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Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition)
Availability:
In Stock
Price:
$14.94
$7.45*
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| Part No: | B00006ADD5 |
| Manufacturer: | Columbia Pictures |
| MFG Part: | COLD09431D |
| Customer Rating: | 4.5 / 5.0 |
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David Lean's splendid biography of the enigmatic T. E. Lawrence paints a complex portrait of the desert-loving Englishman who united Arab tribes in a battle against the Ottoman Turks during World War I.
There's no getting around a simple, basic truth: watching
Lawrence of Arabia in any home-video format represents a compromise. There's no better way to appreciate this epic biographical adventure than to see it projected in 70 millimeter onto a huge theater screen. That caveat aside, David Lean's masterful "desert classic" is still enjoyable on the small screen, especially if viewed in widescreen format. (If your only option is to view a "pan & scan" version, it's best not to bother; this is a film for which the widescreen format is utterly mandatory.) Peter O'Toole gives a star-making performance as T.E. Lawrence, the eccentric British officer who united the desert tribes of Arabia against the Turks during World War I. Lean orchestrates sweeping battle sequences and breathtaking action, but the film is really about the adventures and trials that transform Lawrence into a legendary man of the desert. Lean traces this transformation on a vast canvas of awesome physicality; no other movie has captured the expanse of the desert with such scope and grandeur. Equally important is the psychology of Lawrence, who remains an enigma even as we grasp his identification with the desert. Perhaps the greatest triumph of this landmark film is that Lean has conveyed the romance, danger, and allure of the desert with such physical and emotional power. It's a film about a man who leads one life but is irresistibly drawn to another, where his greatness and mystery are allowed to flourish in equal measure.
--Jeff Shannon
| A FABULOUS Classic! | 2008-12-12 | 5 / 5 |
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Classic - action story - can very much be related to current issues in the Middle East today - tribes fighting tribes and their inability to get along at many times except to come together to fight a common enemy.
Great spectacular larger than life scenes.
The original Lawrence was an odd, short and not very handsome man, Peter O'Toole is so beautiful, it is hard to take your eyes off him. He is a big breathtaking in his white robes.
I've heart the book that he wrote "The Seven Pillars" is better than the movie, and I've gotten that and plan to read as well. This is a movie that everyone should have in their permanent movie collection, it can be watched over and over. I believe it is one of the all time best movies. I even heard that before Stephen Speelberg makes a movie, he always watches this first - to remind himself just how "the perfect movie" looks..... |
| Warning, but it's still a great movie. | 2008-11-29 | 5 / 5 |
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A great movie. One of the all time best. We all know that! Even all the Ebert wannabees that clog these pgs know that.
This 'Collector's Ed' has the intermission 20 mins into the second disc! I realize there are tech reasons for this. I think so anyway. It's still a pain. If only the intermission was at the end of the first disc. Perhaps in the near future they can put the whole movie onto one disc. Transfer is pretty good to my non-techie eyes. |
| It SUCKS!!!!!!!!!! | 2008-11-19 | 1 / 5 |
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In the product description is said it has subtitles in spanish, due to the fact that my dad only speaks spanish I thought it would be a great gift for him and make him remember his days of youth, but its just a BIG LIE!!! the movie only has 2 languages: English and French.
Now why didn't we returned it? We are too far away to start a process like that and my dad was too excited to take a look at the description that he just peeled off the wrap. |
| Lean is a painter | 2008-11-09 | 5 / 5 |
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| This is the true story of a young British man whose arrogance defies everything and everyone. With the passion of a leader and the heart of a conflicted man, he is a speck in the vast desert, influencing cultures and tribes of the Middle East to unite as nations and of course give advantage to the British Empire. Lawrence Of Arabia is poetry on film, from one incredible scene to another. It defined the modern epic. It has a rare visual artistry and beauty that will never date itself. Lean is a painter and his canvas is the silver screen! |
| In all seriousness - the most overrated movie of all time | 2008-11-09 | 1 / 5 |
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I watched this movie because it's a classic and IMDB rates it #35 movie of all times.
This comment comes from someone with a long attention span, who actually enjoys long movies where there is character development (Gone with the Wind, for example) or an intricate plot (The Usual Suspects); from someone who is not an action flick junkie but appreciates film for the underlying philosophy (Memento, The Machinist, Vanilla Sky, Dark City) and the dialogue (Before Sunrise); from someone who recognizes beautiful cinematography (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Anna and the King), innovative editing (Run Lola Run) or non-linear storytelling (Memento).
In each of those aspects, Lawrence of Arabia plain sucked.
The movie is so painful to watch that it took me 5 hours to go through it, with breaks to save my sanity. Yet had I left the movie running, I wouldn't have missed anything. The plot is nothing to write home about, and the only worthwhile piece of the stilted dialogue is when Lawrence challenges the Arab notion of predestination with his willpower: "I shall be in Aqaba. That IS written. [pointing to forehead] In here". There you've just had all that's worth watching in this most protracted piece of utterly useless celluloid. Indeed, the only other memorable thing about it is its length. If you want to see a portrayal of a character's determination, watch Cool Hand Luke. Heck, you have to be even more determined to watch Lawrence of A Labia in its entirety.
Therefore, excuse the title of the review, but really, I challenge you to describe in clear, logical terms why Lawrence of Arabia has an 8.6 rating on IMDB and is #35 in the Top 250!
In the meantime, I will completely and irrevocably cease to use IMDB's ranking as a source of movie recommendations. |
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