Lawrence, T. E. "Chapter XII: Palm-Gardens." Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph. New York: Penguin Books, 1962. 90-92.

 

Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, as the personal account of Thomas Edward Lawrence and his involvement in the Arab Revolt, acts as an invaluable resource for any paper written on the David Lean film, as it was originally intended as an adaptation of this written work. Reading Lawrence’s own version of this portion of his life provides a good source for evaluation of accuracy in plotline, detail, and even psychological portrayal of the characters.

The twelfth chapter in particular serves as a vital frame of reference when comparing the film adaptation with the original piece from which it sprung. In these few pages of text is contained the pivotal first meeting between T. E. Lawrence and Prince Fiesal, the Arabian leader in whom the idealistic Englishman immediately recognizes the heroic, traditional qualities for which he had been searching for so long. The tension of this moment as it is described by Lawrence himself, who confronts the imposing leader before a group of fellow tribesmen, is well-reflected by the corresponding scene in the film. Furthermore, the physical description of Fiesal is eerily close to the appearance of Sir Alec Guinness as he portrays this character in Lawrence of Arabia.

            This chapter also provides additional details as to setting, architecture, and the structures and hierarchies of Arabian society. It serves to firmly ground T. E. Lawrence’s story within the much vaster historical movement of which he was a part. Particularly when dealing with a film that falls into the genre of epic and spectacle, it is extremely important to have a grasp of the actual persons and events so as not to be deluded by the inevitable artistic license the directors and editors will utilize.

Caton, Steven C. "An Allegory of Anthropology." Lawrence of Arabia: A Film's Anthropology. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1999. 142-171.

In this chapter of his book, Steven C. Caton discusses the anthropological leanings of the main character of Lawrence of Arabia, T. E. Lawrence. He does not posit that the anthropological elements of the film are purposefully constructed by either the director or the scriptwriters, but rather that they appear in the film as subconscious manifestations of clichés about anthropologists. According to Caton, it is an accepted belief that individuals enter into the fields of anthropology and archaeology because, during their childhoods, they experienced feelings of alienation and liminality. Thus Lawrence, the bastard son of an English nobleman, and a young man desperately attempting to escape from the stifling atmosphere of the English countryside into the exotic, Oriental environment of the Arabian desert, perfectly fits into this stereotype. Lawrence’s condescending, objectivist studies of and perspectives about the Arabian culture mark him as a Westerner with a drive, just like cultural anthropologists, to discover identity within a distant, mysterious land, and to ‘play-act’ as a member of whatever culture they happen to be studying.

Steven Caton’s chapter is a cleverly thorough and well-written piece of allegorical analysis. It provides an excellent look into the motivations of the main character, and furthermore into the filmmakers who, according to Caton, were filled with a sense of adventure as profound, and in some ways naïve, as that of Lawrence himself. His work offers a unique spin on the traditional take on Lawrence, since Caton views Lawrence from his own perspective as an anthropologist. Just as Lawrence serves as a figure for fascination and study to later generations, the Arabian culture served as a great and compelling mystery to Lawrence. Through a close study of Lawrence's reactions throughout several scenes of the film, the reader gains a much clearer understanding of just how condescending and intrusional Lawrence's sojourns in Arabia truly were.

Lawrence of Arabia has always been one of my favorite films, and the figure of T. E. Lawrence, who serves as the focus of the four-hour-long spectacle, seems surrounded by an aura of mystery that is both impenetrable yet incredibly alluring. I wish to answer the question, "Who is Lawrence of Arabia?" Why does this warrior-poet continue to captivate audiences so many years after his exploits in the Arab Revolt? By exploring the means of propagandizing during World War I, American fascination with his myth, and the actual historical personage, I hope to understand what it is that makes T. E. Lawrence a figure worthy of this epic film, and what it is in turn that fuels the film's enduring legacy.

Wilson, Michael. "Lawrence of Arabia: Elements and Facets of the Theme." Cineaste: America's Leading Magazine on the Art and Politics of the Cinema 21.4 (1995): 30-32.

 

Michael Wilson’s article, although brief, acts as a valuable starting point for research on Lawrence of Arabia.  Wilson highlights the important themes that arise when studying the portrayal of T. E. Lawrence’s character in the epic film, and the various complexities and contradictions that arise when attempting to unravel the mystery that lies behind the man.  Presented in the format of a numbered list, Wilson extends his proposal of each subject matter with a brief description and an argument as to its relevance in providing a deeper understanding of the film’s underlying messages.  He covers such themes as the marginal status of T. E. Lawrence within Great Britain, Lawrence’s desire for fame and the immortality that comes with it, and even his secret admiration and devotion to a mysterious figure known only by the initials ‘S.A.’

            This article serves to introduce the reader to the incredible sense of history that saturates the film: American participation in World War I, and their subsequent need to see a hero arise from the ashes of mass murder and immeasurable bloodshed; the long Arabian tradition of autocratic rule; Britain’s attempts to expand its empire into the Arab front.  Overall, while this piece would not serve as a central source to back up the arguments in a longer paper, it still functions well as a stepping stone, a pool of ideas that can aid during the essential brainstorming process that comes before any significant researching feat.

 

Raw, Laurence. "T. E. Lawrence, the Turks, and the Arab Revolt in the Cinema: Anglo-American and Turkish Representations." Literature Film Quarterly 4.33 (2005): 252-61.

 

            The author of this work compares the perspectives of two different films on the Turkish people: David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia and Lüfti E. Akad’s Ingiliz Kemal Lawrence’e Karsi (1952).  Laurence Raw explains that the Lean picture, in its attempts to portray the Arabian people in a positive light, ends up misrepresenting the Turkish people.  The Turks that appear in the film are represented as barbaric and unnecessarily violent.  One scene in particular demonstrates the demonization of the Turks.  During the encounter between the Turkish Bey and T. E. Lawrence, the Bey is presented as homosexual and perverse in his treatment of the young man.  His eerie, lurking presence behind the doorframe as Lawrence is whipped highlights his sadistic leanings.  On the other hand, the Akad film, made in Turkey, portrays its people as the heroes of the Arab Revolt.  In particular, the central figure of the film, Ingliz Kemal, a spy for the Turkish army, is seen as a brilliant and inspiring warrior.  On the other hand, the figure of T. E. Lawrence is represented as a crazed, egotistical villain willing to betray British and Arabs alike in his wish to gain immortality.

            Nevertheless, Laurence Raw does find an intriguing similarity within these two pictures.  Both films treat the British as unwanted intruders, whose drive for imperial conquest of foreign lands can only be seen as despicable.  This article thus provides an excellent piece of comparative analysis on Lawrence of Arabia, as it offers the perspectives of these two such drastically different cultures.  It gives examples of the myth-making practices of the film industries of two different countries, and their treatments of particular cultural heroes.  It is particularly enlightening to discover that T. E. Lawrence was not the only war hero to emerge from the Arab Revolt with lasting fame.

 

Phillips, Gene D. "Chapter Thirteen. In Search of a Hero: Filming Lawrence of Arabia." Beyond the Epic: The Life & Films of David Lean. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2006. 291-320.

Gene D. Phillips gives a highly amusing and provocative portrayal of the year-long process of filming Lawrence of Arabia.  In this chapter, he provides multiple examples of disputes that arose between the director, David Lean, and Sam Spiegel, the producer, usually over issues of time and money.  He relates instances of Peter O’Toole’s bravado, and more frequently his alcoholism, disturbing important takes.  He even reports of a love affair that took place between the then-married David Lean and his script supervisor, Barbara Cole.

Also included in this portion of the book is a detailed scene-by-scene analysis of the epic.  Phillips highlights the most important moments, thereby illustrating David Lean’s highly-skilled filmmaker’s eye and precise decision-making.  This chapter would be particularly beneficial in giving an idea of approaching Lawrence of Arabia from the angle of auteurism, as the main focus is the interactions between Lean and his cast and crew.  Furthermore, the domineering personality of the director that is related within this piece invokes interesting parallels between Lean and T. E. Lawrence, the egotistical and driven main character of his film.  The comprehensive production history firmly grounds the mythic epic within the harsh actuality of filming in a desert that drove crew members mad with heat, and of budgets and time-schedules continually running over.  The film, which seeks to turn a man into a myth, has itself garnered a mythic status within cinematic history.  This chapter therefore helps to re-infuse the film with some reality.

Kauffman, Stanley. "A Passion in the Desert." Rev. of Lawrence of Arabia, dir. David Lean. The New Republic 148.2 (1963): 26-28.

 

Stanley Kauffman’s review of Lawrence of Arabia, written shortly after the film’s release, provides an excellent example of the immediate critical reception of the work.  In this piece, the author covers a rather wide range of topics.  He analyzes the originality and depth of the scriptwriting by A Man for All Seasons’ Robert Bolt, the incredible impact of the photographic imagery of the desert, and the accuracy of the storyline to T. E. Lawrence’s real life.  Furthermore, he writes of the scope of the film’s plot, the potency of the musical score, and even scrutinizes the various acting talents of the diverse cast full of veteran actors like Alec Guinness and Claude Rains, and fledgling thespians like Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif.  Through his study of the various elements that make up the film, he provides a balanced account of both its positive and negative aspects.

It is particularly intriguing for a modern-day reader of this review to see Lawrence of Arabia being evaluated so critically, as this film has become such a well-respected and frequently-cited classic.  Kauffman’s analysis provides a much-needed dose of the skeptical, particularly when dealing with a film spectacle that, like works such as Citizen Kane (1941), may become lost in the overwhelming and somewhat blinding awe that comes with age.  Overall, Stanley Kauffman’s review serves as a good foundational piece for a paper discussing the impact of Lawrence of Arabia to film history, and its influence on later films and directors.

 

Jackson, Kevin. "Reputation and Restoration: 1962-2007." Lawrence of Arabia. BFI Film Classics. London: British Film Institute, 2007. 107-117.

 

In this chapter, Kevin Jackson writes of the enduring legacy of Lawrence of Arabia, and the impact that the film provided in America, Britain, and around the world.  Additionally, he writes of the power that the film had in influencing other important directors down the years, from Martin Scorsese to Steven Spielberg.  He even includes a recounting of the various awards garnered by the film at the Academy Awards, and later recognitions given to David Lean and Peter O’Toole.  Moreover, Jackson relates the subsequent careers of the actors and filmmakers.  Intriguingly, most of the individuals involved in the making of this film had mostly unsuccessful ventures, whether in the fields of acting, directing, or producing.  Nevertheless, the movie itself, and the legend of T. E. Lawrence that it helped construct, persists to this day, through various theatrical rereleases, a restoration, and DVD distribution.  The myth of Lawrence has inspired the writing of various biographies, from a wide range of perspectives, the production of several television documentaries, and even a highly popular museum exhibition.

            This piece, although brief, provides a glimpse into the more modern reception of the film.  It gives a clear idea of Lawrence of Arabia’s impact on cinematic history and its influence on the genre of the historical epic.  It provides concrete evidence of the surprising endurance of the legend of T. E. Lawrence, and the continual returns to this subject by writers, directors, and members of the public.  Furthermore, it shows that the controversies that surrounded the film and its contributors aided in securing the fascination of contemporary and succeeding generations.