Original interpretation — not a still from the production
The largest film ever made about one very complicated man.
The Continental Verdict
Essential
Lean's picture is enormous and yet almost entirely interior: every dune, every mirage, every hour-long ride exists to describe what is happening inside Lawrence. O'Toole, in his first significant role, plays vanity and courage as the same substance.
See it on the largest screen you can find, with the overture and the intermission intact. Watching it on a laptop is a category error.
Why Watch It
The Gentleman Factor
Leadership, self-invention and the moment both become intolerable.
Look Out For
- The match cut to the desert sunrise
- Sharif's arrival from the mirage
- The taking of Aqaba
The Locations
Wadi Rum in Jordan, Almería in Spain, and Seville standing in for Cairo and Damascus.
More from the travel pages →The Cars
Motorcycles — one of them fatally.
More from motoring →The Wardrobe
British service dress against Bedouin robes; the costume argument is the plot.
More on style →The Soundtrack
Maurice Jarre's Oscar-winning score.
Into the music room →Watch Next
Where to Watch
Prime Video; the Sony 4K restoration is one of the great disc releases.
For the Collection
Also in War & History
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