Rating: Summary: Lawrence of Arabia Review: This 2 disk DVD is THE example of what makes a VERY good DVD. One of the most well done I've ever seen. The movie's restoration was retained... the color of the sand is correct, it's the original length before release! The sound has been remixed and takes advantage of the 5 channels in 5.1 English. An awesome effect during the echo scene in the canyon. The extra features on the 2nd disk are great including the documentary... the paper insert from the original movie program is well done. The interactive map viewable on a PC was also well done and it provides a good illustration of the superhuman efforts T.E. Lawrence pulled off on foot and camelback. Even the case with the cloth like feel is really nice. The movie itself is a true masterpiece and the DVD with 5.1 DD is the best way to experience it outside of a 70mm theater. Each scene is a work of art. True the story may be a bit slow per todays standards, but you can see the story/movie's influence on many others such as Dune, the English Patient (some story elements come directly from the time period) and the first Star Wars movie.
Rating: Summary: WHAT A DVD! Review: When I first saw this I was taken aback. What a novel packaging style! The case is designed to look like Lawrence's journal. Excuse me while I backtrack a bit and tell you that this is one of the top 5 films ever made. O'Toole, an Irish actor, was a virtual unknown until making this movie that made him a household name. The only thing is that this DVD needs, begs, pleads to be shown on the biggest screen possible. If you don't have a big widescreen t.v., then find someone who does and watch this movie. The cinematography, acting, screenplay- it's all there, and in stunning fashion. I can easily say that this is the best DVD you can buy...now I have to wait for the release of an equally magnificent Citizen Kane transfer.
Rating: Summary: Excellent DVD! Review: wow. i just say, they did a superb job in creating this DVD. the extras are all wonderful, the menus great, but just the film itself. i had a widescreen copy on tape, and the colors and sound transfered over to the DVD are amazingly perfect. i was amazed at the colors, how full and rich they were. good job to the creators of this DVD!
Rating: Summary: 1 of my top five films Review: This is truly the epic film. As a movie lover, I have never seen such poetic heroisim in any kind of story. David Lean has his masterpiece. Every aspect of the film is nearly perfect. Although at times seems slow for younger viewers, at 20 years of age I was inspired to research more of this young Lawrence of Arabia. From what I read about Sir Lawrence, he was truely intellegent, brave, and at times seems mad beyond common sence. He captured the imagination of a generation of a people at war. His Seven Pillars of Wisdom gives us his wisdom, courage, and his wrath. He also tells us he has had his doubts. That he has a conscious. Human and then some. But then David Lean (Peter O'tool) shows us more. The madness of this misfit anglo-saxon-arabian knight who was in the right place at the right time that becomes the general of the first modern Arabian Army. And he is not sure that he wants to be the legend. He who wants to be human (average). Far from being so, in any case, not only is the character interesting but the location, directing, cinematography, soundtrack, acting and the insight will insure that there there won't be a remake of this MASTERPIECE for a long, long time. Now at the age of thirty, this is in my top five films. The DVD features are excellent. Although my keep-case is falling apart.
Rating: Summary: Slow moving story Review: I am used to seeing movies with fast action or at least a good story. This movie has neither. Some british guy goes to the mideast and fights with turks. The screenplay never explains why he would do that. At least the writer who wrote this uninteresting piece of fiction could have created a plausible story. The movie is so slow moving and dull that I fell asleep.
Rating: Summary: The best movie ever made Review: I have seen this movie on the big screen, vhs, and now dvd. Of course, nothing compares to the big screen experience, but if you have a decent sized television and surround sound, the dvd experience is the next best thing. I really can't add much to what is already known about this movie, but I will say that Peter O'Toole is the most glorious actor in the history of motion pictures. That performance has never been matched, not even by O'Toole himself. And as far as David Lean is concerned, he was at his peak as a director. How much more can one accomplish after making a masterpiece? I love this movie every time I see it, especially when campared to so called epics like "Gladiator" with it's muddied color and wooden acting. By the dvd version and you'll have many hours to enjoy this wonderful film. The scenery is simply stupendous and all the other actors are almost as good as O'Toole. Buy it!!
Rating: Summary: Mac users out of luck Review: Macintosh users should know that the DVD-ROM features on this disk are not usable on their computers -- not even if they are running PC emulation with Virtual PC. I find this an egregious flaw in an otherwise splendid DVD.
Rating: Summary: This is the One! Review: Well, this is the one, isn't it? The Big Daddy of all epics. And, here it is gloriously presented on DVD. Of course Lawrence of Arabia should be seen on the big screen, but failing that, this is your next best option (especially if you have Big Screen TV and surround sound).Lawrence of Arabia has become, like Citizen Kane before it, synonymous with greatness and near-perfection. Well, it does not disappoint. Fastidious and glorious in all its facets from casting to music score, it is grand entertainment. It is for sure that you will never see another like it. Even if you could afford it, it would be unlikely you would be able to keep a cast & crew dedicated to filming in the desert for over 2 years, as David Lean did! And what did that kind of dedication yield? Just some of the greatest production and cinematic values ever put on film. It was breathtaking 40 years ago, and it is breathtaking today. With a riveting, star-making performance by Peter O'Toole as the driven, enigmatic Lawrence at its center, surrounded by an exquisite cast, and with, as Steven Spielberg says "perhaps the best script ever written" David Lean's obsessive perfectionism created a masterpiece for all time. Quite simply, it is not to be missed. The DVD is beautiful and reminded me how, as it did Spielberg, this movie just blew me away when I saw it in its first release. The DVD extras are nice, especially the aforementioned talk by Spielberg and a nice "making of" documentary with a mixture of location shots and more recent recollections by the players. This is one of the great, unique achievements in film: art & entertainment in a seamless, wonderful & unmatched mixture. It is a Masterpiece.
Rating: Summary: The reason I bought a 53" sreen TV Review: There is nothing like watching this epic film on a large screen TV. The scene of Lawrence coming out of the desert is amazing!! What appears to be simply a shot of the horizon is actually a shot of Lawrence approaching after saving a Bedouin in the desert. He starts as a spec on the screen, which can be viewed in all of it's digital mastery only on the right entertainment center. This movie is incredible on DVD.
Rating: Summary: Classic Film Epic Review: David Lean's film is a masterful blend of history, adventure and psychology. O'Toole's intense performance is the centerpiece of the film along with the striking desert scenery. Be sure to get this one in widescreen to capture the mystique of the desert and the epic proportions of the film. The astounding cinematography along with Mauice Jarre's stirring score captures the mystery and the exotic lure of Arabia. O'Toole's performance is masterful--this is the film that made him a star. Alec Guiness plays an enigmatic Prince Feisal--one of his great over-looked roles. A must see for any true film historian
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