Lawrence of Arabia

Legendary British director David Lean reached the pinnacle of his career with this dazzling masterpiece. The rise and fall of T.E. Lawrence, an eccentric man with conflicted loyalties who played a key role in uniting Arab tribes to help the British to defeat Ottoman forces in the Arabian desert. Based on the writings of Lawrence, writers Michael Wilson and Robert Bolt delivered a brilliant script along with Lean's masterful direction to create one of the greatest films ever made. To appreciate the true magnificence of this film, it has to be watched on the big screen in glorious 70mm. Peter O'Toole gave his greatest performance in the lead along with superb supporting cast that includes Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins and Claude Rains amongst others. The contribution of cinematographer Freddie Young cannot underestimated whose glorious work remains unparalleled. So is the work of composer Maurice Jarre and the rest of the artists involved. 1001 Films' coverage of films on DVD.