#13: Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962, Lean)

I'm going to comment on this movie as if it's a work of fiction, because it is. It is a fiction movie, which details similar events to those that actually happened, and characters with the same names of the actual people involved.

Lawrence of Arabia is a great action epic. The cinematography is beautiful, and the fighting scenes are beautifully (And expensively) staged. The character of Lawrence though portrayed as an egotist and sadist with a messiah complex is also given a childlike playfulness which balances him out. The story is paced well, and even when it gets to the point where Lawrence sees himself as an Arab, he's never allowed to completely immerse himself in the culture, and is ultimately expelled from it. His mystique exaggerated by dramatic journalism, he goes home as a British hero.

Lawrence of Arabia is a great movie, but it doesn't stylistically stand out very much. The only thing that makes the movie unique is it's ambition. The characters don't have much depth and there isn't much going on in the plot beyond the surface. British films from around that time also tend to fashionably go out of their way to beat down British hubris, which can result in British military officers coming off as a little too beaurocratic.

The portrayal of the Arab world has not aged well. Particularly in the light of the last decade it comes off as euro-centric and far less believeable. Seeing as the movie is a work of fiction I am happily willing to suspend disbelief.

Rating: ****/5

I'm making a ruling for this project that I'm allowed to substitute movies in the January 2010 TSPDT top 100 for ones in the December 2008 TSPDT. So instead of watching On The Waterfront, I'll be watching L'age Dor. I didn't like On The Waterfront when I saw it last year, whereas I really like Bunuel.

8/100

Others:

The White Ribbon ** / 5

Tries so hard to imitate great art films it forgets said great art films had original scripts, unique styles and memorable performances.

Crazy Heart *** / 5

Great performance by Jeff Bridges. Maggie Gyllenhal was too much of a stock love interest. The themes of the movie were very similar to The Wrestler.

On The Waterfront ** 1/2 / 5

Since I'm not counting it toward the hundred, here's how I feel about it based on seeing it last November. Marlon Brando is great. The script sucks. It's hard to watch after seeing post-Godfather mob films because you wonder why they don't just whack him. The characters' behaviors are based on dramatic contrivances instead of based on genuine emotions.

Next: Citizen Kane, L'age Dor, Metropolis