Director: David Lean
Note: Some Spoilers Ahead?
Lawrence of Arabia is a remarkable feat in filmmaking. Just about every other scene, I asked, 'How the hell did they do this?' Hundreds of extras, hundreds of camels, out in the middle of nowhere in a desert. Lean doesn't keep the shots tight to fool us into thinking things are on a grander scale than they are - sometimes the camera is put so far away from the action that I have no idea how it was conceived to be put there in the first place.
The desert is a major character in the film, and Lean does a marvelous job of conveying just how hot it must be, day after day after day. I was reminded of The Searchers, and Wikipedia notes that The Searchers was a major influence on this movie.
The music is also brilliant - the theme is unforgettable, though that may be because of its use in Spaceballs. (I finally get that 'Nice dissolve' joke, it only took 20+ years).
Where the film falls apart for me is the characterization of Lawrence himself - we go through the film, he's in nearly every scene, and yet I feel I barely know anything more about him than when the film started. He's presented as a scholar, but his scholarly facade falls away halfway through the movie. Maybe it's me - maybe the notion of 'fighting for freedom' is so often revealed to be an empty concept that I can't take seriously people who purport to do so, especially under the aegis of the British during their colonial period.
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