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The memory of the movie stuck with me for years and when
it finally made it to video, about two decades later, it was
snapped up with glee.
Now, another decade on, its arrival on DVD has blown me away.
If ever there was a movie invented for the word spectacular
then Lawrence of Arabia is it.
It follows the desert adventures of a true-life British misfit,
T.E. Lawrence, who helps unite Arab tribes into rebelling
against their Turkish rulers during World War I.
Much of the movie is used to introduce you to the heat and
difficulties of the desert, building up the characters and
the sneaky political manouevrings, but when the action scenes
come - boy, do they arrive.
Whether it be the blowing up of an enemy train, the "impossible"
capture of Aqaba or the massacre of Turkish soldiers at Tafas,
you will be amazed at David Lean's eye for creating battles.
The sharpness and quality of DVD really adds power to Lean's
magnificent landscapes, which regularly dwarf the human elements
and reduce them down to ant-like figures on a glaring, heated
canvas.
At times, the razor-sharp imagery has you entranced and,
after a sandstorm, you may find yourself trying to count the
grains of sand dusting Peter O'Toole's face.
As you would expect from a Lean production, everything is
just about perfect. The images, the casting, the scenes, the
script ... in fact, the whole box and dice.
It's hard to imagine that Lawrence marked the screen debuts
of O'Toole and Omar Sharif (his first major Western role),
but both are excellent. O'Toole moves between effete misfit
and almost-psychotic killer with ease, while Sharif is marvellously
urbane as the loyal and honourable Prince Ali.
Across the board, the all-male line-up is wonderful with
each charcater infused with personality and individuality.
With a near-perfect audio and video transfer, this DVD sparkles
and turns your television room into a feel-the-heat, feel-the-sweat
experience of adventure in the Middle East's deserts.
Glorious and stunning.
Conclusion: Movie 95%, Extras 80%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
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