Lawrence of Arabia

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Lawrence of Arabia

PG

Released Dec 16, 1962

3h 42m

Biography

History

Drama

Adventure

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Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

132 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. With the aid of native Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert to attack a well-guarded Turkish port.

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Critics Consensus

The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography.

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Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

From the early shots laid on the sun-hot sands there is grandeur and awe-inspiring, stark splendor, against which men fight and die, battle for their ambitions and then see their dearest ideals crushed by uncaring, mercenary politicians.

Apr 20, 2021

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Mae Tinee

Chicago Tribune

The script is taut and expressive and the musical score deftly attuned to the tale. Director David Lean has molded his massive material with skill, but personally I felt the film was too long,

Apr 20, 2021

Full Review

Josephine O'Neill

Sydney Morning Herald

A supremely engrossing film, Lawrence of Arabia makes one forget that it runs nearly three and three-quarter hours: and sends one out haunted and shaken.

Apr 20, 2021

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

As much larger-than-life character study as war drama, the film made a star of Peter O’Toole, whose intense performance brings T.E. Lawrence alive as the blue-eyed desert warrior and obsessive dreamer ...

Nov 16, 2024

Full Review

James Baldwin

The Devil Finds Work

It may be said that the weary melancholy underlying Lawrence of Arabia stems from the stupefying apprehension that, whereas England may have been doomed to civilize the world, no power under heaven can civilize England.

May 1, 2024

Full Review

Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

As the larger-than-life, controversial, and complicated titular T.E. Lawrence, Peter O’Toole gives one of the singular performances in the history of film. His immense onscreen presence is a worthy juxtaposition for the man he portrays.

Jun 8, 2023

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Chrissy

Liked the music. The color was wonderful. The different angles of the shots worked well

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/02/24

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Spencer Nielsen

Perhaps the epic to end all epics. Lawrence of Arabia feels like the promise of larger-than-life spectacles, delivered. Yet, with how grand it all is, David Lean never loses focus on the personal story of T.E. Lawrence.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/14/24

Full Review

Joseph

Amazing epic truly a movie one should watch at least once in their lifetime.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/13/22

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Brian

I thought it was a very good movie. Hopefully I can purchase a video of the movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/22/21

Full Review

Merick H

This film is beautifully shot, powerfully scored, and the first half is fantastic. But in the second half of the film, a little after they take Aqaba, the story itself seems to lose direction and purpose. The pace of the story really picks up; the motivation for the character's actions are not always clear--we never really get a clear understanding of who Lawrence is, why he wants what he wants, and why we, as an audience, should care. There is not enough character development for us to really care about any of the secondary characters either. The first half of the film is excellent and there are some compelling aspects of the second half, but the story itself is just not that good. The ending is interesting, but anticlimactic and unsatisfying. Being held in such high regard, ultimately, it was disappointing. In the scheme of things, the film left me wondering if TE Lawrence's existence mattered at all. What did he accomplish, really, and what difference did it make? This might sound cold, but it is not clear to me if this is a figure worth remembering--not to mention, immortalizing in a four-hour epic.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

Luca D

Get comfy because this movie is a long one. Is it worth it in the end, definitely. I think the length of the desert scenes help you better understand how long their days must have been crossing the desert. Definitely worth a watch if your up for it and like epics.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/14/24

Full Review

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David Lean

Director

Peter O'Toole

T.E. Lawrence

Alec Guinness

Prince Feisal

Anthony Quinn

Auda abu Tayi

Omar Sharif

Sherif Ali ibn el Kharish

Jack Hawkins

Gen. Lord Edmund Allenby

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Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - No Prisoners

2:10

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - Nothing is Written

2:13

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - A Prophet's Shadow

2:12

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - The Nefud Desert

2:08

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - Attack on Aqaba

2:13

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - A Funny Sense of Fun

2:13

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - Ali's Well

2:12

Lawrence of Arabia: Official Clip - Come On Men!

2:10

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Lawrence of Arabia: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. With the aid of native Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert to attack a well-guarded Turkish port.

Director: David Lean
Producer: Robert A. Harris, Sam Spiegel
Screenwriter: Robert Bolt, Michael Wilson
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Horizon Films
Rating: PG
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 16, 1962, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 2, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.0M
Runtime: 3h 42m
Sound Mix: Surround

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