The story of British officer T.E. Lawrence's mission to aid the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Lawrence becomes a flamboyant, messianic figure in the cause of Arab unity but his psychological instability threatens to undermine his achievements.
Even the flies in the opening Cairo scene jump out at you.
– Douglas Pratt,
Hollywood Reporter,
4 Mar 2004
fresh:
Approach it from whatever angle you like, performances, script, cinematography, score; David Lean's sweeping biography of T.E. Lawrence is unarguably magnificent.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
29 Nov 2004
fresh:
The passage of time has only proved how difficult it is to run ideas, history, characterisation and landscape in harness on this sort of scale.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
24 Jun 2006
fresh:
[It] remains one of the most intelligent, handsome, and influential of all war epics.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
13 Dec 2006
fresh:
It was a big bold project and has turned out a big bold film.