There's no getting around a simple, basic truth: watching Lawrence of Arabia in any home-video format represents a compromise. There's no better way to appreciate this epic biographical adventure than to see it projected in 70 millimeter onto a huge theater screen. That caveat aside, David Lean's masterful "desert classic" is still enjoyable on the small screen, especially if viewed in widescreen format. (If your only option is to view a "pan & scan" version, it's best not to bother; this is a film for which the widescreen format is utterly mandatory.) Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Warning, but it's still a great movie.:
A great movie. One of the all time best. We all know that! Even all the Ebert wannabees that clog these pgs know that. This 'Collector's Ed' has the intermission 20 mins into the second disc! I realize there are tech reasons for this. I think so anyway. It's still a pain. If only the intermission was at the end of the first disc. Perhaps in the near future they can put the whole movie onto one disc. Transfer is pretty good to my non-techie eyes.
It SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!:
In the product description is said it has subtitles in spanish, due to the fact that my dad only speaks spanish I thought it would be a great gift for him and make him remember his days of youth, but its just a BIG LIE!!! the movie only has 2 languages: English and French.
Now why didn't we returned it? We are too far away to start a process like that and my dad was too excited to take a look at the description that he just peeled off the wrap.
Lean is a painter:
This is the true story of a young British man whose arrogance defies everything and everyone. With the passion of a leader and the heart of a conflicted man, he is a speck in the vast desert, influencing cultures and tribes of the Middle East to unite as nations and of course give advantage to the British Empire. Lawrence Of Arabia is poetry on film, from one incredible scene to another. It defined the modern epic. It has a rare visual artistry and beauty that will never date itself. Lean is a painter and... more info
In all seriousness - the most overrated movie of all time:
I watched this movie because it's a classic and IMDB rates it #35 movie of all times. This comment comes from someone with a long attention span, who actually enjoys long movies where there is character development (Gone with the Wind, for example) or an intricate plot (The Usual Suspects); from someone who is not an action flick junkie but appreciates film for the underlying philosophy (Memento, The Machinist, Vanilla Sky, Dark City) and the dialogue (Before Sunrise); from someone who recognizes... more info
