“You're the most extraordinary man I've ever met. You will be a household word...“

Arguably David Lean’s best film (next to Bridge on the River Kwai  and Oliver Twist) , Lawrence of Arabia (LOA), is not only one of the most talked about, highly regarded and acclaimed movies of all time , it is a time piece and a reminder. It set the bar for what live action movies could be.

Constructed from a staggering $123,000,000 ($15,000,000 in ’62) LOA detailS the story of British officer  T.E Lawrence’s mission to aid the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. To my surprise the film underpays this main plot with Lawrence’s growing psychological instability. Over the next 216 minutes unfolds a true story littered with drama, heroism, controversy and humour. (whether it be intended or not)

All performances are executed very well but Omar Sharif and Anthony Quinn’s performances shine through the likes of Peter O’Toole’s, who also does a shockingly good job given that there are very few times he is not present on the screen. Interestingly, he lost Best Actor to Gregory Peck who also delivered a damn near flawless performance in To Kill A Mocking Bird.

Personally what stood out the most was the jaw-dropping cinematography by Freddie Young (Doctor Zhivago and You Only Live Twice) accompanied with Maurice Jarre’s (Dead Poets Society and Eyes Without A Face) heavenly score.

Where the film stumbles in its stride is solely in Part 1 which ultimately becomes slightly tiresome by overstaying its welcome. Part 1 is 136 minutes while Part 2 is just shy of 85, which is why Part 2 is superior. It is a masterpiece in an otherwise excellent movie.