overly dramatic and unrelatable.
One of the greatest movies: cinematography, acting, music.
I personally find that Part 2 drags and is less interesting.
I too made sure to see the re-release in 1989 on the big screen.
I personally find that Part 2 drags and is less interesting.
I too made sure to see the re-release in 1989 on the big screen.
Putting this on now with a big ol bucket of popcorn.
Brian Earl Spilner said:
Putting this on now with a big ol bucket of popcorn.
Watching now. Intermission is going.
I had no clue that a particular actor was in this movie!!!
Same. I assume we both mean one Ben Kenobi.
I'm 90 minutes in and I certainly see where whoever mentioned the camel scenes was coming from. A solid 30 minutes or more of camel riding so far. But, feels mostly essential to the story. And man, these vistas.
The famous match cut is a thing of beauty, btw.
The famous match cut is a thing of beauty, btw.
Always been pissed at myself I've never seen this but its on my list for this year. The funny thing for me is that this movie has become a running joke in our household only because of its runtime.
It's my go to option when we are sitting around wondering what to do. Wife always scoffs. She is never going to watch this so I'll watch it when she's out of town sometime.
It's my go to option when we are sitting around wondering what to do. Wife always scoffs. She is never going to watch this so I'll watch it when she's out of town sometime.
Stopped at the intermission and will finish the rest tomorrow.
They really don't make movies like this anymore. It's awesome knowing that everything you see on the screen had to be done without any help from CGI. The wide shot of the cavalry charging into Aqaba was so awesome.
They really don't make movies like this anymore. It's awesome knowing that everything you see on the screen had to be done without any help from CGI. The wide shot of the cavalry charging into Aqaba was so awesome.
Just finished the movie. Great movie, but I will admit I liked Part 1 a lot more than Part 2.
It almost feels like the movie could have ended right at the intermission. Part 2 felt a bit like an extended epilogue. Certainly not bad, but it did feel a bit meandering and like the climax of the movie had already happened.
One thing I did find interesting was Peter O'Toole's almost effeminate quality? Anyone else notice this? But I wonder if it was done on purpose to make Lawrence stand out a bit, making him seem a bit posh and out of place.
Overall, very glad I finally watched it and I definitely get the hype now. Probably the best vistas ever shown on film.
It almost feels like the movie could have ended right at the intermission. Part 2 felt a bit like an extended epilogue. Certainly not bad, but it did feel a bit meandering and like the climax of the movie had already happened.
One thing I did find interesting was Peter O'Toole's almost effeminate quality? Anyone else notice this? But I wonder if it was done on purpose to make Lawrence stand out a bit, making him seem a bit posh and out of place.
Overall, very glad I finally watched it and I definitely get the hype now. Probably the best vistas ever shown on film.
Yes, effendi.
Feel like it's pretty on point for how the real Lawrence looked
Brian Earl Spilner said:
One thing I did find interesting was Peter O'Toole's almost effeminate quality? Anyone else notice this? But I wonder if it was done on purpose to make Lawrence stand out a bit, making him seem a bit posh and out of place.
If you read the history of TE Lawrence I think that O'Toole played him fairly accurately. Especially given when they made the film.
Yep, reading a couple wiki articles and that certainly seems to be the case. Apparently was accused of being homosexual as well, back when it wasn't exactly acceptable.
I thought about watching this, but then I saw a 226 min runtime…
Worth the time?
Worth the time?
Yep.
Absolutely.Ghost of Bisbee said:
I thought about watching this, but then I saw a 226 min runtime…
Worth the time?
There is an intermission that you could use to split up the viewing into multiple nights.
I regret starting it mid-morning and laying on the couch because I did doze off during the long camel rides. I'll wait a year or two to try it again and prepare myself better for the mood of and old, long classic.
Agreed on your review. I like first half quite a bit more than the second. Love the wide, grand cinematography and sweeping orchestral score. Reminds me of another David Lean directed film that came out 3 years later that also had both Omar Sharif and Alec Guinness…Dr Zhivago. I think I enjoy that one more.
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
Overall, I just find it hard to understand Lawrence's motivations.
Is he angry at the British?
Does he want to become an Arab only to discover they are just too barbaric and to chaotic to live in freedom?
Is he angry at the British?
Does he want to become an Arab only to discover they are just too barbaric and to chaotic to live in freedom?
It's a great question. In Part 2 they definitely make it seem like he was just a narcissist with delusions of grandeur, but eventually recognized that in himself.
Incredible epic movie. One the films that every fan notices the cinematography and scenery. Just awesome to look at.
Plus anything with Peter O'Toole is worth watching.
Plus anything with Peter O'Toole is worth watching.
LAW-rence, Lawrence of Arabia.
He's an English guy, he came to fight the TUR-kish.
He's an English guy, he came to fight the TUR-kish.
You mean El Aurens.
My take is he wants to be the guy whose ego does what nobody else can imagine being accomplished. Leading the Arabs over the Turks and uniting them is about pleasing his ego.
The second half shows what happens when that ego is brought crashing down to earth.
The second half shows what happens when that ego is brought crashing down to earth.
The "No prisoners!" scene and acting from both O'Toole and Sharif gives me goosebumps every time. That's when the film goes from great character study to all time classic character arc.
So I've always heard of this movie of course, but know almost nothing about it. I assumed it took place in biblical times until reading this thread. Was probably lumping it in with Ben Hur.
Sounds pretty great. Now it's just a matter of finding 4 hours.
Sounds pretty great. Now it's just a matter of finding 4 hours.
Yeah... I just couldn't get into this movie. The beginning was interesting to see his journey to gain acceptance from the various tribes, but then it just lost me after the intermission. I don't know what it is about movies before the 70's, but I just don't really see many that i really like a lot. The only one I can think of that I love and can watch multiple times is 12 Angry Men.
As I posted in the Tom Cruise thread, I absolutely love The Last Samurai, which draws a lot of parallels. I also love many slow-paced movies, the Godfather being in my top 3 of all time and one I can sit down and watch anytime.
There was no reason this movie had to be as long as it was. It could have easily have been cut down to 3 hours.
As I posted in the Tom Cruise thread, I absolutely love The Last Samurai, which draws a lot of parallels. I also love many slow-paced movies, the Godfather being in my top 3 of all time and one I can sit down and watch anytime.
There was no reason this movie had to be as long as it was. It could have easily have been cut down to 3 hours.
LOl there aren't any spoilers- it's not a murder mystery.Brian Earl Spilner said:
We haven't had one of these in a while, and this is one I had suggested, but it was never streaming.
Just got an alert from Google and it's now streaming on HBO Max, so I figured I'd throw up a thread for a movie of the week.
I know there's gotta be a lot of others like me who've never seen it.
Feel free to discuss the movie if you've seen it, but please keep it spoiler free (or use spoiler tags) until next Monday.
Gonna probably get to this on Friday night or Saturday myself. Excited to finally watch it.
of course it makes the Arabs look like the benevolent heroes and the Turks as pretty bad and Lawrence is a narcissist who really did not make much of a difference in winning World War I against the Ottoman Empire
considering the Ottoman Army was millions of men and Lawrence was running guerilla operations out of the Hejaz which was literally the worst and least populated part of the empire.
OK things I loved about the movie: the cinematography. Large immense landscapes and huge scenes with cavalry, camels and people was all beautifully done. Deserves all the praise it gets.
The scene with him going back onto the sun's anvil to rescue the one man. Very moving and emblematic of different attitudes towards life. Also serves as a sharp contrast to Lawrence's "glee" he takes in killing.
The no prisoners scene was so tense to the build up and then the release of the slaughter was poignant.
I truly believe the camel riding scenes are necessary to show just how forbidding the environment is and to demonstrate how amazing his feats were.
Something that jumped out to me that I think played a huge roll in his actions after the intermission...he was raped by the Turkish commander.
Right after that was when he had the time of despair.
I truly think he believed that he could get the Arabs to unite though, and thought he was the only person who could do it.
So we see the tragedy is he understood much about the Arabs that others missed, but he did not know them well enough to see the catastrophe that would come from trying to unite them.
ETA: A thought that crossed my mind while watching. There were times it felt like a grandiose "western film" with cavalry charges and tribes trilling and riding in circles. Made me chuckle for a moment when the image struck my mind.
The scene with him going back onto the sun's anvil to rescue the one man. Very moving and emblematic of different attitudes towards life. Also serves as a sharp contrast to Lawrence's "glee" he takes in killing.
The no prisoners scene was so tense to the build up and then the release of the slaughter was poignant.
I truly believe the camel riding scenes are necessary to show just how forbidding the environment is and to demonstrate how amazing his feats were.
Something that jumped out to me that I think played a huge roll in his actions after the intermission...he was raped by the Turkish commander.
Right after that was when he had the time of despair.
I truly think he believed that he could get the Arabs to unite though, and thought he was the only person who could do it.
So we see the tragedy is he understood much about the Arabs that others missed, but he did not know them well enough to see the catastrophe that would come from trying to unite them.
ETA: A thought that crossed my mind while watching. There were times it felt like a grandiose "western film" with cavalry charges and tribes trilling and riding in circles. Made me chuckle for a moment when the image struck my mind.
Wait a second. That's what you gathered from that part? That he was raped in addition to beaten? What are you basing that on?
I believe that is what they are implying as it is most likely what acutally happened to TE Lawrence (athough that is debated.)Brian Earl Spilner said:
Wait a second. That's what you gathered from that part? That he was raped in addition to beaten? What are you basing that on?
The way the commander was touching him and his tone. Then the look on Lawrence's face and the attack to the groin. Then the partially undressed state of the commander as he watched the beating.
Also this: Smithsonian Magazine article
Also this: Smithsonian Magazine article
Quote:
But something had happened to Lawrence in the interim. In November 1917, while conducting a secret reconnaissance mission into the strategic railway town of Deraa, he was briefly captured by the Turks, then subjected to tortureand, by most all evidence, rapeat the hands of the local Turkish governor. Managing to escape back to rebel lines, a far more hardened, even merciless, Lawrence began to emerge.
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