Lawrence of Arabia, written by Robert Bolt and
Michael Wilson, based on the writings of T.E. Lawrence
10 out of 10
Notes and
thoughts on other books are available at:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEVa4_CsRStSBBDo4uJWT8BSWtTTn0N1E
and http://realini.blogspot.ro/
This is a
glorious, epic, magnificent chef d’oeuvre and one of the best ten films ever
made, perhaps the best five.
The audiences
have included it in their preferences, ranking it on the IMDB site, where it
has an extraordinary Metascore of 100.
It has won
seven Academy Awards, six Golden Globes, four BAFTAs, but most important, it
will remain an all-time classic.
The narrative
is extraordinary and the hero comes as near as possible to being a Superman,
the ultimate Übermensch.
British Lieutenant
T.E. Lawrence is brilliantly portrayed by the new comer Peter O’Toole, who was
lucky to get the part-and so was the public.
I have read
in the classic Adventures in the Screen Trade by the phenomenal William Goldman
about this role.
Albert Finney
was supposed to have the leading role, acting with the likes of grand Alec Guinness
as Prince Faisal, the superb Anthony Quinn as Auda Abu Tayi, the sublime Omar Sharif
as Sherif Ali, Jose Ferrer as the Turkish Bey and so many other sensational
actors.
From the start,
T.E. Lawrence reveals some of his outstanding qualities, as he marches in the desert
and meets Sherif Ali, in a first confrontation over water and an introduction
into the habits of the region.
-
My name is for my friends…none of my
friends is a murderer…this is one of the first memorable lines of this
fantastic chef d’oeuvre
After facing each other over the murder of a man
for the water, Lawrence and Sherif Ali would become not just allies, but very
good friends, for most of the time fighting together in World War I, against
the Turks.
Lawrence becomes
“of Arabia” as he shows a brilliant tactical mind and manages to lead the “Arab
army” into a series of spectacular victories, starting with Aqaba, for which
the tribes traverse the desert.
Before that,
the British man had to use diplomatic, persuasion skills to get the flamboyant Auda
Abu Tayi to come along to fight those who pay him 150 guineas a month, just for
“his pleasure” as Lawrence puts it.
Anthony
Quinn- as well as Omar Sharif, the indeed royal Alec Guinness- is tremendous in
this challenging role of a complex leader, warrior, at times thief, and
chieftain, both wise and foolish man who says:
-
“I am a river for my people”
T.E.
Lawrence has to suffer through some personal tragedies, as he sees first one of
his young friends die, after he had saved him from the desert, and he is the
one to execute his companion, to avoid a conflict between opposing Arab tribes.
As they
prepare to blow up a Turkish train, the hero is forced to kill the other young
man who has been close all the way, because he is too severely injured to move
and the Turks were very cruel with their prisoners.
Lawrence of
Arabia is caught and tortured by the Turks, after which the American journalist
and others are wondering: “what did the Turkish general did to him?” …for he
came changed, more modest and subdued for a while.
The shortcomings
of the man who lead the Arab revolt become evident as he confesses to have
liked killing a man and then shows a side that likes to boast, trumpet his
glory and surround himself with loathsome individuals.
Notwithstanding
these flaws, the protagonist is a real role model in many ways, proving himself
to be brave, resilient, smart, a wonderful speaker, outstanding leader, heroic
fighter, fabulous communicator.
His loyalty
is questioned by his own side, after an initial fascination with his incredible
victory in Aqaba.
When he
arrives in Cairo, escorted by his young Arab companion, wearing the traditional
clothes of the Harith, he shocks.
The guards
would not even let him in and in any case they insist that the “native boy”
cannot enter the officers ‘club.
But in the
complicated game of “realpolitik” Lawrence and his Arab friends are used by the
generals and politicians.
Many articles
have been written on this chef d’oeuvre and it is revealing that there are
critics who insist on the “failures”, the fact that the script exaggerates the
stature and contribution of Lawrence of Arabia, when compared with Prince
Faisal of Auda Abu Tayi, the latter having a more important role in the taking
of Aqaba.
What remains
is a cinema classic that stands with the best, alongside The Godfather,
Casablanca, Citizen Kane…
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