LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

title: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

year: 1961

cast: Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins

rating: *****

Don't let a lot of sand, a long running time, and the word epic make you think this film is anything short of pure entertainment. Each segment lasts no more than twenty minutes, and all seem like individual shorts enveloping the entire masterpiece by David Lean, who directed this miraculous film starring newcomer Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence, a quirky British soldier who never quite fit: given the task to investigate a revolt against the Turks in 1916. He does more than that, eventually leading a group of Arabs, including a young Omar Sharif and veteran Anthony Quinn, across a fatal desert and into an important battle: both seeming impossible to everyone except Lawrence. The first part, including the famous mirage scene (Sharif on a horse appearing from the distance and slowly moving in closer) and incredible battle sequences sets up for part two: handing off the perspective to an American columnist writing the story of the man who's become a living legend. One scene, where Lawrence admits to a general that he wants to quit because he enjoys killing, is beyond description. How O'Toole didn't win an Oscar for this...