Filmmaker reacts to Lawrence of Arabia (1962) for the FIRST TIME! 

This film is DEEPLY LAYERED. Would love your thoughts below..! Hopping into The Boys S3 & Fargo S3 LIVE on the patreon! Click here for early access: www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day everyone!

T.E. Lawrence, wasnt a character, he was a real person. Extra ordinary, he actually retired from the army after the war, and joined the airforce as a new recruit. He was a man of passion, a man of pride and a legend to anyone who has heard of his exploits.

My favorite quote from T. E. Lawrence “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake up in the day to find it was vanity, but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”

"I think you are another of these desert-loving English. No Arab loves the desert. We love water and green trees. There is nothing in the desert and no man needs nothing." is a line in this that hit me like a truck.

Winner of 7 Oscars including Best Picture! This film is a major influence on Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, James Cameron, Francis Ford Coppola, Frank Herbert, Denis Villeneuve, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick. It's pretty impressive and still the greatest motion picture ever made.

The reason for the black screen with music at the beginning was that it was an overture. If you've been to live opera or musical theatre you may know this, but an overture is essentially a big megamix of a lot of the musical themes you'll be hearing throughout the show. It's played before the show begins to set the stage and is generally about 3 to 5 minutes long to make sure everyone's in their seats when the show begins. Plenty of older "epic" films parroted the overture, which in this case has lots of the musical motifs from the film such as the desert theme, the battle theme, Lawrence's contemplation, etc.

"That guy" who is "so damn cool" is Alec Guiness, who is also Obi-wan Kenobie in Star Wars, among about a million other genius roles!

I believe Frank Herbert himself (Writer of the DUNE Books) has said that Lawrence of Arabia was one of the biggest influences on the books and that same goes for Denis Villeneuve and his adaptation.

I think our minds these days are so tuned to seeing cgi, that the sheer scope of this movie goes over our heads. The charge through the town is a mind boggling shot. Also "Thy mother mated with a scorpion" is such an epic burn.

I reckon most of us who know and love this movie chuckled a bit when you praised the composition of the opening shot and said to themselves "if you think that's a good shot, prepare to have your mind completely blown when we get to the desert!".

Lawrence started out as an amateur archeologist, traveling through northern Palestine and Syria, sketching and describing castles and ruins and eventually becoming fluent in Arabic. He worked on the excavation of Carchemish and gained the respect of the British Museum which was funding the dig. At the outbreak of the war Turkey sided with Germany and Lawrence found himself in the Arab Bureau in Cairo as an intelligence analyst. He was sent to the Heijaz area of Arabia to get information on and to encourage Faisal and his sons. From the beginning he was encouraged by Faisal to wear arab clothes in order to blend in. He was quite comfortable with this as he had been doing it for years. Interesting note, this was, I believe, the first western major movie for the Egyptian actor Omar Sharif ("Ali").

For historical context: Lawrence's mission was part of the British effort in WW1 to incite rebellion amongst the Arab tribes against the Ottoman Empire (Turks). For 400 years the Arabs had lived under the Ottoman empire. To bring the Turks down, the British encouraged Arab nationalism and made the Arabs a promise that, if they revolt against the Turks, they would be granted a state of their own which would unite the Arabs. The British did not follow through on their promise and carved up the region at the end of the war between themselves and France. The state of Iraq was created Shortly after the war but was a vassal to the British.

The suave grey-suited politician Dryden is played by Claude Rains, who was also the charming and delightfully corrupt police captain Louis Renault in 'Casablanca'. A great talent who's not as well-remembered as he deserves.

David Lean's films are incredible - epic, moving, and beautifully made. The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, A Passage To India, and this film are all must-see.

"I love that we're getting all different types of deserts, too." T.E. Lawrence's book about the war is full of descriptions of various canyons, dry river beds, and unusual striations on the rocks. Clearly, David Lean sought to bring some of that geological variety to the screen.

After seeing this film several times, something just occurred to me. Seeing Lawrence die in the opening of the film gives the audience the same overconfidence in the invulnerability of Lawrence that the character has throughout most of the film. The thought never enters your head that he could die in the desert.

The famous Irish actor Peter O'Toole held the unique record of being the actor who received the most Oscar nominations without a win, which was 8 nominations. He was awarded an honorary Oscar in 2002 for lifetime achievement. Eventually, the actress Glenn Close matched his record of 8 Oscar nominations without a win, just last year.

Great point about the opening scene showing Lawrence's embracing of danger as a harbinger of things to come. The director set that up perfectly.

I consider this to be the best movie ever filmed. I try to watch it at least twice a year. Lawrences torture by the Turks is the darkening of his soul. The Turks robbed him of The Deserts beauty and introduced a cruelty to replace the beauty. I may be wrong but I think that they not only beat him, but they sodomized him, to try and break his spirit. They tried to take his manliness away to break him. What they stripped away was his wonder, and belief, and what they exposed him to was the cruelness of man to man. This was made evident when they showed him having showing no compunction to killing on the battlefield. Where previously he was reticent to wanton killing; the cruelness was exposed in his soul, and he was lost to the pettiness and bloodlust of cruelty. This was later exacerbated by he double dealing of the politicians. Hr was betrayed on so many levels. In the end he learned He was just a man, and was to be tossed about by fate, like other men, but even then he was a force to be reckoned with. I learn something new from the film every time I watch it. I am 56 and I've been watching this movie for over 40+ years, and it still amazes me. "I am a river unto my people..." One of the best lines ever said in a movie. Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan-Kenobi) and Omar Shariff, and Peter O'Toole are some of the finest actors to ever grace the screen at the same time. This is a Master Class in Acting in a single movie.

Although there were barely any women in front of the camera, two women on the production side were integral in making this a masterpiece. Anne Coates, the film editor, won an Academy Award for her work on this film and was responsible for what is arguably the greatest edit in all of film: the direct cut from Lawrence blowing out the match to the rising sun in the desert. And it was genius how Phyllis Dalton, the costume designer, used progressively thinner material for Lawrence's white robes to show his mental and emotional deterioration as the film progressed. I'm so thankful that the first time I saw this film was in a theater because the emersion is unlike anything I have ever experienced before or since-and the music during the overture and intermission played a huge role in that. If you liked Omar Sharif's performance as Sherif Ali, I must recommend watching him as the titular character in "Doctor Zhivago," which was also directed by David Lean a few years later.

It's incredible when you see the epic, wide shots of battles in films of this era to think that there was no CGI or other special effects back then, so every man and every horse was real.

It's a crime that they forgot to submit the costume designer for an Oscar. She added so many fantastic imperceptible details, like making his military uniform slightly too small, to make him look awkward in it, compared to the clothes he's given later. Or making several versions of those clothes, in thinner and thinner materials, to reflect his state of mind as things begin to unravel. This whole movie is just a fantastic achievement, and beautiful in every regard.

When people make the argument for watching movies at home instead of in the theater, this is the movie I refer them to. The scope of the Cinerama 70 mm style can only be appreciated on a huge screen. The scene of Lawrence on the train in the desert is awe inspiring.

Him blowing the match out in to the sun on the horizon shot . That's cinema bay-beeeeee!

If you've ever gone to see operas, especially back in the older days, the orchestra would play an overture, which was meant to give a kind of instrumental introduction to bits of all the musical pieces the audience would hear throughout the entirety of the performance. This practice goes back centuries of operatic performances. Older films, especially big epics, would do this as well, sorta growing out of opera to theater to film.

DUUUUUDE!!!!! All time favorite movie. An absolute masterpiece and a sublime work of art. Imagine a director today saying "hey let's film five mins of sunrise", or "let's hire hundreds and hundreds extras and run through the desert". Of course cgi could solve thise problems today, but back then this was a herculean undertaking. Thanks so much for watching!

This film and Casablanca were inspiration for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Also another epic you should watch is Ben Hur.

Lean needs more props. Kubrick and all that lot get these accolades, but DL was THE widescreen director for long enough. Like Turner, he knew how to reach the limit of his canvas.

I can highly recommend Seven Pillars of Wisdom which Lawrence wrote about this time in his life. It was used by Lean as the source material for the film.

Wadi Rum is such a breathtaking landscape. Just makes you escape the world. This is such a golden film, especially out of the filmography of David Lean. The casting is pristine, writing is crisp, the music complementing the story, and the shots are spectacular! One of my personal favorite films!

My high school history teacher had the class go to the theater to see this. Must have been the best school day I ever had ! Seeing it on a big screen was amazing.

Blank screens with music are the intros from the early films...it gets people in their seats and settled. It is from a time before previews. Its like going to a musical theatre.

I am afraid to tell you the scene where Lawrence got beaten.... he didn't only get beaten.... that's why it all came apart for him afterwards mentally. Or at least was a very major factor (and yes that part is relatively accurate. historically confusing as to the full truth. But accurate enough).

Started reading Lawrence's book "The seven Pillars of Wisdom" after a few pages I stopped. When I have time, I will start again, but with Google images on hand, to see the amazingly described venues in the book.

The Chief that Lawrence meets in the tent near the beginning is Obi Wan in brownface (Sir Alec Guiness). It was a different time for sure. Amazing movie with all the practical effects and extras needed to make it happen. A true epic in every sense. That scene of Lawrence appearing out of the desert almost as a mirage as he comes closer to the camera is revered as one of the top cinematic scenes of all time. These pre-VFX directors found ways to make their vision a reality. Google how the beginning pool scene was filmed in Sunset Blvd. Ingenious.

So glad to see you appreciating this magnificent film. I went to see it in my hometown when it was released in 1962. I was 15 years old and had an interest in filmmaking. Well, I was stunned by what I saw. I had never seen anything like it before. I had never heard of TE Lawrence or for that matter Peter O'Toole and David Lean. I went home and thought about nothing else for a few days. I went back to see it again and I was stunned again. I saw it repeatedly during its long run in our town. In fact, I saw it so many times that eventually the woman in the ticket booth would just wave me in free of charge. There is nothing like it for me and although I love so many films this is always my standard for what filmmaking, storytelling, acting, cinematography and film music should be. It literally changed my life.

There are a lot of 70 mm prints still in circulation, and if you're anywhere near a major metro area you can probably catch a theatrical screening of one of them within a year or two if you're willing to keep an eye on the schedules for the theaters that do that sort of thing. I can't recommend that experience enough.

This movie is epic. Cinematography, soundtrack, acting, writing, editing. Thank you for reacting to this masterpiece (i think this term is thrown around too much these days but it definitely applies to this classic).

James at the beginning "this film is almost 4 hours". At the end "What!? Its over?"

I've seen dozens of your reactions to films and you always floor me with your insights and your perceptions of film language and the emotional power that you experience through the medium. You have an amazing ability to see into the films you react to and understand that so much is happening between all the various aspects such as editing, acting, music, framing, the set up of scenes, pacing. This mirrors my love of film and I truly appreciate it when I watch your reactions. Lawrence of Arabia is one of those films that the word epic is meant for but still is inadequate to describing Lawrence the man, the myth. He sought glory in the name of right but lost himself as a desert god/man who just wanted to become an ordinary man again but couldn't. A film of such scope and power that will live forever as a testament to a man's vision of reaching into the infinite while alive and to the grandness that film art can achieve.

Stellar cast: Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif and peter O'Toole is just legend! Lawrence is an historical enigma bringing the tribes from Beersheba to Damascus...and the Saudis still rule in Arabia!

I remember watching this at the drive-in movie theater as a young kid. This is one of the 'epic' films from that time, another one I remember is "Dr, Zhivago" 1965, which is another amazing experience, 'Bridge over the river Kwai" also an epic movie. Thank you James.

It’s basically the definition of epic. Bits like the loooong take of the bloke in the desert, you’ll see mirrored in the good the bad and the ugly, and a hundred movies since. Would have loved to see peoples reaction at the time of release.

AHHHH i love that you reacted to this, James! I think it's definitely one of cinema's greatest movies of all time. Sir Peter O'Toole is the actor that plays Lawrence and I really encourage you to seek out more stuff where he stars in. He, likewise, is one of the all time greats. An amazing shakespearean actor that started his career in the british theater and then gradually moved towards film acting. He's one of those actors that you can just tell are completely and utterly in love with their craft, and are completely devoted body and soul to it as well and that comes through with every performance. I know you didn't ask for this (lmao sorry) but if you ever feel like watching more stuff with him (for this channel or in your own time), I'd recommend Becket (1964) for a really passionate performance or Troy (2004) if you haven't seen it. This last one is more contemporary, and it's with an old Peter O'Toole in one of his last roles as the king of Troy, at the time facing the threat of invasion by the Greek army. Even though he's not the main character, there is a beautiful monologue about honor, respect and compassion between enemies that imo slinglehandedly elevated the movie from "good" to "great". It still brings a tear to my eye every single time I watch it.

YESSSSS MY MAN IS FINALLY WATCHING MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME!!!! Keep em coming my guy!! Edit: LE Lawrence is a historical figure i greatly admire. Mostly because of his unwillingness to let other people tell him what is and is not possible. Hes still a controversial figure today, but his exploits during WW1 are just legendary. The scene at the water well is so great. They designed a new lens for that long mirage shot in the desert and that lens has never been used since. The scale of this film is possibly the largest of any film ever made. Everything is real, from the train derailments, the raids, and the camps. Steven Spielberg commented on this film saying to make it today, it would be the most expensive film ever made by a massive margin. This film cant be remade to its current scale, an absolute masterpiece.

If you Go to Lawrence's cottage and the grave yard, you will find his grave covered in flowers from the Arab states. He was a real man

I first saw this in a grand movie theater with a very large screen; all the visuals were nothing short of spectacular.

The script for this one and Bridge over river Kwai are flawless. Now you must watch another Peter O'toole creation on The Last Emperor, another great movie with flawless script, beautiful cinematography, Oscar winning music and perfect casting.

Each time I see this film I love it even more. The writing, the cinematography, the music, and the acting are all simply outstanding. The performances of Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, and Alec Guinness are unforgettable. The music, too, will stay with you long after you've watched the film.

The opening with the black screen was actually used back in the day to give people time to get to their seats and get settled in. What's also wild is there were times when they could only shoot one shot a day because they had to wait for the tracks in the sand to fill in

After the premiere Noël Coward quipped, "If Peter O'Toole had been any prettier they'd have had to call it Florence of Arabia." There are four films by David Lean that are essential viewing for anyone interested in cinema and cinematography: _Brief Encounter_ (1945). With a screenplay by Noël Coward, based on his one-act play, _Still Life,_ it is widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, and certainly one of the greatest romantic films; _The Bridge on the River Kwai_ (1957), another of Lean's films considered one of the greatest of all time, it won seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Alec Guiness. It is adapted from Pierre Boulle's novel, _The Bridge Over the River Kwai,_ which he based on his experiences in a Japanese forced labor camp during WWII; _Lawrence of Arabia_ 'nuff said; _Doctor Zhivago_ (1965). It is an epic romance film based on Boris Pasternak's 1957 novel. It won five Oscars and five Golden Globes, and in the intervening years has grown in reputation. Like _Lawrence_ it has a gorgeous score by Maurice Jarre.

I was with my wife many years ago in the desert, on a camel each. Every other minute we burst into the Theme from Lawrence of Arabia as we travel from one point to another.

I highly highly recommend the book Lawrence in Arabia for any history buffs out there. Such a great overview of Lawrence and other main characters in this theater leading up to and through WWI

Thomas Edward Lawrence was a real historical person, British soldier who "liaised" with the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottomans (for strategic purposes in WWI). He's the same Lawrence of Arabia mentioned in Uncharted 3, which drew off the "Dreamers of the Day" being dangerous men, acting out their dreams with open eyes to make them possible, theme. Because Lawrence was talking about himself, what he accomplished, but also how it unsettled him, which was probably a main part of why he left and returned to England.

This is one of those films where all the pieces are great on their own, but fit magnificently together!

Peter O'Toole Said that shortly after the film came out Legendary Actor & Writer Noel Coward approached him and told him.."If they'd made you look any prettier they could have called it 'Florence Of Arabia'..😁😁

I’m so glad you reacted to this, it’s truly spell-binding. I had to watch it more than once to understand some of the nuances going on but it’s one of a kind to be sure. Bravo! 👏👏👏

So this film is where the term match cut comes from as the scene where Lawrence says "It's gonna be fun" and he blows out the match and cuts to the desert that wasn't supposed to happen, but it is one of the best accidents to happen. If the man playing the Prince seems familiar that is because it is Alec Guiness who would go on to be Obi-Wan Kenobi. What you experienced at the beginning of the film is known as an Overture it is usually at the beginning of long films and it gave people a chance to sit down in the theater and prepare for the film. While the intermission and Entra'cte Gabe people the chance to get up stretch, go to the bathroom etc, Lawrence was a real man and all of this really occurred.

David lean was a painter, and he framed every shot like a Renaissance painting. It is a masterclass in composing a shot with shadows and light depth of field and color. He also took his time letting scenes unfold within his careful compositions. My favorite shot is at the well where he lingers for a full 3 minutes before Omar Sharif comes into view and shoots Laurence's guide. I saw an interview where Lean said he chickened out, the original cut had him ride all the way in in one long shot, but he ended up cutting away to shorten the time.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I was lucky enough to see it 3 times in 70mm at the Cinerama in Seattle (RIP). Absolutely phenomenal, HUGE canvas but such a personal story about a complicated character.

I saw this in London on a big screen during a classic film screening series. I was amazed to find the cinema packed to the very last seat and a wide range of ages:18-88 and even had a live spoken intro at the front talking about David Leans films. To say that the vastness of the movie was amplified by watching this movie in an actual big screen cinema would be an understatement. The grandeur of the desert… the close up shots… the sound… just glorious.

That blank screen with music is what was called the overture. I was a kid in the sixties when this film was made so I can't say that I know what the purpose of it was. I always assumed it was a way to get the audience introduced to the musical themes in the film and perhaps move the audience into the world of the film. It was not a common device and I think it was mostly done on big, blockbuster films.

20:50 "Who are you?" "My name is for my friends"

This is my favorite film of all time, It was filmed in 70mm Panavision, which makes those super wide shots that much more impressive. It was directed by the great David Lean. This film has the distinction of being the first time an actual desert mirage was successfully filmed, and masterfully so. Remember, it was 1962, so everything had to be created in the real world. In the iconic 'Ali's well' scene, Lean perfectly captured the emergence of Ali (Omar Sharif) from the distant horizon on his camel, preceded by hints of dust over the ocean of the mirage. It was done using a prototype 800mm lens on loan from Panavision. Interesting note: Omar Sharif wasn't initially supposed to be wearing all black, but the black was needed to get the right contrast in the distant shot on the mirage, so he ended up having to wear black throughout the film to keep continuity. For more from David Lean, check out The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) another great one.

Omar Shariff and Peter O'Toole just light up every scene. Both at the very top of their game. One of the last grand movies of the era and you could not have cast this better.

You have now joined the ranks of those who have watched this epic many times and if it is shown at a theater near you, watch in the darkness and feel yourself disappear into it. ( sorry to say the sixtieth year anniversary just passed in 2022. It was great to see it in the theater again)

Thank you for this reaction. The Bridge on the River Kwai is probably my favorite movie, but Lawrence of Arabia and its' vast epic quality has it in my top five of all time. You can hear echos of David Lean in Schindler's List and Dune. If I might suggest a personal favorite of mine, check out Searching for Bobby Fischer. It's a beautiful, gentle story about chess...and fathers and sons.

This was a really interesting reaction. I didn't expect you to handle the pace so well. On point.

It is the single greatest work ever put to film.

glad to see that you appreciate proper film making before CGI and 'superheroes. enjoyed your reaction and comments.

This is the greatest feat of film making in the history of cinema. It's epic but a deep character study. An amazing cast, perfect direction, unmatched cinematography, a great score. And it was filmed on location with a cast of thousands and on actual film. Nothing will ever approach this achievement.

When you said Ali was head over heels for Lawrence, you were actually right on the nose. There is some evidence that the real Lawrence might’ve been gay, and David Lean, the director, said many years later that they intended to imply that Lawrence was gay in their interpretation, which Peter O’Toole purposely incorporated into his performance. Lean also said they meant to imply that Lawrence and Ali became lovers offscreen during the journey, but they had to keep it to subtext since it was the 60s. With that in mind, Ali’s tearful last scene where Auda figures out “you love him” really hits differently, as does the moment where Lawrence stands up in the car at the very end to watch the Bedouins go by, trying to get one last glimpse of the man he still loves.

Such an excellent reaction. Appreciate ur thoughtful commentary as usual. ty

Got to see this in a theater during it's 25th anniversary re-release. Absolutely stunning.

I had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen a few years ago, after having watched it many times at home. It was a whole new experience. It’s so magnificently shot, and the score is perfection. I hope you explore more of David Lean’s work!

James, The more I watch your video reactions (I’ve seen maybe a dozen?), the more I appreciate your considerate, intelligent observations and general “take” on some of my favorite movies. I can see you are a thoughtful, smart guy who loves this cinema thing. To get your take on such movies as Hitchcock’s, or any of the other great directors is a fine way to spend an afternoon or evening. Thank you for your channel, I’m glad I found it.

Very perceptive comments! T.E. Lawrence was a very real person. He was conflicted, as he loved Arabia and its people but was also a British Officer, and loyal to both. He had a keen intellect and spoke Arabic fluently. He was a true poet/warrior and he wrote a book about his experiences during this time "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" with an evocative poem that begins, "I loved you so I drew these tides of men into my hands and wrote my will across the sky in stars..." I won't go into detail, but the parts of the movie that appear like pure Hollywood script writing actually happened. I think at the end of the movie, Lawrence was let down by both of his loves, the people of Arabia went right back to fighting among themselves, and the British right back to fulfilling their love of desolate places. When I was younger, I always thought the part at the end when they are negotiating in Damascus was less dramatic than the rest of the movie, but I have come to see it as even more; there is a great soundless thud when Lawrence realizes neither side understands the victory for what it should have meant, although each of them, every one, knew what Lawrence thought it should mean. No one shared his aspirations for them, and that broke him. P.S. he was more than beaten in Denbo.

About the detonators. Dynamite is actually paper that's been soaked in nitro-glycerin, dried up, and rolled together. That's why wet, old dynamite is so dangerous. So you can set it on fire, and nothing will happen, because it's not using gunpowder. The detonators were mercury fulminate blasting caps, triggered by electrical energy, or a sudden shock.

Whether I agree or not I can much more see LoA earning the title of GOAT more than Citizen Kane or Vertigo. This film just *feels* like an appropriate best of all time even if it isn't your own favorite. I saw it for the first time on a rerelease and sitting in the dark theater with the overture blaring was a sensory *experience* I'll say that right now. Maybe the best theater trip I've ever had. I was shaking exiting the place that day.

The motorcyclist shouting "Who are you ?" Is a little know actor by the name of David Lean.

One of my all time favorite films. David Lean is in my personal Top 5 Favorite Directors. I was fortunate to see this at the Ziegfeld Theater in NYC back in 2002 on the film's digitally remastered 50th anniversary. It was quite a night.

One of my all time favorite films. Was excited to hear your thoughts on this one because there are just so many shots in this film to talk about and the character journey of Lawrence as well! It was interesting to hear your thoughts on the duality of his character as well. The behind the scenes of this film alone is also incredible to watch.

This is the gold standard in cinematography. It's such an impeccably gorgeous movie that only a few of the very best modern movies come close to visually.

Thank you for reacting to this film. It is a film with depth, great acting, great photography and a significant story.

I saw this at the cinema when it came out and you can imagine how BIG those sweeping desert scenes were on the big screen for a 10 year old. Bad films feel longer than they actually are and good films the opposite, and I have never felt that films like this , or Seven Samurai for example, are too long. If anything the time flies by. I read two volumes of Lawrences' letters, probably thirty five years ago now, and as far as knowing him is concerned, he still remains an enigma. My feeling and perhaps false memory is that he seemed rather cold and disconnected apart from one letter where he was writing to the widow of a comrade who was killed. For once he was not repressed nor 'buttoned-up'. It seems to me that he might have been a man you might know for thirty years yet never feel you could call him a friend. Nice reaction.

Very enjoyable mate, loved it

James! First time watching one of your reactions. And I'm so glad it was Lawrence of Arabia. This is a Ferrari among films ... NIIIIIICE to see a reactor who appreciates how it works, from the epic wide shots w/hundreds of extras to the lighting on Peter O'Toole's face. Love your filmmaker's perspective. Really cool for me to watch how YOU watch a film. You said at the beginning that LoA is a "patient" film. So very true. It reflects a lot of Lawrence's own approach in the beginning -- how he observes, learns, deliberates. We don't see a lot of patient filmmaking these days, at least not with big studio films of this type. Seems to be a lost art in the chase for loud/fast/spectacular. The movie used Lawrence's own memoir, "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," for much of the story. I bought a copy back in college from a used bookstore after I saw this movie in one of those arthouse theaters. Lawrence was a heckuva writer. GREAT JOB on the reaction. I will be watching more of your videos. Intelligent, observant, focusing on the filmmaking and storytelling -- way to go, sir.

The score is amazing! The grandiosity especially in the beginning of finding Prince Faisal in the desert is a character in itself, expertly communicating to us the wonder, danger, uncertainty of the desert and Lawrence himself experience occur during the film.

I greatly appreciate that your approach. It’s uncommon today to find reaction videos by thoughtful, intelligent and articulate individuals. Well done.

The book The Seven Pillars of Wisdom written by TE Lawrence

31:06 The shot of Lawrence is shot the same way as Morticia Addams, with the light just across the eyes. This film, and especially its cinematography echoes down the decades!

Jose Ferer is the Turkish Colonel. A great actor of the period that played Cyrano!!! Absolutely watch Cyrano de Bergerac (the original from 1950) one of the greatest plays/scripts of all time.

The incredible musical score is by Maurice Jarre, who won many awards for his film scores. He also wrote the music for "Doctor Zhivago". His son Jean Michel Jarre is a ground-breaking electronic composer. His early-70s album. "Oxygene", was the first all-electronic, complete album original symphony. Almost 50 years later and it still gets played on the radio or in movies, and is still instantly recognizable.

As close to a perfect film as I've ever seen - stunning.

This movie is literally the reason I exist, 1962 My grandfather took my grandmother to see this movie for their first date.

I love this movie so much. I'm glad you got around to giving us your point of view.

David Lean was an incredible filmmaker. Lawrence is virtually a textbook of filmmaking His early films are excellent and his later epics are stunning. You should watch In Which We Serve, Brief Encounter, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago and Ryan's Daughter. Overtures, Intermissions, Entr'actes and Exit music were often used to help create an experience from seeing a film, similar to attending the theatre.

'Lawrence' isn't a movie - it's an experience. Even if you manage to ignore the art & the performances, imagine the work that went into the technical aspects of making the movie. How hard must it have been to transport huge cameras through the desert, keep them maintained in an environment that would be doing all it can to kill the gears and electronics. David Lean was a legend.

As someone pretty big into films, seeing this in 70mm is what I consider my cinematic 'awakening'. To this day I've only seen it once however, I somehow can't imagine a repeat viewing living up to the initial experience - I don't feel that way about other great films, I watch 2001 or the Godfather again and again and know they'll be great. The character of T.E Lawrence is based on...T.E Lawrence. Aka Lawrence of Arabia, before there even was a film. The treaty signed by the British and French in WWi to carve up the Arab territories after the war is real, it's called the Sykes-Picot agreement and you can trace a lot of how the Middle East is today back to it. Though unlike the film version, the real Lawrence knew about it all the time he was living and fighting with the Arabs. The real Lawrence was gay and there is a homoerotic subtext that culminates in the scene where he's flogged/tortured after being captured by the Ottoman soldiers. If you're impressed by the scale and the number of extras, a contemporary film Cleopatra surpasses even Lawrence in that regard, though not as a film overall - lacking a larger-than-life Lawrence to exist in that vast space, even the way they're shot is inferior to this film in that thye're mostly static compositions just very crowded, but it's a great film if you enjoy sets and costumes. It's a natural companion piece in a way, if Lawrence of Arabia is the apotheosis of the 'serious' Hollywood epic (despite being a British film), Cleopatra is the same for the more campy and colorful kind

Absolutely love this movie even if it’s just for it’s sheer scope but there is so much happening and so much being implied that it’s a movie you can watch again and again and still catch something you’ve missed. One of my favourites is that last scene as he is driven along the desert road and the vehicle is overtaken by a motorcyclist and as Lawrence watches it drive into the distance,we know that it’s foreshadowing his death… absolutely stunning shot and composition and an epic ending to an epic movie