Four words: Pay-me-my-money! I’m really tired of not getting paid; my last summer job loved to play little jokes like paying me two dollars per delivery when I only had one delivery per night – plus tips, that was five dollars a night, basically. Ah, those were hilarious jokes. Now, despite repeated promises of “we’re not going to screw you”, I still have not been paid anything at my current job. Hilarious, I must admit.
I’m really glad Lawrence of Arabia came on two discs. It provided a nice stopping point for those of us who can’t commit four hours to a movie at once – you know, normal people, people with jobs that don’t involve watching movies. I’m now one of those people, only without the money that normally comes with it. I’m still laughing.
It’s impossible to review this movie in any concise way like I’ve reviewed movies so far, so I’m going to bullet this one.
- Writing: Impeccable. There are so many lines that feel historic and monumental; the writing really suits a movie of such epic proportions. I especially like the non-pejorative attitude towards the Arabs in the movie; it kind of reminds me of Syriana in that respect. However, the quality of the writing could never have shone through if not for…
- Acting: Also fantastic. Though Peter O’Toole is great and idiosyncratic as Lawrence, Omar Sharif stole the movie for me, much as Alexander Siddig did as Prince Nasir in, you guessed it, Syriana. Lots of parallels between the two – proud leaders of their people who wish to bridge the gap between the West and the Middle East while retaining cultural pride. Also, it’s a brave casting move to have cast a real Arab in the role, though they didn’t quite have the guts to do the same for the part of Prince Feisal – they still have the fabulous Alec Guinness in that part, wearing brownface.
- Directing: Very very good, but not visionary. I wouldn’t disagree with any of the choices, and I especially like the decision to stage all action from left to right, to symbolize the film as a journey. Still, everything about the movie semed like it wasn’t directed at all – like it was just a fantastic read-through.
- Claude Rains: A real favorite of mine, he’s fantastic in everything he’s in, adding a wry smile to every movie from Casablanca to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to this, which was basically his swan song.
This movie is a real commitment, but it’s one of those essentials that every movie fan should set time aside for – something that informs your opinion of all other movies and of what movies could be.
I Ate My DVD Collection 