Callie E Walker ANTH 3500 Due 12SEP2013 Lawrence of Arabia Review Lawrence of Arabia takes place in the outdoor spectacle and endless deserts of the middle east This film tells the stunning story of a famous British soldier adventurer complete with camels Arabs Turks and explosions all led by Peter O Toole The British actor plays Lawrence a guerrilla leader sent to the Middle East by his command to take charge for the great power and bring of age the Arab tribesmen of World War I He is credited with bringing together the Arab desert tribes against the Turks for the British and trying to establish Arab unity amongst these numerous tribes There are many great things about this film the most obvious being the magnificent scenery There are also some thrilling barbaric style fights and beautiful scenes of mirages in the desert that allow for no misinterpretation of the plot One will also most definitely take note of the impressive presentations of historical figures such as Prince Feisal and General Allenby and T E Lawrence himself There comes a part in the film when Lawrence as the hero of this entire plot survives a drudge that is sure to end in defeat across the desert He comes across shelter and water but proceeds to turn around and go back to find his friend that fall behind on the march For quite a while the audience is suspended staring at nothing but the shimmering heat of the desert The suspense builds as you realize that a man is slowly appearing out of the mirage and as his detail becomes more clear so does the vastness of the desert and the implications of the journey Although Lawrence of Arabia is not simply a biographical account or an acton Callie E Walker ANTH 3500 Due 12SEP2013 soaked saga it contains both elements It is undoubtedly true that Lawrence played a major role in enlisting the far scattered and ununified tribes of Arabia to the British cause in the 1914 to 1917 campaign against the Turks Despite this historical truth the film suggests that he acted less out of patriotism than out of his own will to reject British society and identify with the Arab people in an Indiana Jones sort of gallantry way T E Lawrence was not the typical hero that graces the stages of an epic film such as this O Toole is a far cry from Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp the sort of actor one might expect to play the role of a hero but O Toole s particular manner was used brilliantly when cast as an unconventional military hero inspiring Arabs who existed far from the British world in 1914 O Toole dressed in the flowing white robes addresses one of the key characters an American journalist played by Arthur Kennedy Lawrence is clearly fascinated with this man who in his time with Lawrence recreated in its entirety the trials and tribulations of Lawrence of Arabia to the entire English speaking world in a mythical and magical way that captivated readers making Lawrence an untouchable hero Kennedy tells Lawrence openly that he wants a heroic story to tell and Lawrence happily abides as an ordinary military hero wouldn t have been able to fill the shoes of this quirky and charismatic governor This is by far one of the longest movies I have ever seen running nearly four hours this considered Lawrence of Arabia is not dense with erroneous plot details and side stories of love a fate There is never a doubt regarding the plot and its aerial dialogues throughout the various crusades leave the engineering in the clear Callie E Walker ANTH 3500 Due 12SEP2013 Lawrence is very successful in achieving his goals in this film Throughout the plot he is able to unite numerous desert minorities and his success is thanks to 3 things The most notable contributor to his success is his alliances with desert leaders like Sharif Ali played by Omar Sharif Prince Feisal played by Alec Guinness and Auda Aub Tayi played by Anthony Quinn He is able to convince these people that striking the Turks is in their interest and the British are there to back them up hence allegiances are built respect is gained and logic prevails when the Turks are defeated The film also argues that Lawrence bridges the gap between rivals because of his ignorance His foreign presence and unbiased knowledge of these tribes allows him a grace with all tribes because he know nothing of them and thus will not takes sides among them The ancient reputation and histories between them mean nothing to Lawrence so unity is possible So much of the attraction to this movie is simply great film making The scenes without sound the scenes of sun just peeking over the horizon instantly illuminating a harsh yet beautiful desert climate Most people don t talk about the dialogue or the plot they remember the majestic line of camels far off in the desert oasis with sand whipping all around them all but swallowing them up This is a film of images a timeline that entrances those who are not a part of this world and fills with pride those who are The epic nature of this film is not in its cost or its length of production but in its form