No pirates were needed.

[prillalar]

I just got back from seeing Lawrence of Arabia at the uni theatre. I'm not sure I can adequately describe the experience, but it's one everybody should have.

Even though the film is about 3.5 hours, there's not much of a plot, just trajectory. The journey. Movement, movement, movement, much of it slow. It's a very visual film and I think I'll be

Comments

Lawrence!!!

[ash_llelo]

Found your post off a friendsfriends list and just had to comment.

All. Time. Favorite. Film.

The editing, the cinematography, the acting, the story, just everything is completely stunning and perfect in this film.

Fav moment: The look on Peter O'Toole's face as he yells "no prisoners" after seeing the Turkish column.

The first time I saw Lawrence it just blew me away, so now I love to hear about others reactions to it on their first viewing.

And: Lawrence/Ali 4eva!!!!! OMG!!!11!!!!
Almost did that with a straight face. ;)

Re: Lawrence!!!

[carmarthen]

What ash_llelo said, only I'm not sure what my favorite moment is. The whole "flowers for the man" scene, maybe, and not just because it's unbearably slashy.

I am still kicking myself over missing it on the bigscreen when it was at a local theatre this summer.

Re: Lawrence!!!

[prillalar]

"Flowers for the man" was a great scene. When I saw the flowers, I was half-expecting the insertion of a woman into the movie, but, of course, it was Ali. Lovely.

You know, I really liked how they didn't make Lawrence not-gay, if you know what I mean. They didn't try to butch him up.

One of my fave scenes was when they put him into the Arab robes and he goes off alone and all of a sudden he's Lawrence, Queen of the Desert, dancing and swirling with such exuberance, just entirely himself.

Re: Lawrence!!!

[carmarthen]

Not only did they not downplay the Gay, they made it text. I so want to hear Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole talk about this.

I withhold judgment about real!Lawrence, but movie!Lawrence is so the canonically gay.

[widget285]

Mmm...I remember seeing "Lawrence of Arabia" on the big screen, perhaps 10, 11 years ago at this wonderful art deco movie palace in DC. It was breathtaking. While video and DVDs are wonderfully handy things, a film like this *has* to be experienced on a big screen, at least once. As you say, it's all about the visuals and when blown up to epic scale they are absolutely stunning.

[prillalar]

Stunning is the word. I don't think any other movie has affected me visually so strongly. (Maybe Spirited Away, but that was completely different.)

The long, long scenes of watching someone slowly change from a dot on the horizon to a smudge and then finally to a person on a camel were just enthralling, even though, by rights, they should have been boring.

[movies_michelle]

I saw Lawrence years ago on cable, when I was about 15, and couldn't figure out why ALL fans weren't talking about it. It's one of the greatest films ever made, is beautiful in the extreme, and ranks near the top of pretty much every list of Great Films, but it's also an incredible character study, has some great angst, and is slashy as hell (IMHO).

I got to see it on the big screen just a few years ago, after I moved to Seattle and it was even more amazing. I second that it really, really must be experienced (for it's just not "viewing") on the big screen at least once. It's amazing.

[prillalar]

It makes me want to see a bunch of other films now, to see the influence. Clearly, it has to have informed any desert scene that came after it.