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Lawrence of Arabia

Oscar™ Best Picture - Winning Movies

Lawrence of Arabia

1962

David Lean

Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins ...

8.0

48,181

Adventure. Drama. War While working on the staff of the British Intelligence in Cairo in 1916, Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to a mission to establish contact with Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness), leader of the Arab revolt and ally of the British against the German-sponsored Turks in WWI. Impressed by Lawrence's knowledge of their culture, the prince allows the young officer to join his staff, and Lawrence quickly earns the respect from the Arabs after he ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"What a bold, mad act of genius it was to make 'Lawrence of Arabia', or even think that it could be made (...) For a movie that runs 216 minutes, plus intermission, 'Lawrence of Arabia' is not dense with plot details."
		Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"Vast, awe-inspiring, beautiful with ever-changing hues, exhausting and barren of humanity (...) [It] lacks the personal magnetism, the haunting strain of mysticism and poetry that we've been thinking all these years would be dominant"
		Variety	"The David Lean touch gilds everything (...) [Peter O’Toole] makes a striking job of the complicated and heavy role of Lawrence."
		Desson Thomson The Washington Post	"You're captivated from the start (...) The ensemble around O'Toole is unparalleled (...) Maurice Jarre's memorable score (...) crashes over you"
		Kate Cameron New York Daily News	"Lean and photographer Fred A. Young have combined their artistic talents in an evocation of the Arabian desert that makes it both terrifying and deeply moving in its lonely grandeur."
		Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader	"One of the most intelligent, handsome, and influential of all war epics. Combining the scenic splendor of De Mille with virtues of the English theater"
		Chris Nashawaty Entertainment Weekly	"The greatest, most sweeping, most eye-dazzling epic of all time (...) So much about the film is outsize, it’s easy to overlook just how nuanced and intimate O'Toole's performance is"
		Andy Klein Los Angeles Times	"One of the most universally praised films ever made, and deservedly so (...) Its presentation of the roots of modern conflicts in the Mideast seems more relevant and important as time goes on."
		Angie Errigo Empire	"A combination of exhilarating, exotic adventure and an intensely personal, human story (...) Lean's 'Lawrence Of Arabia' honours [Lawrence] with a more complex, sympathetic but compelling fame (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"Masterpiece (...) They don't make them like this any more (...) This is a movie with the excitement of a cavalry charge."
		Adrian Turner Radio Times	"[A] magisterial portrayal of one of Britain's most enigmatic yet charismatic heroes (...) There are some awesomely beautiful images (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Simon Reynolds Digital Spy	"Masterpiece (...) Peter O'Toole's finest moment (...) An experience you won't forget in a hurry"

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