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Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia

List Price: $28.98
Your Price: $23.18
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Classic that remains fresh
Review: Outstanding story, magnificent cinematography.
Wheteher your first viewing or a revisit, worth the time!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A masterpiece that has to be seen
Review: This movie has everything in it but romance. It simply doesn't need it, because the other elements that make movies great are all there. It would not be fair to reproduce this movie (along with many others), in todays age, digital recreation can only bring the illusion of what once was the true Hollywood. Cleopatra, Gone with the Wind, Spartacus, and many other movies, were made the real way, real actors, and real movie sets.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the greatest epics of all time
Review: Ok, I must admit. I'm a sucker for epics. I love their scope, their feel, the time they take to go over all the details of their subjects' lives. A good epic immerses you into their world. It's good to get lost in an epic, and I got lost in Lawrence of Arabia.

Telling the story of T.E. Lawrence in his attempt to bring the feuding clans of Arabs together during the World War II, this film is beautiful in its leisure ness, exciting in its action, and absolutely breathtaking in its cinematography. At the time of its release, it had to be the most beautiful filmed motion picture ever made.

Fresh from his success in the film Bridge on the River Kwai, director David Lean sought to make a film of equal greatness. Instead he surpassed it. For any film buffs, Lawrence of Arabia is a must have for their collection. Its influence in modern filmmakers alone is amazing, Steven Spielberg in particular. The wonder Spielberg saw in this film is evident in his own filmography; from the desert scapes in his Indiana Jones films to the intimacy of Schindler's List.

Fantastic performances by a young Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness and the rest of the cast bring the story to vivid life. In particular, O'Toole becomes Lawrence. It's clear the actors believed in their characters, and in the movie.

Filled with classic moments that still to this day inspire awe and power in its audiences, such as the slow approach by stranger on horseback to the well Lawrence and his companion drink from, this film is fantastic on all levels. A must-see, must-own for any lover of film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing film
Review: This movie is inspiring both in its scope and scale. Use of cinematography is incredible and both the personal drama of the main characters and the historical drama of the nations involved are handled well. Settle in for a long movie (4 hrs) and then lose yourself in the experience. (Try to see it on a big screen!)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This is a theater movie, but there's more to it than that
Review: Most reviews of this movie concentrate on the unbelievable cinematography and sweeping photography, which are right there with the greatest ever. I just saw the currently refurbished version at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco and it was a stunning experience. Brought me back to the days of Milk Duds and drive-ins. But, not to be overlooked: Peter O'Toole is unforgettable here, and the rest of the cast (Omar Sharif, Alec Guiness, etc.) is fantastic. O'Toole delivers one of the greatest acting performances (in a 4 plus hour movie, no less) that I've ever seen. The script--well, they don't write'em like this anymore. It's worth getting this movie for all these other aspects, though don't miss it if it comes to a theater near you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Film making at its finest. Don't miss it!
Review: This 1962 film is based on the true story of the unconventional British Lieutenant, who, during WW1, united Arab tribes to fight on the British side against the Turks. How Lawrence did that was the result of his weird combination of charisma and craziness. And how director, David Lean, brought this epic to the screen is a result of pure genius. Filmed on location in Jordan, the desert comes alive for the viewer. It's mile after mile after mile of drifting sand. But it also has places where there are lots of little rocks. And then there are the few and far-between oases and wells. There's danger here too, both because of the bitter tribal rivalries as well as natural dangers such as quicksand. The camel is the accepted mode of transportation. And thirst is something that the Bedouins learned to live with. It's a harsh life. The film is full of adventure. And not just because of the characters or the action. There's the adventure of the desert itself, and how a small speck on the horizon comes out of a mirage and becomes a human being. This all comes alive by a vision, one that had never been done on screen before. It was an ambitious undertaking. And a huge success.

The acting was outstanding. And so were all the special effects, although the cast of thousands who were real live people. It's a refreshing difference to computer-generated scenes we've become accustomed to. And a type of filming that we will not likely see again. For that alone, the film stands as a testament to human ingenuity. A couple of details bothered me, such as the makeup on Peter O'Toole whose fair skin was supposed to look sunburned, but somehow looked as if he had thick clay on his face. But this was minor. I also thought the film was too long and missed a traditional arc of plot which I've come to expect. I found myself drowsing off during the last half hour as it all seemed repetitive and superfluous to what had come before.

I watched all the DVD special features the next morning. And they were wonderful. It was then I realized that the print I had watched had been restored in 1989, with 35 minutes added to the epic. Some of the sound had been lost at that time and I found it fascinating as to how they brought back the actors to dub in their own voices again. I love learning about all the background and hearing the actors talk about the experience. Don't miss this wonderful DVD. Just make sure that you give yourself enough time to watch the film in its entirety. And add on another couple of hours to see the special features. You'll come away with an experience of your own that goes beyond merely watching a film. Clearly, it rates one of my highest recommendations.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: moon and stars
Review: This cd is a beautiful thing. The music captures both the english and arabic characterisitics of the movie. However not the character of Lawrence, which would be ,like lasooing the moon and stars and putting them in a little box..... the movie scratches only the surface of the being in question not giving him justice , making him too much a hero, (he was a human with failures) . However his being described by himself in 7 pillars as "a crystal, many facets) he cannot be caught up in any space or described adequately with music. But the music hints at the exquisiteness of his spirit.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: They Don't Make 'em Like This Anymore
Review: It's a wonder this film was made at all. As Omar Sharif famously said (I'm quoting from memory, but this is close): "Say you are the man with the money at the studio. Someone comes to you and says he wants to make a film that's four hours long, with no action, no love story, no women at all, very little dialog, and no stars in the lead roles, and you want to go to one of the most remote places in the world to film it. What would you say?"

Fortunately, it was made, and stands to this day as the greatest epic ever filmed. The dialog is indeed sparse, but memorable. There's not a wasted word in this movie. There is action, but it's not the focus of the film, this isn't an "action" movie. O'Toole and Sharif were relative unknowns at the time, but this film made them international stars. There is indeed no love story. Lawrence is believed to have been homosexual, and that aspect of his character is hinted at in the film, but not really addressed (this was 1962, after all). They did in fact film it in the vast, remote Jordanian desert, and that desert is as much a character in the film as any of the actors. If there was ever a more beautifully filmed movie, I haven't seen it. To say the cinematography is breathtaking is to fail to do it justice. The DVD looks spectacular, you have to remind yourself constantly that you're looking at a movie filmed over 40 years ago. The sound has also been remastered, and Maurice Jarre's score sounds glorious. Don't listen to those who say Lawrence of Arabia is overrated. It's impossible to overrate this movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The great desert epic
Review: Lawrence of Arabia is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious films ever made, and director David Lean deserves all the credit he received and more for having accomplished it. The scenery in this movie is breathtaking, and there is plenty of it. The huge armies of Arabs in realistic costumes, fully equipped and riding camels and horses, is also a spectacular feat. The acting in it is also superb, the highlight of which being the great Alec Guinness in one of his best roles.
T.E. Lawrence, better known as El Awrence or Lawrence of Arabia, was a very complex and psychologically complicated man. This movie skillfully manages to show him as he really was. He was a hero, yes, but one who was mortal, and prone to failures and flaws just as the rest of us are. He is shown here in his true light (at least as close to it as possible--he was a mysterious man).
The only reason for giving this movie four stars is that it was a little too long--at times it seemed to drag a little bit. I think the scenes with Lawrence and company riding through the desert could have been significantly reduced in time without any detraction from the movie.
Despite its length, Lawrence of Arabia remains one of the most timeless classics ever made, and ranks among the greatest epic adventures of all time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THIS IS GIAGANTIC
Review: Great story, great actore, great everything. I loved it.


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