What would be your reaction if I told you to rent a movie that has history, violence, war scenes, Arab terrorism, an implied male-on-male rape scene, humor, stunningly beautiful to watch, great characters and has (at that time) an unknown as its lead? What if I told you it was also a buddy and road picture? What if I told you it got a 98% positive-review score at Rotten Tomatoes better even than To Kill A Mockingbird? Now what would be your reaction if I told you it won 7 Oscars including Best Picture? Now what would be your reaction if I said it was almost 50 years old? Are you still with me? Sound like something you'd like to see? Now what is your reaction when I tell you it is Lawrence of Arabia? Can't run away fast enough, can you?
I had the pleasure of seeing it again this week. I had a good widescreen copy and I have to tell you that it was an extremely pleasurable three hours. Why is it is has a reputation of stuffiness, of being a snooze-fest, of being something you wouldn't watch even if someone paid you? Give it a try sometime. It made Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif international stars.
I swear you'll love it.
Here is Ebert's review:
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20010902/REVIEWS08/109020301/1023
O'Toole's looks prompted a different reaction from Noel Coward, who after seeing the première of the film famously quipped "If you had been any prettier, the film would have been called Florence of Arabia".[3]
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