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Subject: A review of the movie Lawrence of Arabia

(Thur., Feb. 23, 2006)

(approx. 3545 words, 6 pages)

(or)

This is a review of the movie Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence was a British officer serving in the Middle East during World War I, and this movie is the story of Lawrence's service in that war, and in the end, it is the story of his vision for the people of that region of the world. It is a very complex movie, set in a very complex time, in a very complex place, the Middle East. It is a 44 year old movie about 90 year old incidents, but in many ways, it is as if all happened just "yesterday". . .

Historical Context and Setting

I would say the turning point of modern warfare is World War I, and, of course, there were many larger historical issues surrounding that war, and this view is pretty accurate I think. In many ways if you can understand World War I, you can understand "everything" which precedes it, and follows it. It marks the collapse of modern humanist Western Civilization. The end of the Czars, and the Hapsburgs, and the Ottoman Empire (and even the Chinese were going thru major changes in those years to centuries' old dynasties). Clearly World War I set the conditions for World War II, and the subsequent Cold War was little more than a playing out of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 on a worldwide scale. The recent liberation of Eastern Europe sees the final conclusion of World War I as much as the conclusion to World War II or the Cold War. It was also in World War I that the idealist Woodrow Wilson developed the notion of "making the world safe for democracy," essentially an American ideal of "liberty and justice for all," for all people everywhere. And in point of fact the conflicts in the Middle East in our time really see their contemporary formulations take shape in the World War I years and the issues of that time, as well.

In this review, I do not wish to investigate how historically accurate the details of the movie are because that would take the matter too far afield, but in fact, the general truths are pretty accurate, as I understand what historians say, as are many if not all of the details. The importance of this cannot be overstated because we are looking at real history here, which is truly inspiring and which is still very relevant to this day, and so we are going to take the movie as real history, and not merely a fictionalized account of the events.

Most movies are, of course, not at all about historical events, and when they are they are highly romanticized and fictionalized and so forth. Not so with Lawrence of Arabia. We get Lawrence blemishes and all, and his almost unbelievable political idealism, and his brilliant military analysis and maneuvers. Truth, in this case, is not "stranger than fiction" but far, far more interesting and inspiring. One almost could not dream up such a story or character, if one wanted to, but, all in all, the story is said to be accurate, and we are going to so take it to be. It was made by David Lean, who also did Bridge over the River Kwai and Dr. Zhivago. (It is said that it took Lean 2 years to make/ shoot Lawrence. That fact alone is hard to really get a grasp on, for me anyway.)

Lawrence was a genius, a military genius, but in the end he over-reached and failed to accomplish his larger political vision, and his heart was broken by it. This movie is that story in all its complexity. The movie starts with the death of Lawrence (no less) in a motorcycle accident and his subsequent funeral, and the whole story is then presented as a flashback. Right off the bat at the funeral you meet almost all the main (British and American) players, but you do realize it, and it is not really necessary to remember who they all are, but they all re-appear as the story unfolds. Each of the characters at the funeral, however, reflect their character and personality as it will appear in the film and their complicated relationship to Lawrence.

The movie's first words are, "He was the most extraordinary man I ever knew," said by his best friend, to the degree that Lawrence had a best friend, one Colonel Brighton. Certainly he was Lawrence's greatest admirer.

Also at the funeral we get the famous General Allenby. "What? More words?. . . No, I didn't know him well you know," says Lord Allenby, who was eventually to be Lawrence's military commander. (In truth, though he does not want to claim it, Allenby may have known Lawrence better than anyone! But you do not know any of this as the movie starts.)

"He was a poet, a scholar, and a mighty warrior," says the American news reporter who made Lawrence known to the world in the newspaper. All true of Lawrence, no doubt.  However, Lawrence's first commander in Cairo has not so much good to say, "Knew him? No, I never knew him. He had some minor function on my staff in Cairo," says this final character to comment on Lawrence at the funeral. The viewer is then taken back to Cairo, and the beginning of World War I. And then the story of Lawrence begins...

In Cairo, Lawrence is some junior officer on staff, and he manages to get picked, or is picked, actually, to go into Arabia and investigate the status of the Arabian tribes, who were allied to the British, and who were also fighting the Turks, the allies of the Germans in World War I. It is these opening scenes of the movie in Cairo that you get to know Lawrence in all his complexity and genius. ("The trick is not minding that it hurts," Lawrence says of burning his fingers with a match.)

"He knows his stuff," says the bureau chief Dryden, seeking Lawrence's services to go into Arabia for him. To which Lawrence's commanding officer says, "Knows books you mean. . " Lawrence knows books, all right, but he knows a lot more than books. And he says, quoting a famous Greek general (not philosopher), "I cannot fiddle, but I can make a great state from a little city." There are artistic people, and then there are warriors, but Lawrence is a little bit of both, in fact, quite a bit of both. A pure warrior, you might say.

Lawrence says of his new assignment to go deep into Arabia in order to find out what is going on in the war, "This is going to be fun." To which his superior Dryden responds, "Lawrence, only two kinds of creatures get 'fun' in the desert, Bedouins and gods, and you are neither. . . For ordinary men it's a burning, fiery furnace.. . [but] It is recognized that you have a funny sense of fun." This is the movie in a nutshell. Lawrence takes his assignment and pushes it to its limit, and with genius and boldness, perhaps unsurpassed in that great conflict of World War I. And in many ways Lawrence set new standards in military tactical maneuvering before he, tragically and complexly, finally goes "too far," you might say. But, regardless, this is truly a first-rate movie, "Big things have small beginnings," says Dryden of Lawrence's new assignment early in the movie, but, Dryden also says, "the job of the moment is to win the war. . ."  Where's Lawrence?

As much as anything the movie is about Lawrence's personality. . .

As much as anything the movie is about Lawrence, and his unusual personality and his single-minded dedication to his assignment. Lawrence leaves Cairo on his new assignment and goes deep into the Arabian desert with his Bedouin guide. When the guide tells Lawrence to drink some water, Lawrence says back to him, "You do not drink?" The guide says, "No" and Lawrence drinks no water and says, "I'll drink when you do." At night at the camp site Lawrence says, Britain is a "fat country," but he is not "fat" because he is "different." Lawrence is not "fat" but "focused" we would say today, and he is going to do what he is going to do, and what he sees his mission in life to be, and after that nothing else matters to him, nothing else at all, the consummate warrior, the pure warrior,. . . to a fault? Perhaps that is the "pure warrior's" fate (as Achilles?)? In any case, it is here in this first camp site that we get the pistol which will play such a central and re-occurring role in the movie until the end of the movie when Lawrence himself uses it and eventually runs out of bullets and discards if for a knife in bloody hand to hand combat to kill the enemy.

Just as one of the most famous scene of Jesus' life is with the woman at the well, so too one of the most famous scenes of this movie is of Lawrence at the well with the young Arab Prince, played by Omar Sharif. This scene alone tells you everything you need to know about Lawrence's sense of idealistic vision and the problems Lawrence faces in uniting the Arab tribes and giving them a vision for a modern national democratic state with rights and liberty for all. From this scene we go on to meet old Prince Feisal played by Alec Guinness.

Alec Guinness, perhaps the greatest actor to have ever lived, plays Prince Feisal, the leader of the Arabs, and the scene in his tent with Lawrence is, I think, one of the greatest scenes of movie history ("No man needs nothing," says wise old Prince Feisal to the young Lawrence), but the scene does not start so profound but slowly progresses to that point. The scene starts with Lawrence and the British Colonel Brighton, and a group of Arab leaders and a reading from the Koran, where the followers of Islam may be physically sick (and in need of God's help) but other followers seek this world's bounty, while still others fight wars for God (a curious trio or threefold set of man's condition from an Arab Muslim perspective). But the young Lawrence has been told to keep his "mouth shut" in this meeting, but he is too talented and too brilliant to follow such orders, and he gives his guerrilla strategy for victory over the Turks, intriguing old Prince Feisal who asks him to stay and talk.

Then Lawrence consults with Feisal alone, where Prince Feisal shares his dreams for his Arab people. Lawrence says, "You were great (9 centuries ago), time to be great again, my lord." and Feisal responds, "I long for the vanished gardens of Cordova. However, before the gardens must come the fighting," and this is where Lawrence begins to map his strategy for Arab victory over the Turks, for "a miracle," which leads Lawrence to an intense night in concentrated thought on the matter. In his autobiography he says he had some kind of sickness or fever or delirium, as I recall, and it was then that he had this "idea" for victory, as it were. This particular scene is one of my favorites in the history of movie making, but if you have never wrestled all night in thought, prayer, or delirium on a bold maneuver or grand strategy, it may not do much for you. 

As Lawrence sets off to take Aqaba, he asks Prince Feisal, "We can claim to ride in the name of Feisal of Mecca?" To which Prince Feisal responds, "Yes, you may claim it, but in whose name do you ride?" In any case, Lawrence is the consummate warrior, the pure warrior, and clearly someone you want on your side in a fight. . . . which in a sense is a description of every warrior's life goal? Life is like being a kid on the playground when you choose up teams for some sports contest, and you pick the best or most needed player first? We all remember that, do we not? I think we do. ("The girls don't do anything like that, at least they didn't used to..." Really?)

After his tent scene with Feisal, Lawrence conceives and pulls off a major military victory, by crossing miles and miles of desert and attacking and taking Aqaba, an important forward port city of the Turks, and he does it by attacking Aqaba from the rear, no less. Brilliant, risky, gutsy. . . A milestone, of sorts, in military history, historians say...

"From now on, we must travel only by night. . .a few hours each day," says Sharif as they cross the desert to Aqaba. "Why don't we start now?" responds Lawrence. "No, we will rest now." "Fine, I'll wake you," says Lawrence, never to be outdone! They make it through the desert, eventually, after some unbelievable problems, and Lawrence shares with Sharif the fact that he is a so-called "illegitimate" son (as Alexander Hamilton was, no less, not in the movie, of course), and Sharif then takes the liberty to re-name Lawrence "Lawrence of Arabia" (El-Lawrence), which Lawrence accepts in "fun," with no objection.

Aqaba is taken ("My God, I love this country," says Lawrence after taking Aqaba), but all is not well. . . the tribes he has united for the battle are not happy with the results. "Paper, paper, there is no gold in Aqaba, no gold, no great box," says Anthony Quinn who plays a tribal leader. (One of my favorite lines ever uttered on film.)  However, Lawrence convinces Quinn he can get "gold. . . guns. . everything," and he sets off back to Cairo on a camel. The journey is extremely difficult and proves to rattle Lawrence, beyond his ability to handle it (a bit "bi-polar," as we say today). But, in truth, Lawrence was not that mentally stable in the first place, and after the unbelievable victory at Aqaba, Lawrence begins to lose control of things, and on returning to Cairo, the supreme Commander Allenby (the one who actually knows Lawrence best) convinces Lawrence to go back into Arabia and lead a guerrilla war to defeat the Turks. Allenby asks, "So, you'll hold down the Turkish desert army,. . . with a thousand Arabs?" "Yes," Lawrence responds, ". .. in 13 weeks, I can have Arabia in chaos. . . Arabia is for the Arabs now. . that's why they're fighting," "O, surely," responds Allenby. And so Lawrence does go back into Arabia to lead the revolt in the desert . . . Lawrence realizes the war cannot be fought in a conventional way by the Arab tribes in set piece battle engagements, and he organizes the tribes into a guerrilla warfare (certainly not "terrorism") behind the enemy lines with hit-and-run tactics. 

Perhaps, the most famous scene in the movie. . .

The scene which starts Part II is perhaps the most famous scene in the movie, and it takes place after Lawrence has started his desert campaign. An American newspaper reporter comes to Arabia to talk to Prince Feisal about getting a story on Lawrence, who is out fighting the Turks with his "Arab army." Old Prince Feisal lays out exactly what Lawrence is doing and the complex nature of Lawrence's military task and Lawrence's unusual personality (shall we say).

The America reporter asks, "Where can I find Major Lawrence?. . . Major Lawrence is in charge of all of this, is he?" To this Prince Feisal responds, "My army is made up of tribes; the tribes are led by the tribal leaders." And the reporter queries, "Well, your people do think very highly of Major Lawrence, though?" "O, yes, and rightly," says Feisal, "in this country the man who gives victory in battle is prized beyond every other man.. . ." Feisal then goes on to ask, "Are you looking for a figure who will draw your country [the USA] towards war?" "Yes," the reporter replies. "Lawrence is you man. . ," says Feisal.  (Indeed, he was?)

But, what is the movie about, really?

But, what is the movie about, really? The story of the amazing military exploits of Lawrence is not really what the movie is about, nor is the movie really about Lawrence's over-focused warrior personality. The movie is really about Lawrence's vision for the people and tribes of Arabia to drive out the Turks and to come into the modern world with a modern political state or, that is, democracy, with liberty and justice for all. Sound familiar in 2006, or what?

He wins many people to this vision, but in the end it proves to be too great a task and too great a transition for those people to make, at that time. Still, Lawrence's idealism and commitment and his great love for the Arabs are remarkable. Clearly Lawrence has more belief in them than they have in themselves, and they break his heart in the long run. Still, Lawrence overreaches, foolishly, when he is eventually captured by the Turks. He had become so certain of himself that he was captured by the Turks, and severely beaten, and tortured, and he, of course, was very broken and scarred by the incident, understandably. In fact, the wound he receives at a moment when he thinks himself invincible proves to be his ultimate downfall when captured. It is, on the whole, a complicated, somewhat fictionalized, but essentially true story, nonetheless. Lawrence truly was captured and tortured (but, in truth, Lawrence was not exactly the most stable person who ever lived in the first place).

Who was Lawrence? A somewhat nutty idealist, but a brilliant idealist, with guts, unbelievable guts, and with true "vision," the warrior, the pure warrior. This in many ways is the story of the movie, and of Lawrence's life. Lawrence's courage can be summarized in just a couple of lines spoken by General Allenby when things were in their darkest hour, but these lines could have just as easily been said when Lawrence was going to Aqaba, successfully, to defeat the Turks. When Lawrence was going north to defeat the Turks, after almost all the tribes had deserted him, Allenby, far from the front, asks Colonel Brighton, "Do you think he has gone native? . . . I shouldn't say he has long to live. . . If he's still going north with 50 men, he doesn't lack guts." That was certainly true! Maybe Lawrence lacked "sanity," but not "guts"! Life's goal? "To be the best at what you do?" Or, in effect, to "win," and "do your duty" in your place of service, no matter what your rank or position? "They think he is a kind of prophet," says Brighton. "They do, or he does?" responds Allenby.

What does this all mean for us today? That is a very difficult question to answer, clearly. Is there still no hope for the Middle East these 90, or so, years later? I would not say that, but, in truth, the very thing that was needed in Lawrence's time is the very thing that is needed today for that region of the world, and indeed for the whole world: a vision, a deep, profound and inspiring vision for freedom and democracy and rights for all with a true commitment and love for such a "vision," for without such a vision and commitment no "revolution," indeed no modern "state" can truly succeed. As Lawrence says early in the movie, "So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe [in petty conflicts], so long will they be a little people, a silly people, greedy, barbarous, and cruel. . ." and, in essence, not ready for modern political states.

Is it "not possible" for such a vision of liberty and justice for all to take hold in the Middle East? In truth, it is "not possible" only when people say it is "not possible"? Must the people of the Middle East say for themselves if it is time for the dream to come true? In the end, no one else can but they, and, thereby, demand liberty and justice for all in modern political states, which would almost certainly bring peace throughout the whole world, when the conflicts of this last troubled region of the world are resolved in modern democracies? World War I finally ends? We will have made the world safe for democracy, at last, with peace and security and prosperity, and with liberty and justice for all?