Lawrence of Arabia - an unequalled masterpiece

Thank the lord for glorious technicolor.
Had it not been developed, David Lean's classic 1962 epic wouldn't have been half the film it turned out to be.

Having already presided over Bridge on the River Kwai and Great Expectations, it would have seemed almost unthinkable at the time that Lean was still to paint his masterpiece.
But he was. And he did.
Watching Lawrence of Arabia today, it's hard to believe 46 years have passed since its release. From the breathtaking, sweeping desert landscapes of Freddie Young's cinematography, to Maurice Jarre's stunning film score, to Peter O'Toole giving the performance of a lifetime, LoA really does win the title when it comes to the 'they don't make them like that any more' league.
Not surprisingly, LoA scooped seven academy awards, including best film although criminally, neither O'Toole or Omar Sharif in a supporting role managed to pick up awards for their dazzling performances.
One of the awards it did win was for Young's incredible cinematography, perfectly encapsulated in what is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most dramatic scenes in film history.
At the start of his journey, as T.E. Lawrence stops off at a desert drinking well with his Bedouin guide, a distant figure emerges from the searing heat of a desert mirage, drawing slowly but ominously closer.
As the mysterious Sherif Ali (Sharif) comes face to face with the travellers, the Bedouin guide is somewhat harshly shot dead for drinking from Ali's well without permission.
Interestingly, the sandclouds that can be seen as Ali approaches were created by members of the film crew manically driving jeeps at speed.
Although the film is rightly lauded as an all-time classic, it hasn't stopped the anorak brigade lambasting its merits over the years.
O'Toole stands at 6ft 2" while the real Lawrence was said to be nine inches shorter while throughout the film Lawrence and General Allenby are often at odds with each other. Most claim that both men had a good relationship.
But perhaps the film's greatest critic was Lawrence's younger brother A.W Lawrence - who sold the rights of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, written by T.E, to film producer Sam Spiegel but later went on to blast the film, claiming it never portrayed his brother properly.
The filming process was also not without its problems. Camera equipment was often damaged in the Jordanian and Moroccan heat, O'Toole was nearly trampled to death by a camel and script writer Robert Bolt was arrested and temporarily jailed for his part in an anti-nuclear demonstration.
But in the end, everything came together.
Lawrence of Arabia was released in the UK on December 10, 1962 and was a huge critical and financial success.
In the years since it has been challenged but never bettered. Lawrence of Arabia truly is as Stephen Spielberg once described it - a miracle.

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