Lawrence of Arabia: An Epic That Justifies It’s Runtime with It’s Commentary

It’s been a couple of months since I got a chance to watch this in one sitting, and it still resonates on a near-daily basis. Probably my favorite “character study,” or at least showcase of a character who is never cast in the light of a Hollywood-ified hero — or even the Hollywood-ified anti-hero. The audience is presented Lawrence in flashback after many argue over his integrity at his funeral. David Lean makes it clear he challenges the audience to decide for themselves, and it is the GRAND (grand in capital letters, bold, in size 84 font) feel that this movie has that makes it fun to engage in the challenge.

Lean uses the 3.5-hour runtime to comment on so much that “Lawrence of Arabia” turns from something that entertains into something that reflects parts of humanity (both good and bad) back at the audience.
Whether it is the moral compunction of colonialism (which can be exacerbated in 2023 with Alec Guinness playing an Arab character) or the role media plays in the development of how things are perceived, the film throws these humongous themes onto the dartboard and they mostly all stick.

The one that consistently comes back to me is its commentary on the dangers of technology (the British have guns, the Arab tribes do not) and how presenting such a technology to a foreign culture likens them to a god. And Lawrence gets nasty with how observable his god-complex gets. He really believes he is a god charged with doing what he must for those around him, even if it’s just playing with the fire on a match while taking away lives for the pleasure he derives from it. I think Lean relies on the subtle-but-still-kinda-obvious commentary on Lawrence’s sexuality as the base for communicating why he believes he is so different from everyone else. It is the comfort of Lawrence being part outsider and part savior/god that presents him with purpose in life. And I don’t think the film blames an audience that would find that to be a really twisted purpose.

Watched in all its glory at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in 70mm with Scott Greenhalgh. Top 10 film ever.