Lawrence of Arabia
Academy Award × 7·AFI #7·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
During World War I, English officer Thomas Edward 'T.E.' Lawrence sets out to unite and lead the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes to fight the Turks.
What critics thought
One of the most celebrated films ever made, Lawrence of Arabia earns near-universal admiration for its staggering desert cinematography, Maurice Jarre's score, and Peter O'Toole's performance — now widely considered among the greatest in cinema history. Even original reviewers who loved the spectacle raised doubts about whether Bolt's screenplay ever truly unlocks who Lawrence was as a man, and at least one major critic felt the film ultimately shrinks a legendary figure rather than illuminating him.
“vast, awe-inspiring, beautiful with ever-changing hues, exhausting and barren of humanity”
Bosley Crowther·The New York Times
“continually dominates the screen, and he dominates it with professional skill, Irish charm and smashing good looks”
Time
“He is reliably unreliable, steadily mercurial”
Newsweek
“Director David Lean has molded his massive material with skill, but personally I felt the film was too long, the running time is 221 minutes, or 20 minutes short of 4 hours and in the latter part, unnecessarily bloody”
Mae Tinee·Chicago Tribune
Genres
Adventure, Biography, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorDavid Lean
StarringPeter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins
ComposerMaurice Jarre
Lawrence of Arabia
Academy Award × 7·AFI #7·National Film Registry
During World War I, English officer Thomas Edward 'T.E.' Lawrence sets out to unite and lead the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes to fight the Turks.
What critics thought
One of the most celebrated films ever made, Lawrence of Arabia earns near-universal admiration for its staggering desert cinematography, Maurice Jarre's score, and Peter O'Toole's performance — now widely considered among the greatest in cinema history. Even original reviewers who loved the spectacle raised doubts about whether Bolt's screenplay ever truly unlocks who Lawrence was as a man, and at least one major critic felt the film ultimately shrinks a legendary figure rather than illuminating him.
“vast, awe-inspiring, beautiful with ever-changing hues, exhausting and barren of humanity”
Bosley Crowther·The New York Times
“continually dominates the screen, and he dominates it with professional skill, Irish charm and smashing good looks”
Time
“He is reliably unreliable, steadily mercurial”
Newsweek
“Director David Lean has molded his massive material with skill, but personally I felt the film was too long, the running time is 221 minutes, or 20 minutes short of 4 hours and in the latter part, unnecessarily bloody”
Mae Tinee·Chicago Tribune
Genres
Adventure, Biography, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorDavid Lean
StarringPeter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins
ComposerMaurice Jarre
Rent/Purchase