Prince Feisal: "But you know, Lieutenant, in the Arab city of Cordoba were two miles of public lighting in the streets when London was a village?"
Lawrence: "Yes, you were great."
Prince Feisal: "Nine centuries ago."
Lawrence: "Time to be great again, my lord."

Epic adventure film, released in 1962. Directed by David Lean and written by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson, based on writings by T. E. Lawrence himself. Cinematography was by Freddie Young and art direction was by John Stoll, with costume design by Phyllis Dalton and original music by Maurice Jarre. Starred Peter O'Toole as T. E. Lawrence, Alec Guinness as Prince Feisal, Anthony Quinn as Auda abu Tayi, Jack Hawkins as General Allenby, Omar Sharif as Sherif Ali Ibn El Kharish, Anthony Quayle as Colonel Harry Brighton, and Claude Rains as Mr. Dryden.

O'Toole was nominated for Best Actor, and Sharif for Best Supporting Actor. The film won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.

Obviously, this is a biopic of Lawrence, a British army lieutenant who helped lead an Arab revolution. When you hear film buffs talking about "Epic Motion Pictures", this is usually the film they're talking about. It's long and boring in some places, but the cinematography -- in particular, every damn scene shot in the desert -- is breathtakingly beautiful, and the scale and scope of the movie are sweeping and exciting. If you can't see this film in a theater, at least make sure you rent the widescreen video. I don't care if you don't like the black bars. God meant this movie to be seen in widescreen, and you shouldn't piss God off.

A few bits of trivia for you: (1) This movie singlehandedly made Peter O'Toole into a major movie star; (2) Despite the three-hour-plus length and huge cast of characters, the film has no women in speaking roles; (3) While shooting on location for the famous scenes depicting the sabotage of the train, director Lean and his crew found some of the wreckage from the trains that Lawrence himself had originally blown up.

Auda abu Tayi: "I carry twenty-three great wounds, all got in battle. Seventy-five men have I killed with my own hands in battle. I scatter, I burn my enemies' tents. I take away their flocks and herds. The Turks pay me a golden treasure, yet I am poor! Because I am a river to my people!"

Research from the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com)

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