Regarding the possibility that his death was deliberate--Lawrence actually swerved to avoid two boys on bicycles that were in the road. There was a dip in the road and he couldn't see them until it was too late unless he swerved to avoid them. He was pitched over the handlebars and died 6 days after the accident from the head injury. It's unknown if he was speeding.

Look back at the scene where the British officer slaps Lawrence - did you notice it's the same man who reacts so indignantly to the reporter at Lawrence's funeral? ("He was a very great man!" "No sir, I can't claim to have known him")

This film is such a powerful tragedy. An idealistic young man being torn apart between grandiosity and self-loathing, until the last shot is of him is behind a dirty glass, almost a nonentity. Add to that the fact that he (twice!) begged his superiors in the army to get him out of it but each time they reeled him back in. Ali and Brighton are the only two characters who see what happens to him and grieve for it.

Everyone likes the first half of "Lawrence" better. It's hard to watch a protagonist in decline. But my favorite line in the whole film is Faisal's comment about who can be best relied on for mercy. I'm thinking you might enjoy comparing this to another beautifully put together film about a famously eccentric military figure. "Patton" (1970) starring George C. Scott. (7 Oscars, for Best Picture, Actor, Director, Editing, Screenplay, Art Direction, & Sound - also nominated for Cinematography, Effects, & Score).

The movie opens with a motorcycle, and ends with a motorcycle, but there was the one in the middle, when they are at the Suez Canal, and the rider asks him "Who are you?", which is one of the questions that plague Lawrence throughout the film. BTW, the gun that Lawrence gave his guide was the same one that he later used to kill Ghassim.

I've a cute story about this film. A friend of mine had an 8 year old daughter who used to come over and watch movies with me. We were watching Lawrence of Arabia and in the scene when Lawrence tells Auda abu Tayi that he's crossing the Sinai, Auda calls out to him: "Moses was a great prophet and beloved of God!" And little Kate turns to me and says, with a very serious face: "I'm beloved of God too". That was so funny! Of course, I had to confirm it with her too! :-)

The reporter character is mostly based on real life broadcaster/reporter Lowell Thomas . He is often credited with helping to create the world wide buzz about T.E. Lawrence. Thomas was as famous a broadcaster/personality as Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow.

I love your analogy of the more heroic he becomes, the more parts of him are being pulled away. I’ve never heard it put that way, but it’s so adept a description of how he devolved. The Vietnam anti-war movement of the 1960s was driven as much by anything as by the field war correspondents and photographers who sent back film and images of a young naked girl running while burned by napalm and a young man along side an American soldier until he is summarially executed through the head by the soldier’s pistol. These, and daily film footage of American dead and wounded brought by reporters live via sattelite from Saigon on the evening news into American living rooms for the first time ever, broke the fairy tale of glory and gallantry in war. It’s fascinating that you tied the 1962 film to the events of the mid to late-60s. Regarding the historical errors in the film, perhaps the two most pointed are: 1. The British army and navy were well aware of the attack on Aqaba and actually took an active role in the conflict. The battle actually took place outside of the city. The guns that couldn’t be turned around actually could. 2. Lawrence was well aware of the Sykes-Picot Treaty early on and hid his knowledge of it from his Arab compatriots. The treaty was signed by the French and British as a blueprint for dividing up the Turkish Ottoman Empire that included much of the Middle East into colonial territories after the conclusion of the war. Naturally, this agreement was kept confidential from Feisal and the other tribal leaders. This brought Lawrence no small amount of internal conflict and remorse both during and after the war. Even so, he was awarded the Commandership of the Bath and the Distinguished Service Order, both awards that would be presented in 1919 by King George V. He declined both on principle based on the treatment of the Arabs under the treaty. He actually begged the king himself in person to do so as part of a larger conversation on behalf of Prince Feisal. In fact, during the immediate post-war years, Lawrence acted as Feisal’s representative in diplomatic talks with the French, British, and orher international parties necessary to his and Arab interests. Although the time he spent in Daraa is mentioned in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, there is much doubt placed on whether it truly occured at all by scholars. The hard truth about rhe Middle East is not much has changed “tribally” in the past century, and as far as the greatest divide, Sunni versus Shia, no progress at all. In this respect, perhaps more than any other, Seven Pillars of Wisdom.shines as a tale of tragic continuity. His life ended when he swerved to avoid some boys on bicycles while he was driving a motorcycle on a road near his home in Dorcet, England. He flew over his handlebars and suffered an open skull fracture causing him to lose some brain matter. He was taken to a hospital, but died six days later on May 19, 1935 without ever regaining consciousness. Churchill, himself, was gutted losing Lawrence, realizing war with Germany was, once again, likely, on the horizon, and having his counsel would have been invaluable.

Don't worry Mia, you most certainly will get to 1K subscribers soon. No one else is reviewing the films that you are. Good luck.

If you’re looking for more films dealing with the social, political, and personal ramifications of war then I’d highly recommend Paths of Glory and All Quiet on the Western Front which are two of the best war movies ever made. Paths of Glory notably stars Kirk Douglas and is directed by Stanley Kubrick.

I am not sure how I missed this before, but trains are an essential part of David Lean films. Just an observation.

You are an intellectual. The way you analyse this so deeply is phenomenal.

Hi Mia It's great to discover someone who is reacting to classic movies! And you chose one of the best here. 9 and a half? You're tough. This is one of the greatest movies ever made. Yes, it's long but, for its time, a monumental achievement. Peter O'Toole has to be one of the very best performances ever committed to film and the script has to be one of the greatest ever too. It definitely merits repeated viewings. Check out what Scorsese and Spielberg have to say about the movie. So many seminal moments. Take the ending - it is a beautiful summation of the movie. We know he is heading home to his death (having seen it at the beginning). So, when the officer says, 'going home, sir' we feel its irony because this complicated man has felt more at home in the desert, the site of so many of his great adventures. And the appearance of the motorbike (we first hear the sound of the motorbike over Lawrence's non-reaction to the officer) as it overtakes the jeep, throwing up dust as we cut to the windshield through which we see Lawrence slowly obscured by the rising dust. It's cinematic storytelling at its finest. And very moving.

Mia, you deserve thousands of subscribers. Love your comments and insight for each movie. Always look forward to your posts.

I had a Jordanian friend who worked on the film ... he said that many of those grand desert vistas were actually shot just beside the road.

The Turkish officer with the cough was played by Jose Ferrer. Look for him in The Caine Mutiny and The Greatest Story Ever Told.

The Turkish general is played by Jose Ferrer, a famous Puerto Rican actor. He always said that although it was a small role, it was his best.

"The Bridge On The River Kwai." Guinness' best role ever! Lean's film just before Lawrence. Oscar for best picture. Check it out. And then there's "Doctor Zhivago". Lean's film after Lawrence. Maurice Jarre with the music score. I think David Lean hit 3 home runs in a row! And if you want another O'Toole great role "The Lion In Winter". Anthony Hopkins first screen role, I think. Watch em, you'll be glad you did.

“I frickin’ love David Lean y’all!” ~ M. Tiffany (P1) Me too, Mia! He truly is a legit visionary as you couldn’t help but point out several times. What can I possibly say about this film that hasn’t been said before? This film is like Citizen Kane in that respect: there has already been so much written and critiqued about it. History scholars, film critics, directors, cinematographers, editors, production and costume designers, actors/actresses - you name it - have all weighed in countless times on this film. And your viewers, as usual, have brought their facts and considerable insights to the comments section. So as always, I can only try to express what this particular film and its director personally mean to me. David Lean’s legacy will always have a special place in film history solely on the basis of his sweeping widescreen epics. However, films like Brief Encounter (which you were lucky enough to discover beforehand) help to give a true measure of the scope of his enormous talent. By comparison, Brief Encounter’s scale is as modest as they come. The fact that it is based on a one act play by Noel Coward, shot in stark black & white, and tells the story of an illicit affair between a couple desperate to keep it hidden and out of sight makes it very much an “anti-epic.” And yet it is painstakingly rendered and exquisitely told. It’s a finely cut diamond. But by the time David Lean finds himself melting in the Moroccan desert with a gigantic film crew 16 years later, he has taken a significant leap forward as an artist, unleashing powers maybe even he didn’t know he had. By this point in his career, he is a master craftsman as well as a sophisticated storyteller, able to combine both the “intimate” and the “epic” into a singular vision. Nowadays, with CGI and previs technology, a director can coordinate an epic battle scene on a laptop computer while lounging on his sofa and snacking on nachos. But such was not the case over 60 years ago. Lawrence of Arabia is practical filmmaking on the grandest scale imaginable. And while Lean did rely on prepared storyboards and extensive script notes, he was also thinking on his feet, troubleshooting and problem solving every possible crisis in real time, and contending with the forces of nature (mirages, heatwaves, and sandstorms be damned). The logistical nightmare of orchestrating any one of those epic action set pieces must have been a complex trigonometry problem on paper alone. Seeing them to fruition against so many obstacles must have been daunting. I love that you pointed out that the script was calling out European colonial imperialism in the Middle East - these British officers who are unfamiliar with the culture but out for their self interests - a theme that only gets messier as the film develops. It was fun seeing you react to Auda abu Tayi reacting to Lawrence posing for the first time in his white robes (“What are you doing, Englishman?”). Anthony Quinn’s WTF delivery always cracks me up. You’re so right about Maurice Jarre’s powerful score having so much character and personality. In fact, it’s so forceful that it would overpower anything less than Lean has to offer. Happily, the result is a perfect union of sight and sound. And nothing slips by you so it was interesting to see you catch something sinister creeping into the soundtrack during the scene where Lawrence walks atop the trains in his flowing garments as crowds cheer him on like some kind of messiah (the music seems to be hinting at the abyss lurking under Lawrence’s feet). You being an actress, I had a feeling you’d admire Peter O’Toole’s performance. It’s difficult to believe he was still in his twenties. To this day, it’s one of the most layered, complicated characters in the history of mainstream Hollywood cinema. Next year is the 60th anniversary of this landmark film. I would be kind of shocked if theatrical showings of some kind weren’t already being planned to commemorate the event (including some IMAX screenings). If that is indeed the case, I’m sure you’ll rush out to see it so prepare to be mesmerized. It really will take your breath away. Imagine being in an auditorium and the lights dimming as Maurice Jarre’s musical score pierces the darkness. Imagine Peter O’Toole’s voice echoing through the canyons in surround sound. Imagine the vivid colors and textures of the beautiful cinematography in gigantic razor sharp 70mm detail reflecting off of your retinas until you don’t know what to do. But here’s what makes all of this really interesting to me... In the end, for all of the film’s panoramic splendor, the film turns out to be fundamentally about a man’s dark journey into his soul. David Lean used the prestigious 70mm widescreen format to film a commentary about the devastation of war on an individual’s psyche and spirit. As General Allenby says before the intermission “He’s riding the whirlwind.” Btw, I think you and your commenters are on to something in suspecting Lawrence’s motorcycle crash might have been an act of euthanasia, adding another layer to an already complex film. Before I go, I have to share this awesome clip with you (link is below) filmed in 1995 (33 years after the landmark epic premiered). It’s Peter O’Toole, being pretty epic himself, making an appearance on David Letterman in what has to go down as one of the coolest entrances on a talk show ever. Mia, you did a fantastic job as always and I hope you’re feeling better from your 2nd dose of the vaccine. Take care and enjoy! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nsuaqrGklrzdYGg.html

12:02 In his own memoirs. Lawrence claimed he was raped by the Turkish officers who interrogated him. It was bizarre to read that in a history book detailing that part of his life. Yet male rape does happen, it just isn't reported on as much.

Great & spot on observations of "Lawrence of Arabia". There was definitely two parts to this movie. Separated by the intermission. First part of the movie was full of hope and optimism. The 2nd part of the movie became gradually dark in tone. In this movie Lawrence neither fit in the British Army nor did he have a future with the Arabs...He was kind of an outcast....Omar Sharif's character was his only true friend....Great review.

When I took my wife to see the film, at the end of the first half she got up to go. I had to explain we were only half way!

Note that several historians doubt the Turkish officer story/fantasy (supposedly the officer wasn't there during the period when Lawrence puts the story).

Just found your reviews. Wanted to say I love how you draw all the craft of the film (cinematography, music, dialogue, performances, etc.) forward and consider how it supports the ideas and themes in the film. It's what I love most about cinema (and talking cinema), and not enough bloggers/reactors pull it all together and explain their thoughts about it as well as you do. Too many reviewers focus just on plot, and while plot is often very compelling it usually can't sustain over the years as well as a film's ideas/themes. Great stuff!

I don't think Lawrence was trying to kill himself, but I do think he was still testing the fates that he tested back in the desert, and fate is a fickle hand.

Great reaction video! I have never seen a silent film before. It sounds exciting!

Hi Mia, I'm glad you are feeling better. I enjoy your reviews so much. I felt like the 2nd half was watching Lawrence descend into madness. It's unbelievable how young this man was when he was leading the people in battles. I agree with you about Lawrence being used. In the end, he was so alone and no one cared or recognized how broken he was. I'm not a silent film fan, however, I'm going to try to find and watch Wings. I've heard of Clara Bow and I had no idea Gary Cooper was in silent films. I've seen him in plenty of westerns. I am so glad I found your channel. I love old movies because they actually have plots that you can lose yourself in. I'm so glad to find others who feel the same.

The two halves are similar to the way The Godfather parts I and II were organized, and how that informed the transformation of Michael. In part one, the "good guys" and Michael commit righteous murders, but in part II, we see that no murder can be considered "righteous", and the proof is how it morally destroys even a good man. Lawrence too, begins as a hero-warrior, and ends as a sadistic murderer.

"Dr Zhivago" historic epicand loves story...

Lawrence of Arabia is one of my favorite movies--and thanks to you, I just ordered the DVD of it. Don't know why I didn't have it in my movie library! Regarding the score--this is one of the scores that I immediately recognize. I'd put it up there as possibly the greatest score of any movie ever. I do love many John Williams scores, but this one consistently hits every mood/emotion throughout the entire movie. Of other older films, the other one that hits every thing for me is Sunset Boulevard. For contemporary films, it's the LOTR scores.

Yay, Mia is back with part 2 !

For England and France it was all about the oil (and the Suez Canal), as ships were evolving from coal power to oil.

great movie in every way. The screen play is by Robert Bolt, the great playwrite, author of A Man for All Seasons

One of my favourite things (amongst many) in LoA is Jack Hawkins as Allenby. Such a fascinating unscrupulous manipulator.

FYI -- T.E. Lawrence enlisted in the British military as a mechanic under an assumed name after the war. He finally became an ordinary man. Also, the motorcycle is a one-person vehicle with no complications.

When Lawrence was captured he was tortured but what couldn't be portrayed was that he was ganged raped by Turkish guards to break his will. It didn't, but it killed some of his sensitive soul and he became brutally ruthless against the Germans and Turks. This is a very early realistic portrayal of what we now call "Severe PTSD". When the war ended he believed his life ended. He resigned his Colonel's commission in the British Army and joined the British Royal Air Force as an enlisted aerial gunner. Military aviation in the 1920s was extremely dangerous as well as exciting. This and his reckless motorcycle racing was a way of feeding his PTSD caused adrenaline addiction and his death wish that killed him too young. If you want to see another great and tragic performance by Peter O'Toole, watch 1965's Lord Jim.

Thoroughly enjoyed your review. And now you must see another David Lean masterpiece of the 60s, Dr Zhivago.

In 1962 Spain owned large parts of present-day Morocco (Sahara, Sidi-Ifni, etc...), so the whole film was in fact filmed "in Spain"...

Great reaction! Your thoughts of this film are very similar to mine in terms of Lawrence’s journey, transformation and fall. When he said he enjoyed killing Gasim, I sensed it was more about having power over a man’s life (after all, he saved him earlier), and his death. Again, we see Lawrence reveling in his power as the Arabs pay him homage after the train attack. And after he is beaten and assaulted by the Turks (I do think that Bey sexually assaulted him), he lands back on earth. The first half of the film is like the heady sense one has when falling in love: romantic, exciting, adventurous, beautiful. But then as Lawrence’s transformation begins, like the peeling of an onion, we see the warts, weaknesses, complexities which confuse and sometimes repel one and the glow is gone. I don’t know if he purposely killed himself, but I do think he drove recklessly, perhaps not caring if his carelessness will destroy him. I saw some wild conspiracy theories that he was assassinated by British Intelligence because he kept in contact with the Arabs at the approach of World War II. But it might be crazy conjecture. Looking forward to the next one! Never saw Wings so this will be a new experience!

Hi Mia. I’m glad you watched this movie! It one of the top 10 ever made I think. You can see why it won all of those Oscars. I wanted to talk about how you commented on how first the British and then the American news guy used the line about common interests to get what they wanted from the Arabs. You seem to think that was somehow using them because they also had there own self interests. You have to look at it from a different perspective. Everybody had a common goal (defeating Germany’s ally Turkey), but they also have their own self interest including the Arabs. Alec Guinness’ character Faisal became the first King of Saudi Arabia in real life, and his family still sits on the throne. Winning the war left area in English control. It was divided up at the end of WWI in the Treaty of Versailles. Into the areas that we see today and that did caused a lot of regional tension that we still see.

I like to think of the movie making an homage to the 7 pillars of wisdom by showing the 7 character changes of Lawrence , if you watch the movie carefully you will notice he will go through 7 distinct changes throughout the movie

Thank you for a wonderful and insightful commentary on this great classic. From TE Lawrence’s exploits as told by Lowell Thomas in his memoirs, which were the source for the screen writers, and ultimately brought to the screen by David Lean, we have a very complex story that leaves as many questions as it does answers. By the way, you may notice one directorial tidbit here, whenever the characters are making a great journey they are almost always going from left to right, except for when Lawrence goes to rescue Gassim. Finally, if you want to see a superb example of Peter O’Toole’s acting along with Katherine Hepburn check out Lion in Winter. Again, thank you! Keep up the great work, definitely a new subscriber

A David Lean movie is marked by one factor - absolute excellence.

May I suggest....Julie Andrew's Victor Victoria...yes a musical and a comedy! 1982...available on TCM on demand...also available on youtube with Julie in the on stage version.

"Me that 'ave been what I've been - Me that 'ave gone where I've gone - Me that 'ave seen what I've seen - 'Ow can I ever take on With awful old England again..." - Rudyard Kipling, 'Chant-Pagan'. Incidentally, the way you describe this movie's structure reminds me of 'The Neverending Story' - that is, the original book version. In the first part of that (which the movie adapts), we see a fantasy adventure, and the day being saved; in the second part, we see the deconstruction of that, and a reminder that stories never end quite so neatly, and that even the most noble of goals may ultimately go astray.

There's a thing that I agree to about all literature, plays, film, stories, tales, etc that states that the protagonist seeks his/her identity. There's a moment when someone shouts to Lawrence 'WHO ARE YOU?". I always apply the ID question to all books, movies, etc that I read and watch.

Really enjoyed watching your reaction to one of my favourite films. Another British War Film (WW2 this time) that you might enjoy is the 1969 film The Battle of Britain.

So much of the timeline of the inner journey is that of a progression into disillusionment about everything we have passion for. In this case the glory of the military life that turns to reality once the fancy uniform and parades of training are done and you are on the front line where the wonder of the adventure has worn off. Lawrence did what a commanding officer must do in executing the men but in a way he killed his own passion

Like with all developments in history, the first part always seems more promising.

Thanks Mia. This theme of the loss of perspective from too much power lays at the core of Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' filmed with John Malkovitch as Kurtz in 'The Heart of Darkness' & 'Apocalypse Now' where Colonel Kurtz is played by Marlon Brando.

You may want to watch "The Wind and the Lion" (1975).

The last image in the film is very telling: you can't see his face through the dirty windshield. His disappeared. This is emphasized by the heroic Arab desert music playing and losing its force. Throughout the film he is asked who are you with or, more importantly, who are you. At the end his only identity is a mysterious warrior who fights for unknown reasons, but he is exiled from the field of battle, so his life is, to all intents and purposes, OVER. I don't think he killed himself exactly, but he was certainly acting recklessly with his life. I think all he had left was seeking the adrenaline rush of engaging in high risk activities and finally his luck ran out.

"Wings" was the first silent movie I saw in its entirety. I wanted to see it for years because I heard that it was the first Academy Awards Best Picture and that the aerial combat scenes had to be filmed with real planes actually flying around doing all the turns and loops, etc. instead of with special effects. A funny side note about popular culture is that despite the fact that I had never seen any of her movies and that she was star from two generations before me, I knew that Clara Bow's casting as the sweet "girl next door" in "Wings" was a huge departure from her usual sex symbol roles. Fame doesn't cross the ages like that anymore.

Journalists always say to the same effect -- "You want to tell your story. I sincerely need a story to tell." My Moderna side effects were really bad too.

Mia, you are so perceptive. 1. Oil was discovered in the Middle East. The Arabs were never going to be a nation. 2. There's a film with Ralph Feinnes as Lawrence trying to help Faisal at the Paris Peace Conference 1918-1919 . It destroyed him. He resigned his commission and spent most of the rest of his life far from England as a common soldier, Sergeant Ross. He worked on motors. 3. Michael Korda's biography of Lawrence gives a very nuanced and sympathetic reading of his conflicted sexuality. He was not only beaten mercilessly in Deraa,, he was gangraped.4. He sought anonymity thereafter. He worked on motors and was flogged regularly by his batman. I don't know that he had a death wish, but he certainly liked to lose himself racing very fast on his supercharged American Indian (motorcycle). PS I think you would love Anthony Hopkins in his Sleeper hit, The World's Fastest Indian.

Congrats on getting your second shot. In a couple of weeks you'll be fully immunized. I hope you feel better by the time you read this. The tinge of darkness and mystery that you commented on in the music comes from dissonance. The introduction of this element makes it unsettling. Thanks for another great reaction!

Love the comment about the trains in David Lean movies! Love Dr Zhivago See that Lawrence was caught between two worlds with loyalities to each both East and West. But his character, his love to Arabia, could not win with the West manipulating the puppet strings . Fascinating story about a man trying to make a difference in this world but somewhat a little too misguided and idealistic. The ramifications in the East West connection today 911 . Wow Peter O Toole only he could be Lawrence I was just a teenager when I saw this movie somewhat protected and naive to the evils of our world. But I never forgot the look on Lawrence face when he is beat I understood for the first time in a naive way mans inhumanity to man . What an actor to deliver this to an audience with one anguished look! I am really enjoying your commentary! . So many interesting insights to a movie buff and O Toole fan ! Thanks!! Watching your commentary is like a delectable dessert ! Thanks Mia well done!

See "A Man for All Seasons" from 1966.

Notice how in the very final scene, Lawrence’s face is obscured by the grimy windshield. We can’t see him anymore. His stunning looks and piercing blue eyes are now covered from view.

Books could be written about this movie. Short note though, you are correct. The two parts are very different. In the first part his garments are clean, bright white. But as the second half goes on his robes become dirty, illustrating the loss of purity and idealism. The external shows what is going on internally.

You'll also note that the British officers are concerned that he "went over" to "the other side" -- became "Arab" and no long on the British side. Tje culture line he's trying to straddle.

Dr. Zchivago next!!!

I lived not very far from where Lawrence lived in a small cottage at Clouds Hill, Bovington Dorset which is now a museum. I have therefore visited his cottage and driven along the same road Clouds Hill where he met with the fatal accident. It is a country road that is very uneven by today's standards and probably worse back in the day. I am of the opinion that perhaps a couple of farm boys cycling home, unfortunately, got in the way of Lawrence driving at high speed who lost control in the bad road conditions which caused the fatal accident.

This is such an old review, and I don't know whether anyone has already said this, but Prince Faisal is the ancestor of the Saudi royal family. The people who are running Saudi Arabia today. Any time you hear somebody talking about "the Saudis this" or "the Saudis that", remember, those are Prince Faisal's boys doing things the way Faisal did them.

You should look into what happened to Lawrence after the war. A seriously traumatized individual...

OMG one of the greatest movies of all time a true masterpiece very classic Lawrence of Arabia directed by David Lean starring Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness, José Ferrer, Anthony Quinn and music by Maurice Jarre. Thank you Mia great reaction, please reacts The Maltese Falcon (1941) High Noon (1952) Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Summer of 42 (1971) Saturday Night Fever (1977) and The Goodbye Girl (1977)☺☺🙏

I've been reminded that there is a sort of follow-up film to the events of "Lawrence". It's called "A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia" (1992). It is about the 1919 Paris Peace Conference and stars Ralph Fiennes as T.E.Lawrence. I can't remember much about this movie despite having watched it, but if you are interested you should be able to find a free copy by searching KZfaq.

Faisal was always negotiating immensely delicate political landscapes, against the English, the French, his own father. Ultimately he wound up becoming the first king of Iraq, with Lawrence's help. Both he and Lawrence died young.

I see that you are going to get into some silent films. May I suggest you check out the films “Battleship Potemkin”, “Ben-Hur : A Tale Of The Christ” (1925 version wherein there is also a great chariot race, even better in some ways than the 1959 remake), “Dr.Jekyll And Mr. Hyde” (1920), and “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame” (1923 version), to start with. Happy hunting! 😊

You're right to notice that this history still reverberates today.

Enjoyed your thoughts re: Lean's film. You struggled to come with the right words to describe the darkness of the film's second half. Could it be that having realized he'd already completely mortgaged his soul, TEL tumbled to the fact he would need money, a great deal of it, to complete his obsession? "Darkness, darkness, be my blanket, cover me with the endless night Take away, take away the pain of knowing Fill the emptiness of right now -JC Young

During the first part of the film, Lawrence is shown as himself being a romantic.

22:44 fun fact: at that time the french took the city and kicked the king out

Mia you now have to read T E Lawrence's Seven Pillars Of Wisdom

When I saw this in theaters the two scenes that drew the most noticeable reaction from the audience were the train attack and the Deraa sequence. I suspect most viewers don't pick up on Lawrence being sexually assaulted, since obviously a 1962 film couldn't be explicit about that, but Lean and co. did everything they could to suggest it without tipping off the censors. Jose Ferrer even claimed that he intended the Bey's coughing as he watches the flogging to symbolize orgasm.

There was a scene in the original which was later cut: when Lawrence is walking along the top of the train he's seen in full, speaking. Some people who could lip-read complained that Peter wasn't speaking in character: he was actually saying things like "thank you ... you're too kind ... I deserve it" and so on. The sequence isn't in the film now. Have you covered Oliver Twist by David Lean? Alec Guinness is in that too - may not be an Oscar-winner, but still a damn good version, even if it is in black and white

He was one of those true adventurers like many others of this age such as Amelia Earhart. They did not sit on their butts and do nothing.

React to How Green was my Valley

I d love to see what you think watching the African queen . Philadelphia story first though it defines Hepburn. She was in trouble with the public when family friend wrote the play for her. Then she performed it on broadway . They wouldn't give her the role 7n the movie thought it had been dynamite on stage. She bought and produced it herself and Grant and Stewart were her strike cronies and agreed to costar in it. It's about the nature of human frailty and the necessity of it and humility.. ist funny but not one of the silly ones . Great witty dialog as well as only the 30 s and 40s did.

The retreating Turkish forces that Lawrence orders his men to 'take no prisoners' from had just wiped out a village full of civilians that was home to some of his men. Historically speaking, the wholesale massacre of that battle was probably inevitable.

"Freedom is enjoyed when you are so well armed, or so turbulent, or inhabit a country so thorny that the expense of your neighbour's occupying you is greater than the profit." - T.E. Lawrence. In a letter to The Times newspaper.

*raises hand* It was me who brought up the potential suicide in the opening. I think it was a stroke of brilliance to open with that because at first it actually puzzles a viewer a bit, why this grandiose epic is starting off with not only this death but this very unheroic death. But that's the point. Lawrence isn't this untouchable figure at all and they want to demonstrate this right from the off before even building him up. Now the scene where Lawrence is brutalized has some subtext I didn't catch on first viewing because I didn't know this at the time, but reading about him afterwards and coming across the info on his sexuality (Inconclusive as it seems to be granted) puts that scene in an even more uncomfortable light...imagine that for such a grim portion of the film. So, maybe, this experience forced Lawrence to feel even worse about who he was than he likely already did, if any of this holds any water. It's just another chapter in the tragedy of this man. I think overall your thoughts mirror what mine were in your position quite well because when I first watched LoA the second half certainly challenged me a lot and i respected it more for this, but I did prefer the unrelenting majesty of the first. But on my repeat viewings I find the complexity slightly more sustaining of my interest actually. At the end there I kind of gasped because I'm a ginormous fan of silents, and for a second I thought you were talking about Sunrise (I forget it won a different award that was more of an experiment for the then new institution), but Wings is still a fine film. I do think Sunrise is one you should get to eventually because I think it'd be my favorite film you'd react to up to that point, but for now I'm still excited you're dipping your toes in the silent era

The DIPLOMAT made that clear: the ISSUE was ARTILLERY -- which would have been turned on the British.

15:22 you're mostly correct. Not only was he tortured but because of film laws in 1962 they weren't able to show that the Turks also sexually assaulted him. combine that with the pressure of the other bedouins wanting blood he inevitably chose his lust for blood along with them. Ali's voice of reason couldn't compete

“The ‘trick’, Mister Potter, is not **minding** that it hurts” The words of a Masochist? And how often in the ensuing story, does Lawrence intentionally put himself in painful circumstance?

BTW, I had my second Moderna shot on Friday afternoon, so I took the rest of the day off and went home to rest (it made me feel very fatigued and sore), and I watched Dr. Zhivago! Hope you feel better. I got an angry rash from the shot, which finally disappeared today.

An easy 5 stars for me. the ending always kills me because i know what its like to have something near and dear to me, become a nightmare because of certain things that happened later on, just like Lawrences love for the desert is dismantled every step of the way

Now that Dune has come out, I'd be curious to get your reaction that one, and to hear your thoughts about the parallels between Dune and this film. I won't bias you any more than that--I'd just love to hear your thoughts.

He was killed in 1935. The Arab Revolt was circa WW I.

I wonder whether - in the wake of your review of "Lawrence" (and given the many clear links and parallels between it and Villeneuve's "Dune") - you'd consider doing a comparative analysis of the two once the second part of the Dune story is released...

You have to do The Quiet Man and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

The destruction of Lawrence"s Arab League in word:. OIL

The Australians got to Damacus before Lawrence.

React to The Bad and The Beautiful

Lawrence disappeared into the RAF under an assumed name. He sought anonymity of er his brush with fame

React to The Grapes of Wrath

you can't! you never possibly can not!

At the beginning of part 2 you're seeing Lawrence with an inflated ego. But watch what happens to that.

His being praised as some sort of prophet has gone to his head, so he is still being a romantic. He saw himself as heroic, he became heroic, and discovered that it is untenable.

1st