@@MoviesWithMia How would you like a Peter O'Toole/Audrey Hepburn rom-com teamup? "How To Steal A Million" (1966). The pretty is overpowering. Witty too.
@@MoviesWithMia Indeed, the film makers had the joke: when Lawrence is prancing around in his Arab Robes, Lean and O'Toole referred to it as the 'Florence of Arabia' scene.
Finally someone is watching this masterpiece! It's obvious to say, but they don't make them like this anymore. The sheer scale of the movie is beyond us thanks to CGI. I'm glad we're still able to experience these old epic movies.
That scene of Sherif Ali riding towards Lawrence and his guide was apparently the first time a mirage was caught on film. Panavision had to develop a special 450mm lens for that one shot alone, and that lens hasn't been used since.
Mia, I love the fact that you enjoy watching older, classic films as opposed to the latest blockbusters. There’s a great big wonderful world of film out there!
@@MoviesWithMia I am enjoying your reactions - you are one of the only 'reacters' (is that what they are called?) whether for film or music that takes the time to do a little research and contextualize the film, particularly in terms of when it was made and how audiences would have reacted back then. By the way, about Lawrence's execution of Kassim - You called it murder. Murder is defined as an illegal killing. Regardless of whether you agree with the reasons or not, as you noted it was called for by their law, therefore it's an execution, not murder. Lawrence did it because if he did not the tenuous alliance of Arabs would have collapsed.
I spent a day and a night in Wadi Rum about 15 years ago. It's a well-known tourist thing you can do - Bedouins take you out in jeeps and you ride around and they show you where scenes in the movie was filmed, then you spend the night in a tent and they cook for you. It's in what is now Jordan - we crossed over from Eilat, Israel, which is right next to Aqaba on the Red Sea, but there are many ways to get there.
Very beginning of film showing Lawrence in the room: Mia goes gaga over the cinematography. Me: Can’t wait till she sees the desert! No CGI, can you imagine? Those sweeping scenes with men on horseback.
Hahaha! Yes those scenes were STUNNING and David Lean was SOOOOO smart to shoot this in widescreen!! Absolutely breathtaking! It is amazing what occurs in nature 😊
You have to take a moment to absorb the irony that something as mundane as a motorbike accident ultimately took down Lawrence and none of this or what you'll be seeing in the second half did. I don't think anybody could say whether he did it intentionally after all he's been through, but I could believe it. But so far, marvelous reaction. The scope of the film is just breathtaking, and I actually did see it on the big screen my first time with it so I can assure you, it'll be worth the wait whenever you get the chance. I think it may be the best theater experience I've ever had.
@@MoviesWithMia Just hearing the overture and being immersed in blackness so that it was all I could focus on did so much in transporting me into the world of the film before it even began. Truly indescribable really. I wanted to note before I forget that I'm pretty torn on Peck's win over O'Toole's. I think on the whole the stronger performance is given here (Like I'm not even sure Peck's is the best in his own film taking Duvall into account, but you'll judge that for yourself whenever you get around to it), but the famous courtroom speech in TKAM makes it seem a little more fair. But like I said, you can decide whenever you watch it.
Yes he was a speed freak. No it was truthfully an accident. He dodged kids on the road and wiped out. By this time he was retired from the military and doing his writing.
@@MoviesWithMia I was lucky to see it at a Cineroma theatre (Cinerama is a widescreen process that originally projected images simultaneously from three synchronized 35mmprojectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen, subtending 146° of arc) so the desert literally surrounds you
All that space in the desert scenes is even more impressive when you see the movie on the big screen. If you ever have the chance to see Lawrence of Arabia in a theater, do it! You've now see two of the best character introductions in film. First it was Harry Lime in The Third Man, and now it's Sherif Ali in Lawrence of Arabia. That scene where Sherif first appears as a speck in the distance is gripping. I don't know of another like it. Anthony Quinn, who played Auda Abu Tayi, was often used to portray ethnic characters. His background was Irish and Mexican, but over the years he played Arab, Greek, Native American, Chinese, Hawaiian, and Eskimo characters. Lawrence of Arabia takes a similar approach to editing that it does with cinematography. There's lots of space; nothing is crammed together. The movie is long, but the time is important. In the sequence where Lawrence goes back to rescue Gasim, all that time makes you feel that he's been through an ordeal. It's so much more effective than it would have been if they'd shortened the sequence to show only the "essential" parts. If you want to see Peter O'Toole in another role, I'd suggest watching The Lion in Winter. It's a great film with Katharine Hepburn, Timothy Dalton, and Anthony Hopkins (in his third movie role). The dialogue is some of the best ever written. The movie was nominated for seven Oscars and won three (lead actress, adapted screenplay, and score).
The pacing is necessary for audiences to grasp the messages and symbolism that's present in abundance in the film. The one sequence that should have been shorter was Lawrence's walkthrough of the Cairo headquarters a little before the intermission. On the other hand, the later scene where the Jack Hawkins character convinced Lawrence to return to leading the Arab revolt, after the beating incident in Deraa, should have included the scripted dialog that was cut which makes Lawrence's change of mind much more understandable and well motivated.
You’ve obviously seen the second half by now, but it’s interesting how you and many people find Lawrence to be quite lovable at first. Good prediction on the shift in character! You noted how Lawrence going back shows that he was caring, but it could also signify that he wants to defy fate, to prove himself to others, and even play god. (Since we see later he volunteers to commit murder. It’s practical, but he’s also delivering life in one case and death in the other.) Even at the beginning he is unconventional (not a bad thing, of course) and enjoys the party trick of burning himself but showing no response. He clearly wants something more. About to watch the reaction to the second half!
It's hard to believe that Peter O'Toole didn't win the Oscar for Best Actor that year...until you realize it went to Gregory Peck for "To Kill A Mockingbird". (Wow, talk about two all-time great performances!)
Very insightful reaction. I think the film's enduring message is that Lawrence defied the conventional wisdom of two cultures and was ultimately punished by both because of it. This is encapsulated at 28:31 when he has to kill Gasim, the man he once saved. There are aftershocks of this seismic event all the way through the film. He's too western to be truly Arab and happy with it and later he's too Arab to be accepted back by the British, i.e. to be accepted for what he actually is now and not what they want him to be. Oh and the Nefud desert gets up to about 129 degrees Fahrenheit, or 54 degrees Celsius. When I go back to this film now, I only have to think about the start and the end and I start to tear up. It's amazing.
Mia, you do this so well. You have very quickly become one of my 3 favorite movie reactors (of about 20 I subscribe to). I always look forward to watching your videos as soon as they're posted, except for those rare occasions when it's a film I haven't seen yet, then I have to watch the movie before I can watch your reaction to it. So thanks for prompting me to watch some more great movies. I finally saw this masterpiece on the big screen in the '70s at a local art house theater. Wow!
Wow! Thank you for saying that, Jimmy 😊!I appreciate you! Also, I ENVY you! Watching this on the big screen must have been an experience! Wow! So cool! Thank you for watching the videos 😊
@@MoviesWithMia I second that motion, although you're the only movie reviewer that I subscribe to. I'd rather spend my time actually watching movies for the most part, but there really is something special about the way you do your reviews. I feel like I'm right there watching with you.
This movie was stunning on the big screen. Peter O'Toole's eyes were so beautiful. Another David Lean movie that should not be missed is Dr Zhivago. You'll never forget the love story. Keep an eye on Fathom Events. They show the good stuff in theaters occasionally.
The score to me is welcoming, but is also foreboding and has a mysteriousness to it like you are stumbling upon an undiscovered ancient history in the desert.
Anne Coates was the film editor. The big insult to her skill was a version of Lawrence that put back scenes she had cut. The scene when Lawence brings up Acaba she went direct to their journey..The scene in between was put back in and the impact was less when the journey started.
Dear Mia: I'm so glad you saw this wonderful film. Only David lean could have created such a masterpiece. I saw it as a young boy when it first came out. It changed my life or at least my perception of what great filmmaking should be. A few years ago I gave my DVD of it to a young woman living here in Boston from Martinique. She was very interested in film and acting. She was quite young and had never heard of Lawrence or David Lean or Peter O'Toole for that matter. As you know this film is quite long. When she gave the disc back to me a week later I asked her what she thought of it. She said when the film ended she reloaded the DVD and watched it again. Best movie review ever!
Got the chance to see this one in a theater a few years back; damn, was it worth it. David Lean went through some very distinct periods in his career: first the smaller-scale collaborations with Noel Coward, then the Dickens adaptations, then a mishmash of period & contemporary stuff, then finally the big epics. He handled all of those types of movies really well, but I'd put this one as his best. Steven Spielberg has also called this his all-time favorite movie. If I may recommend another director who was a contemporary of Lean's, Michael Powell doesn't get nearly enough recognition today but his movies can feel quite modern, with stuff like Peeping Tom, Colonel Blimp, The Red Shoes & Black Narcissus all being worth a watch.
I love the way you approach reactions. Research adds so much to your understanding of any art. I’ve sent your vids to my brother because he’s also in the reaction video rabbit hole, and he’s looking for more black women reactors. This is a story about T.E.L.’s relationship with control. Like he starts off as a person who believes in the supremacy of his own will power and that belief goes through some things 🤣😫🤣 Edited to add: that connect to The Last Samurai isn’t one that I made, but is so spot on. Also your appreciation of the craft is rare to see in reaction videos. It’s almost on the level as long format essayists.
Hi! I am glad I found our comment 😊 thank you for watching! I am glad you enjoyed the video 😊 thank you for sharing! Yes! This movie reminded me so much of The Last Samurai, which was one of my favorite films!!
A note regarding the hospitality scene, the Bedouin culture requires them to shelter any travelers they meet who ask for it. This was because the desert was so unforgiving to refuse food, water or shelter to someone would be a death sentence. I'm not sure if the culture has changed in recent times but I know this was the case at least in the 1970s since I read about it after encountering this in another film and book series (the Black Stallion movies and books if you are interested that have some phenomenal cinematography and I think you would enjoy).
The film's Middle Eastern advisor was critical of the scene with Ali killing Lawrence's guide at the well for this reason, well that and it didn't actually happen (the scene in Seven Pillars is more of a humorous encounter where Ali was traveling in disguise as another man's servant). Lean thought it made for a great scene and decided that took precedence over realism.
The co-author of the screenplay was Robert Bolt. Robert Bolt also wrote the screenplay of absolutely must-see "A Man for All Seasons" (1966 -- 6 Oscars).
Again, A man for all Seasons was one of the greatest films ever made. It's a shame they don't make films like this anymore. It's all comic book francises and silly Romcom's. This film wouldn't be made today as it was. First of all the finances wouldn't be available and if it was it would be all cgi. Back in the 60/70's producers and studios were willing to take a chance.
"Lawrence of Arabia" is an incredible movie. Definitely see "To Kill a Mockingbird" though -- for me, it's hard to say whether Peter O'Toole or Gregory Peck deserved the Oscar more. I think O'Toole changed more drastically for the role and plumbed more internal depths, but Peck gave us a powerful icon we can be inspired and encouraged by.
5:51 Somebody once told me "Someone who mispronounces an uncommon word probably doesn't know how it's pronounced because they read it in a book instead of hearing it on TV or in a movie, so don't look down on them." An old movie I'd like to recommend is 1935's "The Scarlet Pimpernel" starring Leslie Howard. When I first watched it, I was expecting lots of exciting swordplay lie an Errol Flynn or Douglas Fairbanks movie, but there was none of that. Although there was no sword fighting, I was delighted by the verbal fencing between Leslie Howard as Sir Percy and Raymond Massey as Chauvelin. The dialogue was sharp and witty, and the acting was brilliant. I also admired the use theater-like trickery to overcome the effects limitations like creating the impression that two characters are having a conversation while overlooking a grand ball without having to actually build a grand ballroom. I think you'd enjoy it.
Yes, it's a great movie. Yet it managed to avoid the main impetus of the original novel upon which it was based. In the novel, the identity of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is well hidden! Everyone in the story wonders who he is. The reader discovers his alter ego at the exact moment that Lady Blakeney (Merle Oberon) finds the clue in the portrait.
Love seeing someone else fangirl over this like I do. Btw, if you haven't caught a showing yet, the 4K restoration is back in theaters nationwide next weekend, August 11 & 12, 2024.
The epic of all epics Lawrence of Arabia cements director David lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope brilliant performances and beautiful cinematography LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962 94/100 certified approved ☑️ You're the most extraordinary man I've ever met.
I watch reactions. Most of them are amateur hour. You my friend are a natural-born movie critic. You are so full of peripheral knowledge that it's all you can do to let the movie play, but you do a great job. Your energy dominates your videos, and that took me a minute to adjust. But in the end, what you deliver, is exactly what I want from someone I watch movies with.
When I was 16, a theater near me showed it in 70MM for a week. I watched it 4 times in 7 days, and the experience firmly established me as a lifelong film nerd. I'd strongly recommend seeing it on the big screen, as many times and as often as you can. I hope you can make it! Love watching you experience these in your own private film school :)
lol I did the same when I was 18 and it was re-released. I saw it 6 times in 10 days. Then I went out and read everything on Lawrence I could get my hands on including everything he wrote.
There's a shift in his character as he's been introduced into violence and how he struggles to deal with it. Dont forget he was a humble map drawer with no army training of any kind.
On the big screen this film is staggeringly beautiful. Omar Sharif's entrance is till widely considered the greatest entrance in cinema. if you would like to see a very wild Peter O'Toole film, The Stuntman, is equal parts funny and disturbing, and the plot is so off-beat ... highly recommended.
Epic film about a legend. You missed out the match scene it's a classic. "The trick William Potter is not minding that it hurts" A classic piece of screenplay and cinematography is when O'Toole later holds a match up and the scene fades to the Sun rise in the desert. The match becomes the Sun. Film making at its best.
The actor, Anthony Quinn, didn't need dark or tinted makeup. Like many other Mexican or Mexican descent actors, he already had a dark enough complexion for a Middle Eastern role. His Arab nose was fake, but sometimes, something about a character's appearance has to stand out, so that the audience can quickly differintiate them as significant. ...It's not always rooted in bigotry, prejudice, or stereotyping.
Wow, your reaction is riveting. I'm deeply pleased to have come across your excellent channel. Can't wait for your next video! Just wanted to mention one cinematic aspect in this masterpiece, that I particularly enjoy, which is direct cutting. Editor Anne V. Coates mentioned being influenced by some of the films coming from the "Nouvelle Vague" (the French New Wave cinema movement) in the late 50s and early 60s. Direct cuts and jump cuts were an aspect of some of those films. Typically back then, studio pictures used an optical dissolve to indicate the passage of time, and/or reorientation of place from one scene to another scene much later or much further away. When editing a rough cut, an editor would literally make a note in grease pencil on the film itself that a "dissolve is need for this cut," but then perform a direct cut, as that is all one can do when initially editing a film manually. When the rough cut is projected for review, the director and editor will see it as a direct cut, but also glimpse the note that reads "dissolve," and know that eventually the transition will be a dissolve, once the cut is locked, and can be sent to an optical printer to create those transitions. However, when this film transitions from Lawrence's death to his funeral and particularly when it transitions from Lawrence receiving his assignment in London to the sunrise in Arabia, the direct cuts where so dramatic, it seemed almost as though the film was jolting the viewer with the imagery. Coates suggested to Lean that they forego the dissolves and keep the direct cuts, also mentioning that some of the young upstart filmmakers in France were doing this more "modern" style of editing, and that it was creating a more intense immediacy to their films. Lean agreed and so you have this, at the time, odd technique employed in "Lawrence of Arabia," to a bold and startling effect.
Good thoughtful review Mia. I can relate to your urge to rush to see this in a cinema, because I did exactly that when this movie was restored in all it's glory! I was lucky enough to see it in a cinema with a giant cinemascope screen in it's original 70mm format. It was incredibly beautiful.
If you are ever looking for a heartwarming, revolutionary war film, Drums Along The Mohawk with Henry Fonda and Claudine Cobert is wonderful. The chemistry between them is so sweet.
When I saw Claude Rains as Mr. Dryden. I knew that this was going to be something special. The filmmakers could have said "anybody can play this part," but instead opted for a superb character actor, thus forcing us to pay careful attention to him...and, by extension, to the entire picture. I've only seen it in theatres, and it is indeed an experience. May you one day have the chance to realize that for yourself! (Even if you have to go to Tunbridge Wells.)
Loveable is not a word I would use to describe Lawrence. He was a hard man (he had to be to survive), cerebral to certain extent, but open to new ideas etc. Earnest.
This has been one of my favorite films since I saw it as a kid. You made me appreciate things about it I'd never noticed before! Your reactions and reflections are so incredibly thoughtful and insightful... definitely want to watch more of your videos now!
I saw it when it was re-released in I think 1971. I saw it 6 times in 2 weeks. I then read everything I could find on Lawrence including "Seven Pillars of Wisdom."
Lawrence of.....is MY favourite film of all times. I have seen it 33 1/2 times. Twice in the same "function" And I have some biographies of TEL, and also read "Seven Pillars'... The landscapes are really beautifull and the acting of Peter O Toole ...... No comments..... I really LOVE this film.!! But is to bee seen in a Theatre/Movie to aprecciate the Magnificence of this Masterpiece of all times. Thanks for showing this video. 👍👍👍
I can't imagine Brando mumbling his way through this role! And with entirely the wrong accent, to boot. Ages ago I got The Seven Pillars of Wisdom from the library. It must have been an original printing: I noticed a gap of a few lines halfway down a page; later on, there was a few more gaps, then a paragraph-sized gap, and later on again, almost a whole-page gap, This happened al the way through the book, and it wasn't a short one. I can only assume that bits had to be removed, for legal reasons, and, rather than reset the whole book to take out the gaps [pre-electronic times when print was set by hand], they just printed it gaps included. Or maybe Lawrence wanted everyone to know that it had been censored.
Hidden gem of the 40s, The Devil and Miss Jones, with Jean Arthur and Charles Coburn, two actors with tremendous chemistry, Arthur playing the perky young woman vs. Coburn the wealthy old curmudgeon.
You have as rapidly come to appreciate as I did what a masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia is in the grand history of cinema. It is far and away my favorite film of all-time, surpassing Casablanca (1942) and The French Connection (1971), two other best picture winners. When the great English literature classic, “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” was first published in 1926, it was met with some mixed reviews. Mainly, some critics believed that the author was being entirely overly braggadocious about his exploits in the war. After his records were declassified, it was evident he was telling the full truth. Meanwhile, Lawrence is a contravertial figure in the Arab world. After Thomas Edward’s premature death in 1935, the rights to his book and papers fell to his brother Arnold Walter Lawrence. Many different projects and screenplays were presented to him over decades to tell the T.E. Lawrence story, but it wasn’t until this version that met with his approval. However, there are some historical errors in the film. I’ll let you find out what they are on your own afteward as that would be sort of giving you spoilers of spoilers. It never-the-less takes little away from the sweeping epicness of the film’s brilliant narrative and construction, not to mention the sweeping Maurice Jarre score. The movie was shot in 70mm Panavision. An early challenge for the photographer was that the extreme desert temperatures turned the film white. They had to ice down the cameras while shooting to prevent this from occuring. The mirage scene with Sherif Ali approaching out from the dust storm toward the well is still considered a master stroke of photographic ingenuity. The dust storm was created by Rolls Royces being driven around in circles. Perhaps my favorite minor character in the film is Mr. Perkins who makes a boots down appearance in the film as General Allenby’s aide. I always get a chuckle when he appears. I did see Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen about a decade ago. It was a magnificent treat! I do encourage you to do the same if you get the opportunity!!! Peter O’Toole would receive seven Best Actor Academy Award nominations, including for his work in Lawrence of Arabia, never once winning the prize. The Academy granted him an honorary Oscar in 2003. He received an eighth nomination in 2007, but lost again. For the record, I am also a big Claude Rains fan!
Your passion for older films is very refreshing in a young woman. I think it shows depth to your character which is sadly missing in modern society . When i first watched tv these old classics were wall to wall and i would also visit the cinema three times a week which was when i saw Lawrence of Arabia.
Some of the most important information is from Claude Rains' character as the "equivocating" DIPLOMAT. It's about Birish colonialism, and the ultimate issue is OIL.
@6:33 Say Mia, if you haven't seen it, you would like Claude Rains in a movie where you don't see him at all! Of course there's no mistaking is incredible, unique voice. His big breakout role in "The Invisible Man" (1933). A good horror classic to add to your list! ✌️😎
Oh I have the Invisible Man on the list for our Halloween month, which I am still deciding on because I want to watch horror films, but I also want to watch sci-fi, too 😊
@@MoviesWithMia It's going to fun to see which ones you do! BTW, excellent review on Lawrence of Arabia. Looking back on it, I can't image Marlin Brando or Albert Finney doing it. And O'Toole resembles Lawrence much more to me. Looking forward to part 2. ✌️😎
Thank you Grouchy! Yes I couldn’t imagine any other actor other than O’Toole! He was so spectacular!!! And Part 2 will be up either tomorrow or Monday. I got my second shot of the COVID vaccine and I am recovering from its side effects 😅
Such an EPIC! But besides the landscapes for me the most impressive scene is with Peter O’Toole "naked." You see only his bare shoulders, but there's such a high tension in the scene. As a child I didn't understand it, but it's unforgettable.
Thank you for reacting to one of my favorite movies. I am afraid it is not so widely appreciated now, especially since it is usually viewed on a TV screen. This motion picture is the absolute definition of epic and no one handles epics better than David Lean. When you can, you must check out Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago, two other epics by Lean. And if you are still in the epic mood, you might check out The Sand Pebbles. directed by Robert Wise and staring Steve McQueen in his best role.
_"Who wrote this screenplay?"_ That would be playwright *Robert Bolt,* one of the best screenwriters in film history. He makes a brief cameo in one of the Cairo station scenes. More top Bolt: 1986's majestic _The Mission._ Worth checking out.
This is one of those films where the scenery in the movie is as much as a star as one of the actors . I was 12 years old when this film came out and my father took me to the theatre with him to see it . I didn’t quite grasp what was going on at that age but I knew one thing . I knew I had just seen one of the best if not the very best movie ever , something deep and serious that I wasn’t quite used to .
Mia has the best desert instinct of anybody who doesn’t know the desert. You don’t just wander into the desert without knowing what you’re doing unless you have a death wish. I know many marathon runners and campers that go to Death Valley and turn up dead within the week.
Great video from Mia about the movie Lawrence of Arabia 1962. Masterpiece of the great director David Lean. It's a seven - time Oscar-winning war drama with an impressive cast of great movie stars and an unforgettable score by Maurice Jarre. I was lucky enough to see this film many years ago in a replenishment in a large cinema in Barcelona with a huge screen for cinerama, the truth is that I really enjoyed it, it is an ideal film to see in the cinema, it is a pity that these great ones are not replenished movies in theaters. All the great actors that appear in the film have great performances but I would especially highlight the great performance of the great actor Peter O'Toole from this film he began his great success in the cinema for me he is one of the best British actors of all time with a great filmography with great films such as Becket 1964, The Night of the Generals 1967, Man of La Mancha 1972, among many others. The truth is that these great films are no longer made in the cinema, they would be too expensive with so many extras, now it would be all virtual and it is not the same.
All I know of most classic war films, and classic films in general, is from growing up watching them with my dad. Seeing a reaction to Lawrence of Arabia with such enthusiasm for the history of both the era-production and a subject matter is so heartwarming and engaging. AND THAT SCORE! Wide-sweeping, orchestral themes that BEG the imagination to wonder off into the desert. Thank you for this video
@@MoviesWithMia Zhivago is my favorite of Lean’s films though the cinematography in Lawrence is jaw dropping. Zhivago sort of marries the epic sweep of Lawrence with the romance of Brief Encounter if that sounds enticing.
@@etherealtb6021 That's fair. I saw Zhivago as a young person and was swept away by its epic scope. I had never really seen a film like it before. Everyone has a different in to what they respond to in film. I think Bridge on the River Kwai is my least favorite of Lean's films, but it still has an amazing ending!
This is one of the greatest films ever made. Unlike many fins if the early 60s, it is a more realistic depiction of Arabs as themselves. Just to correct you a bit on your comments about the makeup. Omar Sharif was Egyptian, Anthony Quinn was Mexican. His skin tone in this film is fairly close to his natural complexion. You can see in Peter O'Toole's portrayal what the strain and violence of this war is doing to the sensitive intellectual of T.E. Lawrence. It gets even worse in the second half of the movie.
about? 15 years ago i watched this at an art theatre it was digitally remastered. i had seen it on tv but it was an experience to see it on the big screen and hear it through the sound system. beautiful.
Ahh! Yes, it was right at the tail end! And I think it is so fascinating that we are actually seeing the shift from the strict Hays-code to the more modern, artistic way of filmmaking! I think the 60s are the coolest decade for cinema!!
With regard to your comments about Anthony Quinn's makeup. When Quinn emerged from his trailer in full makeup for the first time on location there were several Arabs who are working on the film who knew the real Auda Abu-Tayeh. By all accounts they were terrified because they thought that he had come back from the dead.
The "Seven Pillars of Wisdom " is an astonishing piece of literature. It is so well written that that fact shapes your perception of the man and his accomplishments. Like U.S. Grant's autobiography or Churchill's "History of the Second World War," the quality of the composition is evidence of a towering intellect and reflects back on the content.
TE Lawrence was a speed freak and owned several Brough Superior motorcycles, the extreme superbikes at the time. After the war he also raced speedboats under the name TE Shaw.
Maurice Jarre composed the score and won the Oscar. It is fantastic,,, and beat out Elmer Bernstein's great score for To Kill a Mockingbird. Took my son to see this in a theater, with a live orchestra, He loved it.
While on holiday in England 40 years ago I was walking down a country road when I spotted a small plaque by the roadside marking to spot where Lawrence had died in his motorcycle accident.
Lawrence of Arabia was originally released in Cinerama.The viewer really felt they were out in the desert. I saw it with my Grandmother when I was about 13. I was hooked from beginning to end. One of the greatest films ever done, and David Lean's Materpiece (among many great films he did. Incidentally, all of "Aquaba" was a set, not a real Arabian town !
Okay, First, I adore you!! I am so impressed that you actually took some time and researched where the movie came from and the fact that you know and LOVE Claude Rains! This is one of my favorite all time movies. It is a cinematic masterpiece and I love that you love it :) Most of the movies you are reviewing are ones that I love and have seen, but I so enjoy people watching them for the first time and seeing their reactions. I will definitely check out the rest of your videos. I have subscribed and Wish you all the best. May I suggest to you Hitchcock's "Lifeboat", "The Philadelphia Story" as well as IMHO the best movie about Hollywood EVER done "Sunset Blvd." Thank you for your genuine reactions!!
Mia - you continue (and certainly should) mentioning the magnificent soundtrack for this film. The music soundtrack was scored by Maurice Jarre, a French composer. He won the Academy Award for the Lawrence of Arabia score, beating out the score for Mutiny on the Bounty (which is also an epic film score), another great film that I suggest you review. Jarre also won two other "golden boys" for "Doctor Zhivago" and "Passage to India", both with director David Lean. He continued to compose soundtracks till the early 2000’s, including those for “Witness,” “Gorillas in the Mist,” “The Year of Living Dangerously,” and “Ghost.” Jarre’s son, Jan-Michael, is considered as "a" founder of electronic music and trailblazer for techno and electro) always wanted his dad’ approval, which the senior Jarre denied him till he passed. Lack of success was not the reason: J.M. Jarre sold millions of albums and holds the Guinness world record for a live concert with 1 million viewers.
