Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

VHS CASE/SIDE

Length of film: 228 Minutes

Rated: Approved

Genre: Adventure, Biography, Drama

Director: David Lean

Starring: Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Omar Sharif

IMDB Rank: 8.3/10

Part 1 Time: 140 Minutes

Part 2 Time:  88 Minutes

Where does the first part end? General Allenby (Jack Hawkins) and Mr. Dryden (Claude Rains) walk and talk about Lawrence’s (Petter O’Toole) success and possible future British involvement in future Arabian conflicts.  

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “He’s riding the whirlwind,” General Allenby states. “Let’s hope we’re not,” Mr. Dryden responds to the Arabs request for more supports against the Turks.

First line of dialogue on the second part: “Excuse me, friend, who do these bags along to?” Spoken by American journalist Jackson Bentley prior to his interview with Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness).

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, for Lawrence he has been successful in overtaking Aqaba for Prince Faisal and now has the backing of the British army in future Arabian conquests.

Which part is better? First Part, documents Lawrence’s rise as a leader and a symbol for the Arabian peoples. The second part displays Lawrence’s fall showing the downfalls of having to much ambition and ego. The better of the two halves has to be part one due to the cinematography, journey to Aqaba, and the ensuing battle.

Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography-Colour, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Colour, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Music Score- Substantially Original, Best Leading Actor (Nominated- Peter O’Toole), Best Supporting Actor (Nominated- Omar Sharif), Best Writing- Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Nominated),

National Film Registry: 1991