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From Amazon.co.uk
In 1962 Lawrence of Arabia scooped another seven Oscars for David Lean and crew after his previous epic, The Bridge on the River Kwai, had performed exactly the same feat a few years earlier. Supported in this Great War desert adventure by a superb cast including Alex Guinness, Jack Hawkins and Omar Sharif, Peter O'Toole gives a complex, star-making performance as the enigmatic TE Lawrence. The magnificent action and vast desert panoramas were captured in luminous 70mm by Cinematographer Freddie Young, here beginning a partnership with Lean that continued through Dr Zhivago (1965) and Ryan's Daughter (1970). Yet what made the film truly outstanding was Robert (A Man For All Seasons) Bolt's literate screenplay, marking the beginning of yet another ongoing collaboration with Lean. The final partnership established was between director and French composer Maurice Jarre, who won one of the Oscars and scored all Lean's remaining films, up to and including A Passage to India in 1984. Fully restored in 1989, this complete version of Lean's masterpiece remains one of cinema's all-time classic visions. --Gary S Dalkin
On the DVD: This vast movie is spread leisurely across two discs, with Maurice Jarre's overture standing in as intermission music for the first track of disc two. But the clarity of the anamorphic widescreen picture and Dolby 5.1 soundtrack justify the decision not to cram the whole thing onto one side of a disc. The movie has never looked nor sounded better than here: the desert landscapes are incredibly detailed, with the tiny nomadic figures in the far distance clearly visible on the small screen; the remastered soundtrack, too, is a joy. Thanks are due to Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg who supervised (and financed) the restoration of the picture in 1989; on disc two Spielberg chats about why David Lean is his favourite director, and why Lawrence had such a profound influence on him both as a child and as a filmmaker (he regularly re-watches the movie before starting any new project). Other features include an excellent and exhaustive "making-of" documentary with contributions from surviving cast and crew (an avuncular Omar Sharif is particularly entertaining as he reminisces about meeting the hawk-like Lean for the first time), some contemporary featurettes designed to promote the movie and a DVD-ROM facility. The extra features are good--especially the documentary--but the breathtaking quality of both anamorphic picture and digital sound are what make this DVD package a triumph. --Mark Walker
Product Description
David Lean's lush, Oscar-winning biopic stars Peter O'Toole as T.E. Lawrence, the Oxford-educated British army officer who aided the Arabs in their revolt against the Turks. Teaming up with Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Lawrence crosses a desert (considered uncrossable) in order to join two separate Arab tribes together as a single fighting force. Aiming to achieve Arab sovereignty, he wins a series of military victories but always keeps his eye on the larger picture, doing his best to prevent the subjection of the Arabs to British colonial rule. The film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), I discovered to my great pleasure that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As my son set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember? You took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten.
When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when I played it on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg.
Enough cannot be said about the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Hollywood's booby prize). In perusing the other reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to appreciate the performance of Anthony Quayle, whose portrayal of the adjutant moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins), Dryden (Raines), and Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they not only have used him but also have used him up to achieve their political ends.... Read more ›
When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when I played it on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg.
Enough cannot be said about the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Hollywood's booby prize). In perusing the other reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to appreciate the performance of Anthony Quayle, whose portrayal of the adjutant moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins), Dryden (Raines), and Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they not only have used him but also have used him up to achieve their political ends.... Read more ›
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By TomTom
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first saw this 50 years ago in 70mm, then the restored version 25 years ago; several video versions and film presentations since... I can say that this disc (and the 4K theatrical version) is by far the best is has looked since it first came out. The detail and freshness of the images are stunning; even the sound is better. The only drawback is that you must see this on a huge screen to fully appreciate what David Lean was going for.
98 of 104 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
From the success of Bridge over the river Kwai, David Lean settled on the story of Colonel T.E Lawrence or Ned to his family and friends, with which to once again captivate and entrance his cinematic public. Perhaps Mr Lean did not anticipate the size of the task that awaited him as if had it might have put him off.
It was a risk for Mr Lean and his backers, after all this was a story that was surrounded in mystery, controversy and conflicting testimony, with the enigmatic Lawrence at its centre. The times had moved on and audiences were demanding big names and new cinema, David Lean had the big names(Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins & Anthony Quinn) but the two central characters (Lawrence and Ali) were played by two relatively unkown actors, Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, a big gamble for any director with such a fantastic story to tell.
For the British in the first half of the century, the story of T.E Lawrence was a romanticised narrative, far departed from the hellish western front. He became much more than an intelligence officer in the British Army, he himself knew the power of propoganda and so did his political and military masters, not to mention the editors of papers back in England and the USA, for which Lawrence was a much needed "breath of fresh air" for the depreseive trench warfare reading of the first world war.
It was a risk for Mr Lean and his backers, after all this was a story that was surrounded in mystery, controversy and conflicting testimony, with the enigmatic Lawrence at its centre. The times had moved on and audiences were demanding big names and new cinema, David Lean had the big names(Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins & Anthony Quinn) but the two central characters (Lawrence and Ali) were played by two relatively unkown actors, Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, a big gamble for any director with such a fantastic story to tell.
For the British in the first half of the century, the story of T.E Lawrence was a romanticised narrative, far departed from the hellish western front. He became much more than an intelligence officer in the British Army, he himself knew the power of propoganda and so did his political and military masters, not to mention the editors of papers back in England and the USA, for which Lawrence was a much needed "breath of fresh air" for the depreseive trench warfare reading of the first world war.
David Lean's film while not strictly historicaly accurate (depending upon which version of Lawrence's life you believe) is a master piece of cinema. The cinematography is ground breaking and the scale of production magnificent. This means that it feels "real" for the audience.
... Read more ›8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By John Dynan
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Probably not worth extolling the virtues of this magnificent film here. It's one of the greats and those of us who know it well need no explanation. Having already owned it on VHS and DVD, I waited for the Blu-ray release with some anticipation.
This one is the duck's guts.
What we have here is a 4K transfer which shades anything I have seen, be it Zulu, The Longest Day or any other top flight transfer I can think of. This is THE best transfer I've ever seen, bar none. The detail and colour depth take Blu-ray into a new level, one which I have never seen before. Freddy Young's cinematography has always impressed me but even I was not prepared for this.
Just buy this one and enjoy it. You will not be disappointed.
This is a short review by my usual standards but that says it all, I think.
This one is the duck's guts.
What we have here is a 4K transfer which shades anything I have seen, be it Zulu, The Longest Day or any other top flight transfer I can think of. This is THE best transfer I've ever seen, bar none. The detail and colour depth take Blu-ray into a new level, one which I have never seen before. Freddy Young's cinematography has always impressed me but even I was not prepared for this.
Just buy this one and enjoy it. You will not be disappointed.
This is a short review by my usual standards but that says it all, I think.
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By Doktor Futtocks
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
This is presented in the way that the original cinema-goers would have seen it. The music starts with a blank screen, like an overture before the curtain goes up (must fit some red velvet and gold braid to my TV!) and the original intermission marks the end of disc 1.
O'Toole and Sharif are devastatingly handsome, but even they struggle against the scene-stealing desert. If only IMAX existed when David Lean was making this masterpiece.
My only disappointment was the sound quality; the music especially sounded compressed and congested between the loudspeakers.
So that's 5 stars for the vision and 3 stars for the sound, averaging out at 4 overall.
O'Toole and Sharif are devastatingly handsome, but even they struggle against the scene-stealing desert. If only IMAX existed when David Lean was making this masterpiece.
My only disappointment was the sound quality; the music especially sounded compressed and congested between the loudspeakers.
So that's 5 stars for the vision and 3 stars for the sound, averaging out at 4 overall.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lawrance of Arabia DVD
Saw the film when it first came out and wanted to see it again so decided to purchase the DVD.
Published 2 days ago by Glyn Scarth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
Timeless.
Nothing in the film dates it. Its a superb blu ray transfer and a great great film.
I don't understand UV copy things.
Nothing in the film dates it. Its a superb blu ray transfer and a great great film.
I don't understand UV copy things.
Published 7 days ago by Mr. O. Whitton
4.0 out of 5 stars
Saw this film years ago.
I Bought this for my son as he has never seen it and he is interested in history. Hopefully he will like it.
Published 12 days ago by brianloveday
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lawrence of Arabia blue ray 50th anniversary
Got this for my birthday after waiting months to get it.must say the wait was worth it.the film looks and sounds the best ever. Read more
Published 16 days ago by andy
5.0 out of 5 stars
dvd
one of our favourite films full of action and absolutely great actors and the splendour of the scenery a must for epic film buffs.
Published 23 days ago by karen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masterpiece
Just been to Jordan so enjoyed seeing this film again after many years. It's even better the 2nd time around. Great film.
Published 26 days ago by Sue
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lawrence of Arabia
Great Movie, The DVD Disc was in very good condition, enjoyed every minute of it. Best Film of the Year for me
Published 26 days ago by Susan Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lawrence of Arabia Blu ray
One of the all time great films,with excellent acting from Peter o Toole ,Omar Sharif Jack Hawkins and others Loved it
Published 1 month ago by Batman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing
I never saw this at the cinema, but I had the DVD of this film and it was very good but it seemed to be lacking something. Read more
Published 1 month ago by David Jordan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blu Ray Classic
Well worth a watch on fantastic Blu Ray. Peter O'Toole is brilliant (and with the release of 'Prometheus' you get a chance to see what David the artificial person is really talking... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs
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