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Lawrence of Arabia (1 view)
This four hour deconstruction of war epic takes place across the heavily symbolic and beautiful Arabian dessert , it's acting performances are those of the highest caliber and it's cinematography alone conveys a huge array of emotions.
Lawrence of Arabia is a movie that requires patience , more than any film I've ever enjoyed so much. It does not ever misplace it's excitement , but it's sometimes camel pacing can produce the rare boring moment (which fits well in the context , but keeps this from being perfect in my impatient eyes).
The two halves of this movie are also very different , the first following only one character (Lawrence) on his long travels through the desert and is backed by an abundant musical score. The second half follows two different factions , the Arab and British and takes place in many different locations. They both tie in well together and I'm sure I will enjoy the first half more now , already knowing what happens in the second.
Visually this is gigantic , so many overly ambitious shots of hundreds of things happening at once - I was instantly reminded of another older film that did similar things The Bridge on the River Kwai , which was also directed by David Lean. You think how many things can do they do in the desert ? Apparently a lot. Feelings of emptiness , scenic marvel , spirituality , destiny - all derived from the truly captivating camera work. Tornadoes in the distance , canyons far beyond reach , and the horizon of sand all the pleasures of shooting on location.
Certainly not perfect. Certainly enjoyable.
This four hour deconstruction of war epic takes place across the heavily symbolic and beautiful Arabian dessert , it's acting performances are those of the highest caliber and it's cinematography alone conveys a huge array of emotions.
Lawrence of Arabia is a movie that requires patience , more than any film I've ever enjoyed so much. It does not ever misplace it's excitement , but it's sometimes camel pacing can produce the rare boring moment (which fits well in the context , but keeps this from being perfect in my impatient eyes).
The two halves of this movie are also very different , the first following only one character (Lawrence) on his long travels through the desert and is backed by an abundant musical score. The second half follows two different factions , the Arab and British and takes place in many different locations. They both tie in well together and I'm sure I will enjoy the first half more now , already knowing what happens in the second.
Visually this is gigantic , so many overly ambitious shots of hundreds of things happening at once - I was instantly reminded of another older film that did similar things The Bridge on the River Kwai , which was also directed by David Lean. You think how many things can do they do in the desert ? Apparently a lot. Feelings of emptiness , scenic marvel , spirituality , destiny - all derived from the truly captivating camera work. Tornadoes in the distance , canyons far beyond reach , and the horizon of sand all the pleasures of shooting on location.
Certainly not perfect. Certainly enjoyable.