So Lawrence of Arabia was on my watchlist for a long time. But watching a 4 Hour White Savior Movie from the 60s seemed too daunting a task.
And mind you I'm not opposed to older movies. I love a ton of them. I was just afraid that Lawrence of Arabia might turn out like 2001:A Space Odessey did for me. A Technical Masterpiece that is way too slow and detached for me to form any kind of investment.
But now having watched it I can safely say it's one of the best films I've ever seen and a great character subversion.
First things first. This movie is a technical masterpiece. It does scale like no other. The Desert is massive and expansive. The Battles are Epic. The Cinematography sweeping. The make up, Costume and set design is immaculate. The score is perfect. And the pacing is great. This movie does not feel like 4 hrs.
Most importantly the writing. The writing is great. All of the characters are complex and 3 Dimensional. They have great relationships with each other. The movie instead of giving you a good and bad side gives you a constant sense of ambiguous morality between the characters.
But more importantly it's the story of T.E Lawrence. And it's a perfect subversion of the White Savior/Going Native Trope.
Instead of being a Righteous Strategic Genius who comes to understand the Natives, sympathizes with their cause and helps them defeat their enemies. Lawrence is an overly ambitious Egomaniac who never really understands the Arab people. Who only helps the Arabs out of his own ego because he wants to be the guy who gave the arabs their Freedom. And who in the end accomplishes nothing of significance.
He thinks he united the Arab people under his name but he didn't.
He thinks the Arab Army would follow him North but they don't.
He thinks he can deceive the Turks in Deraa but gets immediately captured.
He thinks he can run Damascus without the British but fails miserably.
And T.E Lawrence himself is just a deliciously Complex character of contradictions.
He's well spoken, knowledgeable, Brave, Ambitious, clever man who can easily manipulate people. But his Ambition often gives way to his massive ego which leads him to make stupid decisions.
He doesn't want people getting hurt at his behest and even goes out of his way too save them. Yet in his ambitions he constantly makes plans that hurt other people.
He has an aversion to violence and killing finding it barbaric. But he also has violent impulses and relishes in the violence.
He in part atleast genuinely cares for the Arabs and their cause for Freedom. And yet he still constantly manipulates the Arabs and wants their Freedom to come through him.
In Conclusion, if you are on the fence about Lawrence of Arabia because you think it's too old, too long or too boring, don't be. It's an incredibly entertaining Epic film with great writing and great characters.
See it now.
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