When I was watching David Lean's "Brief Encounter" one thing that stuck with me the most was, how Lean made a small story, feel epic on an emotional level. This time around I found it to be the exact opposite. I mean it's still very big but the story of T.E. Lawrence isn't so engrossing just because of how he was able to defeat the Turks or the grand battle scenes, but it's because of how fascinating he is as a person and how his transformation from scene one to the last couple minutes is conveyed. Lawrence is shown to be completely isolated and alienated from what he is used to but he is able to find his footing in this barren land and it becomes a question of race and where you belong despite your race and the title enforces that theme so well. His beliefs and actions are always questioned by the people around him yet his confidence in himself shadows his own view. But it's not just this battle that makes him interesting or complex but it is that he possesses many different traits that are seemingly at odds with each other. Peter O'Toole communicates the horror, the conflict, the cockiness and the harsh environment so perfectly. He is the absolute star of the cast but the rest of the casting is so spot on too. Omar Sharif has perfect chemistry with O'Toole and while the casting of the ever reliable Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn would come off a bit racist in modern times they have a certain charm to their performances and they capture their leader roles with dedication.

David Lean's direction is simply superb. His collaboration with cinematographer Freddie Young is brilliant and they have created some images that have engraved themselves into minds and pop culture for more than 50 years, like the "match" cut. They make this land of sand, that would be boring to the normal observer, be something awe-inspiring and beautiful. The run-time is intimidating to say the least but it doesn't feel endless because every moment serves a purpose, thanks to Robert Bolt's screenplay. Some seemingly unimportant stuff that happens, set up some of the most important and contemplative moments in the story, notably, Lawrence giving his pistol to his guide at the start and that ending up with Lawrence executing the man he risked his life just to save. It would be unfair to not mention how funny this film can be, it really is hilarious at times. Music by Maurice Jarre is famous in and of itself as it creates the swelling moments of orchestral madness and intrigues with small cues.

"Lawrence of Arabia" is big, and I can hardly do it justice with a review of this size. It's hard to choose a favorite scene, from Sherif Ali's masterful introduction to the battle for Aqaba, it's filled with everything but most importantly it's endlessly fascinating and filled with different themes.It both inspired me and baffled me, in a good way, in how the craft was done. It's a classic for a reason.