Film Snail

8.0

Lawrence of Arabia

PG·1962·228m

Adventure

History

War

Adventure

History

War

Summary

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.

Cast

Peter O'Toole

T.E. Lawrence

Alec Guinness

Prince Feisal

Anthony Quinn

Auda abu Tayi

Jack Hawkins

General Allenby

Omar Sharif

Sherif Ali

José Ferrer

Turkish Bey

Anthony Quayle

Colonel Harry Brighton

Claude Rains

Mr. Dryden

Arthur Kennedy

Jackson Bentley

Donald Wolfit

General Murray

I.S. Johar

Gasim

Gamil Ratib

Majid

Michel Ray

Farraj

John Dimech

Daud

Zia Mohyeddin

Tafas

Howard Marion-Crawford

Medical Officer

Jack Gwillim

Club Secretary

Hugh Miller

R.A.M.C. Colonel

John Barry

MP in Map Room (uncredited)

Bruce Beeby

Captain at Officer's Club (uncredited)

Fred Bennett

Sergeant at Cairo Headquarters (uncredited)

John Bennett

Arab Sheik (uncredited)

Steve Birtles

Motor Bike Rider (uncredited)

Robert Bolt

Officer with Pipe Gazing at Lawrence (uncredited)

Peter Burton

Damascus Sheik (uncredited)

J.R.M. Chapman

Extra (uncredited)

Barbara Cole

Nurse (uncredited)

Basil Dignam

Cavalry General at Field Briefing (uncredited)

Peter Dukelow

Driver in Cairo (uncredited)

Mohamed El Habachi

Talal (uncredited)

Kenneth Fortescue

Allenby's Aide (uncredited)

Harry Fowler

William Potter (uncredited)

James Hayter

Sheik in Arab Council (uncredited)

Jack Hedley

Reporter (uncredited)

Rafael Hernández

Turkish Soldier (uncredited)

Noel Howlett

Vicar at St. Paul's (uncredited)

Patrick Kavanagh

Staff Major - Murray's Aide (uncredited)

David Lean

Motorcyclist by Suez Canal (uncredited)

Ian MacNaughton

Michael George Hartley (uncredited)

Clive Morton

Artillery General at Field Briefing (uncredited)

Daniel Moynihan

Officer in Officer's Club (uncredited)

Henry Oscar

Silliam (uncredited)

George Plimpton

Bedouin (uncredited)

Bryan Pringle

Driver (uncredited)

Ernie Rice

Mourner (uncredited)

Robert Rietti

Majid (voice) (uncredited)

John Robinson

Infantry General at Field Briefing (uncredited)

Norman Rossington

Corporal Jenkins (uncredited)

John Ruddock

Elder Harith (uncredited)

Fernando Sancho

Turkish Sergeant (uncredited)

Stuart Saunders

Regimental Sergeant Major (uncredited)

Cyril Shaps

Bartender in Officer's Club (uncredited)

Jack Sharp

Mourner (uncredited)

George Spence

Mourner (uncredited)

Roy Stevens

Truck Driver (uncredited)

Graham Tonbridge

Mourner (uncredited)

Barry Warren

Arab Sheik (uncredited)

Crew

Director

David Lean

Screenplay

Michael Wilson

Screenplay

Robert Bolt

Reviews

narrator56

September 24, 2020

This is obviously an epic film, lasting nearly four hours with the wide, sweeping desert vistas and huge cast. It describes a fairly brief period of time out of a remarkable man’s life. I wonder how modern viewers handle the length of the movie, accustomed as they are to movies this lengthy featuring superheroes with humor and almost constant action.

I don’t even remember how long ago I originally watched Lawrence of Arabia —quite possibly forty or more years ago. It has aged pretty well overall. The only negative thing that struck me when I recently re-watched it may well be due to my age. But it can be a talkative film at times, which is fine, but they sometimes talk fairly softly, and if such a scene transitions to music, I found the music to be so loud in comparison that it lifted me half of my chair. I had to have remote in hand to be ready to adjust the volume. A minor thing.