Rating: 
Summary: Just one drawback - and it's a big one...
Review: This is a very well-produced DVD edition. It's beautifully packaged, the picture and sound quality are quite good. But the film itself is divided onto two discs. Considering the amount of information you can fit on one disc, why did the producers make this choice ? Perhaps a lesson could have been taken from the Gladiator DVD - put all the extras on Disc 2 and leave the film untouched. Apart from that one ( in my opinion ) bad choice, this is a wonderful addition to anyone's collection. This film has dozens of reasons to be appreciated. And for the price, you really can't go wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: Insane!
Review: This movie was made before my time so I'll try to give a short review for the younger viewer who's never seen it. As you can see from the number of reviews it can be enjoyed on many levels, but I'll just focus on the visual aspects. This is simply the most astonishing collage of images ever placed on film. Few movies can compare to this because 99.9% of them are cheating, with fancy special effects and techno-wizardry. You'll realize that once you see it! I demand that you see this film just to appreciate the sheer effort and determination it took to make it. And if you're looking for something to test out your new home theater, please look no further. Gladiator is for wussies!
Rating:
Summary: "With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion"
Review: It is a well-known fact that Lawrence of Arabia, director David Lean's epic biopic about the exploits of British officer-gone-native T.E. Lawrence, is one of the best motion pictures of all time. It not only features a stellar cast headed by Peter O'Toole (a virtual unknown back in 1962) and Alec Guinness, but its script by Robert Bolt is considered by many to be one of the most perfect screenplays in the history of film. When one considers the unbelievable history of this movie - the incredibly long period of principal photography (over 200 days, and 117 of those spent in the deserts of Jordan), and the incredible restoration in 1989 (literally coming to the rescue and saving the original decomposing negative, and as a result introducing the film to a new generation of viewers) - it isn't any wonder that it took this long for Lawrence of Arabia to make it to DVD. Any treatment of the Lawrence story has to decide where its sympathies lie. Was Lawrence a legendary figure -- a real hero and idealist who truly felt it his destiny to unite the Arabs and lead them to control of their own country -- or was he simply an opportunist -- willing to use the desert campaign which the British were directing, if imperfectly, simply to make himself look good? The film Lawrence of Arabia at times straddles this line, but on the whole, comes down firmly on the side of Lawrence the idealist. It also makes clear, however, that increasingly, Lawrence himself was uncertain of himself. The first cracks in his self-confidence appear with the trek across the Sinai Desert that almost ends in catastrophe before he finally makes it to the Suez. A passing British motorcyclist yells to him from across the canal "Who are you?" Lawrence's reaction, all in the eyes, is clearly that he's not sure himself. When he reluctantly returns to the desert, we see increasingly a Lawrence who is in love with killing. In the end, he is a tragic figure, dismissed by the military and politicians ("We are equally glad to be rid of him, are we not?"). It is clear in the final sequence, however, that whatever doubts he may really have had about himself, the film's position is that his heart lay with the Arabs, rather than going home to England. This reconstructed "director's cut" is the basis for Columbia's new DVD release. It's a two-disc set nicely enclosed in a fabric-covered book-like case. The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen preserving the 70mm original aspect ratio of 2.2:1 and utilizes 56 scene selections. It is spread over two discs with the break coming at the intermission about two hours into the film's 227-minute length. The disc image looks stunning. Jarre's marvelous music is also well presented by the Dolby Digital 5.1 track. It is lush and expansive, though mainly confined to the front speakers. Occasional directional effects are unobtrusively handled and are effective when used -- all in all, a very pleasing audio experience. The film's dialogue is clear and distortion free. The disc contains a lengthy list of supplements. With the exception of some DVD-ROM material, these are confined to the second disc. The most prominent supplement is a new making-of documentary prepared by Laurent Bouzereau. There are also four short production featurettes, three in black and white and none longer than five minutes, which provide a nice complement to the new making-of documentary. Rounding out the content are: a short bit of newsreel footage of the New York premiere; the original theatrical trailer, plus trailers for two other Columbia epics; cast and crew information; some DVD-ROM content featuring historic photographs of Arabia and a map of the region; and a twelve-page insert booklet covering historical background and production notes that has been reproduced from the original 1962 souvenir booklet.
Rating:
Summary: "landscape & score are the essentials"
Review: First time I saw this film was the year it was released in 1962 ~ believe it was a wonderful motion picture ~ now that I see it again on DVD ~ know now how wrong I was ~ this is a GREAT film. But the real stars is the landscape (desert) shifting and whispering as it does and the score by Maurice Jarre. Jarre's score is simply epic in sound, overwhelming in depth and has completely captured the time and place with every note and measure. Even though Peter O'Toole (T.E. Lawrence) is the main character ~ it is Alec Guinness (Prince Feisal) and Anthony Quinn (Auda abu Tayi) whose performances give you the essence of the story and make it work, let's not forget Omar Sharif (Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish) when we first see him at the well, an impacting scene between him and O'Toole. David Lean (director) did such a fantastic job, won the oscar for that year for Best Director ~ Maurice Jarre won for Best Score and Freddie Young for Best Cinematography ~ but once again was the landscape and score we remember so well! If you enjoyed this DVD ~ check out the score on CD ~ "Lawrence Of Arabia" (Silva America SSD-1010) The Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Tony Bremner ~ digitally recorded with additional music. Total Time: 227 minutes...Columbia/Tri Star...(2001)
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece , Plain & Simple
Review: This film is the greatest epic ever filmed. It not only has spectacular set design and action sequences, but also an extremely intelligent script, and sublime acting.These qualities should be cherished, for we rarely see it these days. The transfer to DVD is marvelous. Recent films like Titanic or Gladiator don't hold a candle to this movie. ( Pearl Harbor too, I mean c'mon, Michael Bay ? He hasn't made a good movie yet; don't believe the hype!) Let me say also that an intelligent film such as this one does require a bit of thinking on the viewers part, so if you possess the attention span of a gnat, I don't think that this film will be your cup of tea. There are plenty of Adam Sandler movies to choose from.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME
Review: I've only seen this movie once. My senior year in high school, I saw it in my history class. I instantly fell in love with it. It's hard to call a movie you've only seen once your favorite, but with Lawrence of Arabia, it's hard not to call it your favorite. The scenes are cool, the directing is great and the directing is phenominal. It doesn't get any better than this. I'm a film student currently and only dream of living up to this type of movie, which I'm sure I'll never be able to. I'll be honest, I don't own this film YET, but I strongly recommend, if you haven't seen it or don't own it, see it and add it to your coollection.
Rating:
Summary: The best movie EVER made
Review: Simple as that. The best film ever made or will ever be made.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: I always dreamed to see this movie and when I finally saw it I was astonished. First of all the sets were magnificent and the desert was beautiful. The movie is very genius and hard to understand so I would recommend this movie to those who are movie collectors and to those who think a lot. Lawrence Of Arabia is a true epic.
Rating:
Summary: Larence of Arabia is best film I have ever seen!
Review: This is the most beautiful film I have ever seen on DVD. I have the earlier VHS version and the difference is unbelievable. The color on DVD is magnificent and having the DVD option of Dolby sound makes the score sound incredible. In its entirety, the film colors are rich and true. Omar Sharif's robes are totally black not grey and Peter O'toole's white robes are breathtaking. Omars eyes are rich and liquid brown, the skies are blue with white clouds, and the camels harnesses are beautiful bright and multicolored. The desert sands are tan colored, light brown and all hues in between, shifting ever so slightly from scene to scene. And the acting is beyond any I have seen in many many years. Peter O'toole should have an Oscar on his mantle because he made T.E. Lawrence a reality for me, so much so that since buying this DVD, I have bought and am reading T.E. Lawrence's book about his campaign in the desert "Seven Pillars of Wisdom." A five star event made unforgettable on DVD forever.
Rating:
Summary: A Grand, Thrilling Epic.
Review: "Lawrence of Arabia" is one of the great epics. A film that is captivating in its scope and grandeur. Director David Lean has here his best film. It is a remarkably well-made film with a fantastic screenplay by Robert Bolt and dynamic performances by Peter O'Toole, Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif. But what makes the film a masterpiece aside from the great dramatic elements, is the incredible visual quality. The vistas are breathtaking and it will be a very long time before anyone films the desert like Lean did with this film. It is even more breathtaking a movie to watch when you know this was released in 1962, long before computer graphics were essential to visuals. Everything is REAL, alive and thundering. And whatever beautiful visual side-effects we see in the sand or caused by the heat caught in the background by the lenses, is quite natural too. The action sequences are also great to this day. This film is epic and grand, heroic and exhilarating yet beautifully artistic. And there is of course, the romantic, wonderous musical score by Maurice Jarre. It is one of the great masterpieces of the cinema. A true classic that still stands the test of time. This new DVD edition is fantastic and the making-of documentary is fascinating and very informative. It is a worthy treatment. Here is one of the truly great films.
| 
