“His name will live in English letters; it will live in the annals of war; it will live in the legends of Arabia.”—Winston Churchill ew people have been able to transcend history as a famous hero, yet in essence still remain an enigma. Even harder would be to make a film about said person and bring the true soul of their life into it. The Academy Award Winning Lawrence of Arabia somehow manages this, detailing World War I as witnessed by British Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence when he was stationed in Egypt in 1916. The real Lawrence, also known as El Aurens or Lawrence of Arabia, rose from humble beginnings to lead the socalled Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks, who were allied with Germany, with the support of Prince Emir Faisal. As with most wars, Lawrence experienced a brutal but vastly different sort of front line, fighting alongside Arabs mounted on camels, brandishing their swords as they galloped into battle. To capture this exotic version of warfare took a unique vision and fresh actors and when it came out in 1962, Lawrence of Arabia was both an award winner and smash box office success. Relative unknown Peter O‘Toole was cast to play the complex Lawrence, delivering a performance both understated and overwhelming. Omar Sharif also offers a deeply moving performance as Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish of the Harith, his first role in a Western picture and the only one where he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. The film had a glittering support cast with Alec Guiness as Prince Faisal, Anthony Quinn as Auda abu Tayi, Jack Hawkins as General Allenby, Claude Rains as Mr. Dryden, and Jose Ferrer as a Turkish Bey. It could be argued that such a cast could make any movie work, but experience proves that to be untrue. Many ―epic‖ films with stellar casts fail because the heart and soul behind the project is gone. In other words, it is hard to get into character if you‘re filming on a back-lot with a green
screen behind you, no matter how talented you are. Lawrence of Arabia was filmed on location, in the actual places the real T. E. Lawrence went; each sun burnt bit of skin and drop of sweat was genuine. Real Bedouin were cast to play the various tribes seen, people whose memories of the real Auda, Lawrence, and Faisal, and were crystal clear. To many, making this film meant that El Aurens would live on forever. World War I has recently become very popular in modern culture, with shows
“All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.” —T. E. Lawrence
like Downton Abbey and films like War Horse depicting the struggle of life in the trenches and coping families back home. But during the Arab Revolt, there are no trenches, no mud and bitter cold and trench foot, only blistering sand, brutal medieval warfare, and the British‘s hope to secure Damascus and end the Turkish rule over the area. It makes modern depictions of the Great War seem almost flimsy, accurate but lacking the sheer exertion and torment of face-to-
By Caitlin Horton → visit blog face battles. Lawrence of Arabia masterfully depicts these charges led by the English Lieutenant Colonel dressed as an Arab, being truthful in showing Lawrence as an uncertain, sometimes arrogant, but most often pitiable, hero. He suffers human emotions, uncertainties, and humiliations and comes across as very relatable even now. Few films that have reached theaters could be called an ―epic masterpiece.‖ Lawrence of Arabia not only fits the description, it defines it, raising the bar to such a point that few films have ever been able to touch it since. The film has aged well, still being popular with many critics, though the accuracy of the events depicted has been called into question. O‘Toole‘s Lawrence has been criticized as being too egotistical, since the real Lawrence was somewhat more humble and tried to retain normalcy in his life. But it should be remembered that this it is not a biographical documentary, nor does it claim to be. Rather, it tries to make sense of Lawrence‘s rather confused autobiography, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, combined with other accounts of the Arab Revolt, to make a concisely grand motion picture. T. E. Lawrence may have died in 1935, throwing England into a time of great mourning, but his spirit still lives on. History remembers only the few most remarkable individuals out of millions worldwide during each time period, men like Achilles, Alexander the Great, King Henry V, George Washington, Winston Churchill, and T. E. Lawrence. He was loved not only by the British, but by half the world, from America to the Middle East and beyond. His exploits of bravery and military cunning became a legend so great that only film could capture it and do it justice. And Lawrence of Arabia and Peter O‘Toole do just that, preserving this hero for the forthcoming digital age and modern viewers alike, from now, hopefully till eternity. ■
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