Lawrence of Arabia: 1962

I finally caught up and filled in the gaps in my blog by watching Lawrence of Arabia, the 1962 film that won Best Picture, and it was no small accomplishment...the film is 217 minutes not including the intro and intermission music. The story was interesting: Lawrence is a soldier in the British Army during World War I. He is stationed in Arabia, where the Arabs and British are fighting the Turks. For some unclear reason, Lawrence is fascinated by Arabia. At times it seems like his desire to help the Arabs is to give them freedom and to help them create their own nation. But most of the time it seems like Lawrence helps the Arabs because they idolize him. Lawrence thrives on this attention, becoming drunk on the power it gives, but this power causes him to become arrogant, causing his downfall.

Having an engaging story makes the film easier to watch since the length of the film is overwhelming. And at times, unnecessary. The director David Lean was clearly a fan of the extreme long shot as a means to set the tone. The desert is a brutal, cruel, yet beautiful landscape, and its contrasts support Lawrence's internal conflict. He knows that blood must be shed yet he cannot bear to watch. Later, he seems bloodthirsty. While I appreciate the director's intentions with the desert shots, there are definitely more used than necessary. Perhaps Lean wanted us to feel like we were on Lawrence's journey with him, under the unrelenting sun and blistering heat and dealing with the fighting Arab tribes.

Lawrence in the desert

I think what made me like the arrogant Lawrence is when he defends the Arabs to the British officers. There is clear prejudice; the British see the Arabs as dirty, barbarous people (something Lawrence actually says to one of the Arabs before he becomes one of them). Lawrence becomes an advocate for the Arabs, wanting them to have the freedom to govern themselves, but he knows that the British Army is acting in the interest of the British Empire, which wants Arabia as part of its empire. In the interactions between the British and the Arabs, the British look down upon the Arabs. In one scene, Lawrence arrives with his servant, a boy he rescued, and when they enter the officers' bar, the other officers want the boy kicked out because he's an Arab. Lawrence defends the boy:

Lawrence's defense of Farraj shows Lawrence's decency. Yes, he may be full of himself, but he does seem to actually care.

I can't say I'd watch this film again; once is enough for sure. But surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the film. The story was interesting, and the characters were thoughtful. I could do without the long desert shots, but that's really my only complaint.