Laurence of Arabia (1962) ***

Source: Imdb

Though I can see on what kind of an epic scale this classic about cocky British officer fighting alongside Arabs was produced, I also thought it was terribly long-winded and felt somehow lacking. The structure was that of a Shakespearean play, with things spiralling out of control in several consecutive acts. I did not understand Laurence: he starts out with romantic notions of warfare, but soon gets a reality check. He is traumatised, discovering uncomfortable truths about himself and wants to stop the downward spiral. Yet his thirst for fame seems to win every time, driving him deeper and deeper into depression and almost to madness. In the end, I think he is actually quite suicidal (I would expect he'll drown himself in the Mediterranean on the way home). Peter O'Tool excelled at the more delicate emotional bits. It's a crying shame that the movie didn't give him more of those to do. Omar Sharif also gave a great performance as an adversary who learned to respect Laurence, even becoming a genuine friend in the end. I think this film is ripe for a re-make, with tightened story telling and more character work to illustrate the human drama.
Technically, this piece must have cost a fortune. All those extras, all the animals, all the on-location shoots with sand and sun and wind... Well done! I was also surprised by the PG violence. Nowadays it's so unusual to see a film just spare the audience the exposure. A very strange feeling, but I love that. I think it's sad that these days, everything always has to be so graphically violent and people don't even notice (I only noticed because there was, technically, no violence in this film. Only implied.)
I can see why this film is so highly regarded, but it's not suitable for my modern cinematic pallet. 3/5 for effort and a few touching moments of Laurence's tortured soul shining through. Though I should take that all away for not a single female being in this film.

 Laurence of Arabia on Imdb