“Nothing is written.”

The only way to describe Lawrence of Arabia is epic. This movie is huge in every aspect. The epic size of the picture, the story its trying to tell, the length of the movie, the ambition in its main performance, and the overall feeling of the picture. Finishing this film (and I have only done it in twice completely) is an accomplishment well worth the time. Created in 1962 by the master auteur David Lean (The Bridge on the River Kwai), Lawrence of Arabia tells a small part of the story of one man who could be considered greatly insane or insanely great- T.E. Lawrence, who united the Arabic tribes during World War I against the Turkish Empire. Lawrence is played by the legendary Peter O’Toole, an actor of such great stature now, who was an unknown at the time. Sparked through imagination Lawrence of Arabia is trademarked by O’Toole’s performance, the brilliant action scenes, and the overall grand scope of the picture.

A curious thing that has always baffled me about O’Toole’s performance is the fine line that he and Lean have created with Lawrence. It is widely believed that he was a homosexual, but with such a large scale film, such a controversy had to be avoided. But in O’Toole’s widely flamboyant performance, the suggestions are right there. Light in tone and seeing such a mission as “fun” make Lawrence into a gay character without ever overtly stating it. In a film full of such ambition, this detail gives a curious insight into a larger myth.

But even that idea of a myth is widely observed throughout the picture. In Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean doesn’t make Lawrence a hero. Lawrence makes himself one. At one point, a news journalists tells Lawrence that he is looking to write about a hero. Lawrence is happy to take the position. When we meet him, he is originally clumsy and bumbling, hardly a hero. But somehow by the end we believe him as a hero completely. But when we think about it, did Lawrence ever change? No. He didn’t care for the Arabs cultural boundaries between each other and saw the precious rewards the Arabs could get for themselves for winning against such a culture. He simply united the Arabs against the Turks with his charisma and brilliant, if not ridiculous ideas. Consider the attack on Aqaba. To take such a city, as Sherif Ali (Omar Sherif) suggests, is complete madness. But Lawrence decides to take on such a challenge anyways…and succeeds.

The events that take place in Lawrence of Arabia are sparse, but in 216 minutes, Lean never has a dull moment. What happens when you watch the film is something that is hard to describe. The most memorable parts are not when characters discuss something but simple images like a giant portrait of the desert, a charge of men on horses, or the sun rising. The epic scope of almost every single shot in this film is hard to describe. It is one of those films you wish you could go to a theater and see today. Lawrence of Arabia has no place on a home television screen. It is meant to be seen in its epic glory. The film could almost be described as an experience instead of a movie.

The film ends in sourness though. After being tortured while fighting on with the Arabs to Damascus, Lawrence has become a changed man. When he comes across a group of innocent Turks, he orders “NO PRISONERS!” instead of making the final push to the city. When we get to Damascus, the Arab tribes are unable to unite and form a nation, instead abandoning it for the British. What we are left with is Lawrence, still ambitious to try a new adventure.

What Lawrence of Arabia did best is not try and fight the legend. At the time the film was made, T.E. Lawrence had become a myth that almost no one could truly understand. Instead of trying to humanize such a man, David Lean and Peter O’Toole embraced that, making Lawrence one of the greatest characters to grace the screen. It also created Peter O’Toole’s first Oscar nomination, which would be followed by seven more (including this year) and an honorary Oscar presented in 2003. This film is a legend of itself. It’s one of those films that remain unforgettable. It’s hard to forget the rescue in the desert, the train attack, the quicksand, the massacre, and Lawrence himself. In capturing one life in his film, David Lean inspired millions.