The Story of Lawrence of Arabia - Movie Review Example

Order 293253 Topic: Lawrence of Arabia write-up. Introduction: Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. Thomas Edward Lawrence, popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, belongs to the second category. This is the story of a man, (apart from his academic credentials) who studied in the college of self-education, where his mind was his Principal; his initiative, his Professors; his hard work, his Tutors. A man who would decide, act, start and finish! This is the story of one such man, whom God deputes on Planet Earth for carrying out extraordinary responsibilities. Hart writes, “History hardly offers a clearer case of a man born for a mission, of a life moving along a path pointed out by fate-even though twists in its course may have hid the direction.”(Hart, 1989, p, 3) In this article, the issues and incidents relating to the meritorious rise of Lawrence from a helping hand in the Military Headquarters of British, to an extraordinary leader, who led by example, is discussed. Apart from his military adventures, the account of his skilful role as a negotiator for the Arab interests with the Western Powers is also given. This man was appreciated by no less a person than Sir Winston Churchill, the then Prime Minister of Great Britain. He possessed excellent literary skills. The synopsis of the story goes thus. Lawrence is content to call him an ‘ordinary man’, but all extraordinary personalities are modest in saying thus about themselves. Born in Tremadoc, Wales, in 1888, Thomas Edward - known as Ned - was the second of five illegitimate boys. Sir Thomas Chapman fell in love with the family governess, Sarah Junner, left his first marriage, took a new name of Lawrence and remained unwed. “School”, he said later, “was an irrelevant and time-wasting nuisance, which I hated and condemned.”(Hart, 1989, p, 4)He appreciated the practical life and remained ever ready to face its harsh realities. Lawrence family settled in Oxford, and here Ned got the opportunity to go to school and university. As a youth his latent love for history and travel found outward manifestation, and he took fascination to explore castles and old churches. A study trip took him to Syria, where he walked over a thousand miles. He studied remote Crusader castles. After graduation, he decided to become an archaeologist. His thesis for his finals was: The Influence of the Crusades on European Military Architecture - to the end of the XII century. He arrived to the Middle East, to work in an excavation site in Carchemish from 1910-1914, in northern part of Syria. Everything about Arabic fascinated him. A young Arab worker Dahoum was his traveling companion with whom he developed a close friendship. With the declaration of war, Lawrence returned to England. He joined the British Army and was posted in Cairo. His Arabic knowledge came handy to interrogate the Turkish prisoners, who revealed the Turkish Army locations and strengths. In 1916, he was designated as a liaison officer to join the Great Arab Revolt, led by Prince Feisal. His military genius came to the fore; he used guerrilla tactics and attacked Turkish lines of communication, avoiding direct confrontation. In 1917, Lawrence created military history. He led Arab fighters, to attack Aqaba, an important port town and Turkish port. The Arabs had to ride hundreds of miles across the desert to unleash the attack, least expected by the Turks. The result was a foregone conclusion—a stunning victory for Arabs! General Allenby, the commander was highly pleased by this strategic military victory. Lawrence returned to London to represent Arab point of view to the British government and to promote Arab independence. He was part of the Arab delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. He officiated as Prince Feisal’s translator. The Arab viewpoint was ignored by the Western leaders. Lawrence was frustrated by this scheming politics, and he retired to write his war memoirs, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, that was published in 1926. He died in a motorcycle crash in the year 1935. How this man mixed freely with men of high status and people of all levels, and yet kept his essential dignity! This is the secret of greatness of his personality. He candidly makes a fair assessment about himself, when he states, “I can be on terms with scholars, or writing people, or painters or politicians; but equally I am happy with bus conductors, fitters or plain workmen….Perhaps my upbringing and adventures –and way of thinking—have bereft me of class. The leisured make me uncomfortable, as I can not play of pass time.”(Hart, 1989, p, 4) Lawrence was buried at the local parish church of St Nicholas Church, Morton. His house is now owned by The National Trust. His gravestone is inscribed with the Latin phrase Dominus illuminatio. The spot of the crash is marked by a tree plantation. The important character in the movie must relate to T.E. Lawrence. (Peter O’Toole) Lawrence of Arabia movie is considered to be the masterpiece epic of director David Lean. A movie made about 50 years ago, still keeps anyone watching it spellbound. It won seven Academy Awards in 1963 for Best Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction, Music, and Sound. This is a work of cinematic genius. The movie is based on the life and heroism of the British Officer T. E. Lawrence during World War I. In the movie the lesser-known actor Peter O’Toole plays Lawrence. He is shown as a peculiar lieutenant who does not care for any sort of military discipline. Before joining the army, he was a graduate in archeology, and as shown in the movie, he was not enamored of his life and assignment of coloring maps for the British Army. The dimly lit headquarter building makes Lawrence gloomy. When the Arabian Prince Feisal declares war, he is assigned the role of an observer for the fighting forces against the Turkish army. This is a great opportunity for Lawrence to put into practice his skills in public relations and the great love he has for the desert-dwelling people and their valor. He succeeds in rallying the various factions of tribes together for the common cause of fighting the Turkish army. He helps the British to turn the tide of World War I. The prime objective of the British is to stop the Turks from gaining control of the Suez Canal. After seeing the movie, the well-known critic Robert Marley writes, “Yes, my friends, the velvet curtain fell on the golden-era of Hollywood a long time ago. But at least we still have the proof to show all would-be producers and directors out there just how good a film can be.” (Marley, 2000) Lawrence understands the working of the minds of the Arab tribes, but only in parts. He fails in his attempt to create an Arab state. The goals of the Arabs are not fat-sighted so as to create history. Their main interests are transient issues like pride, money and possessions. Notwithstanding his extraordinary military skills, he can not develop the complete rapport with the men he is leading. An unbridgeable gap exists. That is the truth, for which one need to condemn Arabs or pity Lawrence. It just happens when one makes plans to build, impracticable and impossible permanent relationships, when there is absolutely no scope due to the historical ground realities. Lawrence writes, “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.”(T. E. Lawrence…) There are many good scenes in the movie and mention of two important scenes is made below. The movie is shot in Pan Vision’s famed Super 70mm format. The shooting location is one of the most uninhabitable places on Planet Earth. This is a great movie befitting to be viewed on the big screen. The cinematography is breath-taking. Fierce loyalties of the tribes are pictured. A film totally devoid of the female voice and yet romantic and kind! From a narrow-minded, selfish, individual love, the movie transcends to the realms of universal love, where the desert with unending sand dunes, -- sand, sand and sand again-- is their mother. The sky with the scorching sun is their father. They succeed in seeking happiness through trials, tribulations, duty and beauty of their valor. They live for a cause so dear to their hearts-tribal loyalty! They are willing for the ultimate commitment-their life itself-for maintaining the honor of their tribal traditions. The scenes in the movie have taken all these factors into consideration. The desert is shaped into an object of desire. The fierce hot wind, blowing through the endless sand dunes, and the heart-throbbing martial music, makes the scene fiercer. The rousing orchestral themes take you to the war-front, without actually taking there! The tribal force and traditions are latent in the musical notes. A haunting effect is created as if the pointer to some impending calamity to befall on the Desert. Lawrence is stationed in the Arabian Desert, mute and majestic, and this is going to be his future playing field for military expeditions. And this is the time, for the viewers of the movie to see some cinematographic images, actually the mirage shot! This is to announce the arrival of Sherif Ali. The next one is the jump-cut from burning match in Lawrence fingers as if to pay tributes to the rising desert sun. Lean makes the journey theme of the film in style and with a purpose. All the movements in the film are from left to right. Another important scene shows Tafas drawing water from the well belonging to a rival Bedouin tribe, en route at a Harith well a Masruh. How fierce are the tribal loyalties and how quick-thinking are the people when it comes to defending the honor of the tribe? In this scene, on the desert horizon, amidst the mirage-like heat waves, a small figure-like thing appears. At that time, Lawrence, as usual, is thinking about the war moves. He fears that the Turks have found them out. The image steadily grows and as it comes closer, without a warning, Tafas, Lawrence’s escort is gunned down in cold-blood by the black-robed Bedouin. What is his crime? He has drawn water for drinking at the well owned by the rival tribe. That is the unpardonable sin of the man, for which he is killed without further inquiry or trial. This is the law of the Arabian Desert! As the Director of the movie, David Lean excels. This is an extraordinary movie crafted by an extraordinary director. His efforts and success are no less important than a full-fledged military exercise. The themes dominating the movie are important and surcharged. Fate, loyalty, diplomacy and war! David Lean tackles all of them, the diametrically opposed motives, leaving Lawrence as a dark blank shadow in the scorching, brightly-lit desert. He has created an utterly convincing portrayal of Lawrence. For Lawrence is not an ordinary personality. He is a mercurial character and decides the most unexpected course of action. His determination to do, what he wishes, borders craziness. But intelligence and charisma are his winning assets. His determination to achieve the impossible is the height of his madness! He is thinking about forging permanent unity of the disjointed Bedouin tribesmen. He is aiming at the impossibility. Such glory and peace can never befall on the lot of Arab tribes. Lean shows the rare mixture of brutality of life and the necessity of compassion in the character of Sharif. That sort of treatment makes the movie more human than brutal. Mind you, Lean is not directing a love-story. He is in a war game of the tribes known for their fierce tribal loyalties and the guile of Western powers! “He had met Lawrence briefly in Akabar and, invited to write an account of the conflict, started lecturing on the subject using films, slides, music and dancing. Attendees were amazed by the romanticized story of the dashing army officer dressed in Arabic costume, riding camels and horses alongside the rebels. The stark contrast with the bleak pictures and accounts of trench warfare led to Lawrence being portrayed as a heroic figure akin to knights of old.” (BBC - h2g2, 2006) Viewed from all angles, David Lean has done full justice to the story and the multi-dimensional personality of Lawrence. ================ . Works Cited: Hart, B. H. Liddell: Book: Lawrence of Arabia (Da Capo Paperback) Paperback: 458 pages Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 21, 1989) Language: English ISBN-10: 0306803542 ISBN-13: 978-0306803543 Marley, Robert, 2000: Lawrence of Arabia Movie Review, DVD Release - Retrieved on April 22, 2009 BBC - h2g2 – Created: 21st March 2006, Lawrence of Arabia - the Man, the Books, The Film21 Mar 2006 ... Lawrence of Arabia - . Retrieved on April 22, 2009 Cannon, Damian, 1997: Lawrence of Arabia (1962) ,A review by Damian Cannon. Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997. , Retrieved on April 22, 2009 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) Top 100 and Top 10 · Great Movie Lines · Greatest Quotes Collections ... Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – Retrieved on April 22, 2009 T. E. Lawrence Quotes - The Quotations PageT. E. Lawrence, "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom". Retrieved on April 24, 2009 Read More