T.E. Lawrence is a lieutenant in the army who is stuck in a clerical post in a basement. He is an eccentric young soldier and quite insubordinate. He is picked to go on a mission to Arabia and infiltrate the inner circle of Prince Faisal and find out what he is up to. Lawrence goes beyond the call of duty, making his way into the trust of the Arab clans until his grandeur lifts him to a godlike idol that the Arab soldiers will follow anywhere. Lawrence's former attitude against violence and murder change as he grows a blood lust and leads an army into defeating the Ottoman Empire.
Peter O'Toole shines in the lead. Hard to imagine that it is his first leading role. His depiction of Lawrence is quite remarkable. The changes he goes through from his humble beginnings in a murky basement drawing maps, through his study of Bedouin, finally to his rise as Arab Idol! It is an intense performance and he steps up to the plate. The lush technicolour adds vividness to his piercing blue eyes. The supporting cast is exceptional to. Omar Sharif as sheriff Ali is a particular triumph. His character being most affected by Lawrence as they seemingly do a swap of morals. Ali is prime witness to his decent into blood lust madness and tries to stop him from falling too far.
The centre of it all is the perplexing character of T.E. Lawrence. A man with undecided loyalty and unpredictable to say the least. This intriguing man is the core around which a superb cast, stunning cinematography and a triumphant score by Maurice Jarre revolve to make this a true great by David Lean.
Perfect Sunday matinee fodder.
Warning. This film contains no women!
O'Toole's range from meek to madness is almost as stunning as his eyes.
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