Lawrence of Arabia

[elshiva]

Everyone loves this movie and I do, too. What is it that makes it so great?

[pokerfan]

1. The cinematography mainly

combined with a terrific cast and a great script.

"I can't make out whether you're bloody bad-mannered or just half-witted."
"I have the same problem, sir."

[InkAddict]

2. "The trick is not to mind"

Putting out the flame between the fingers.

I loved the music.

[pokerfan]

13. So apart from

The musical score, cinematography, casting, direction, script and dialog, it really has little to offer. :)

[Lorien]

11. Along with Lean's ability to never waste dialog where visuals will better

tell the tale, and vice versa. He's a master of symbolic storytelling through imagery. Take for instance the opening sequence; Laurence sits in a basement, making maps. Above him a half window shows passing cars and then-a camel? This image shows Laurence removed from the world he desires to be a part of and depicts both his present and his future.Later he sees a large ship that seems to be sailing on sand. This image represent Laurence himself; he is part of that world, yet separate from it.He doesn't quite make sense in his surroundings, but he assimilates anyway.

[bif]

3. Nice Noel Coward quote about the movie...

"If Peter O'Toole was any prettier, they could have called it 'Florence of Arabia'".

[kwassa]

4. Great throughout, but the scene that sticks in my mind ....

is the final one where the Bedouin tribesman fail to put together a legislature and the whole democratic idea falls to pieces.

It reminds of Iraq and other parts of the Middle East today.

[petronius]

7. Yeah - I've always liked those conversations on the patio between

Auda and Lawrence and then Auda and Ali after the meeting breaks up. All three actors really express their individual confusion (and different reasons for it). I think that's part of what makes the movie great, it's a sweeping epic, but the small intimate scenes work just as well...

[mainegreen]

5. Because it really is epic.

Most films try to be epic and fail miserably.

This film is majesty, beauty and art put to screen.

[sarge43]

6. It's such a dense film.

War story, political drama, psychological study, historical, the interaction (who is playing whom) between the characters is worth at least a half dozen viewings alone. Then, the cinematography, the music, the color palette, the editing, everything works together like a fine Swiss watch.

[supernova]

8. We're the same age, LoA and I

It and I have aged very well. :toast:

It's my favorite of David Lean's films. And the music is magic.

[LibertyLover]

9. The characters, the scenery, the music, the actors and the storyline

An amazing movie and one of the first I remember seeing. When it was first released, my mom, who had Seven Pillars of Wisdom in her personal library, took me to see it in the movie theater. I was 8 or so and only remember the sweeping scenes full of bright sand and the music. It was re-released in 1972 and my mom and I went to see it again. This time I was in college. Afterwards I went home and stayed up all night reading Seven Pillars. Thus began my interest in the history of the modern Middle East (ancient history was already covered since I was working on a BA in Ancient Near Eastern History and Culture at the University of Chicago). T.E. Lawrence was a fascinating and complex individual. The movie captures some of that. Peter O'Toole was certainly better looking than "Ned" Lawrence, but there were similarities too. It was partially filmed on location in Jordan and years later I got to see some of the places Lawrence the person and Lawrence the movie had been. Truly a timeless classic. And if you want to get an appreciation for the timelessness of the problems in Iraq, check out the report T.E. Lawrence wrote for the Times (London) in the 30s on Iraq. With a few changes of names, it could have been written last week.

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/lawrence.php

[Javaman]

10. "no prisoners!!!" nt

[libnnc]

12. "Lawrence....Lawrence of Aaaraabiaaa.."

"He was an English guy....who fought the Tuuuurks...."

Sorry, I watched "Hollywood Knights" a couple of nights ago. Still in my head.

"Vooooooooooooolare!"

:rofl: :rofl:

[noel711]

14. It's Peter O'Toole..

He's ravishing...

[sarge43]

16. He was. The whole cast was amazing

The way Quinn hissed that line, "Thy mother mated with an scorpion!" And O'Toole grins ("Gotcha!"). Damn.

[Lex]

15. I recently ordered the soundtrack on CD

I love the music as much as the movie itself.