#6 DZP: Lawrence of Arabia

An inordinately complex man who has been labeled everything from hero, to charlatan, to sadist, Thomas Edward Lawrence blazed his way to glory in the Arabian desert, then sought anonymity as a common soldier under an assumed name. The story opens with the death of Lawrence in a motorcycle accident in London at the age of 47, then flashbacks to recount his adventures: as a young intelligence officer in Cairo in 1916, he is given leave to investigate the progress of the Arab revolt against the Turks in World War I. In the desert, he organizes a guerrilla army and--for two years--leads the Arabs in harassing the Turks with desert raids, train-wrecking and camel attacks. Eventually, he leads his army northward and helps a British General destroy the power of the Ottoman Empire. Written by alfiehitchie



Based on the memoirs of one of the most remarkable men of the twentieth century, Lawrence of Arabia tells the tale of TE Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), an obscure Oxford scholar who transformed himself into a fierce desert warrior and charismatic leader. He took on the might of the Ottoman empire with a rag-tag army of Arab tribesmen, and beat them!



On the way, Lawrence negotiates the treacherous intrigues of both Arab diplomacy and British military politics to achieve his end - the liberation of Arabia from the Turks. Blowing up trains or rustling up gold and armoured cars to fuel the Arab revolt, Peter O'Toole is masterful in his portrayal of this enigmatic hero.

Along the way, he encounters remarkable men of all types, from Prince Faisal (Alec Guiness), Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Auda Abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn) and General Allenby (Jack Hawkins) - all of who produce some of the best performances of their careers in depicting these widely differing but crucial identities.

Now I'm sure this is a definitely a classic movie for most... but I couldn't latch on to this flick. Yes Peter O'Toole is witty and charmingly good looking, but the movie just couldn't lift off the ground for me! I mean it starts with Lawerence's death from a motor cycle... I sat there and thought "well which movie did I get? I thought this movie was about Cairo and Arabs... did I miss something?!?"