Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia, by David Lean, is a 1962 historical drama covering the life of T.E. Lawrence during World War 1. Lawrence was a British officer who was deeply involved in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. The film is well known for its cinematography, with the vast deserts of Arabia being the main backdrop for much of the film. Lawrence of Arabia explores the complexities of colonial influence, cultural connections, and personal transformation. Although the events of the movie are based on true events, many liberties have been taken to exaggerate Lawrence's accomplishments and impact in the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans.

At the start of the film, Lawrence is shown to be an arrogant and know-it-all British officer but then grows because of the influence of Arab culture. He makes friends with locals and begins to be changed by his immersion in the culture. As the movie progresses, we begin to see some more complexities in Lawrence's life. The internal conflict between his loyalty to the Arab tribes he helps and the duty he has as a British officer is put on full display as he navigates difficult choices. His actions throughout the movie shape him, as he questions his loyalty both to the tribes and his country. Lawrence meets Sherif Ali and becomes close allies with him, as he represents the honor and beauty of Arab culture, but he also displays the rocky trust between Arab tribes and foreign nations.

Throughout the film, the stark reality of war is put on full display. Although actions from Lawrence are often heroic, they also are ambiguous morally since large sacrifices are made with each action. Lawrence is constantly caught between the ulterior motives of his superiors and the fight for independence.

What is not spotlighted in the movie is the atrocities also committed by Lawrence, the British, and the Arabs against the Turkish civilians. Wyatt-Brown Bertram stated in his article, “The incident did reveal the darker side of Lawrence's nature. After seeing at Tafas how a pregnant woman had been struck through the belly by a saw bayonet and how small dead children were lying in piles, Lawrence shouted, ‘The best of you brings me the most Turkish dead’” (Bertram, 2009). Many atrocities occurred under Lawrence’s direction, and many atrocities were committed against Lawrence and his allies, but Lawrence and the West did their best to hide their side’s atrocities.

Watching Lawrence of Arabia highlights the colonial legacy in the Middle East, showing the impact of nations such as Britain and France on the Arab nations. Although Lawrence helped the Arabs in their revolt, he did not play nearly as big of a role as the movie portrays. More importantly, his involvement brought Britain closer to the Middle East which increased the colonial presence that still has impacts to this day.

David Barber stated in his article on the topic, “Although the real Lawrence was indeed talented in some ways, according to Arab historians almost everything Thomas claimed for Lawrence the Arabs had accomplished for themselves, including unifying the Arab tribes, commencing the Arab revolt, driving the Turks from Mecca, and planning and taking Akaba” (Barber, 2017). This statement plays very well into the colonial theme of the movie, as not only was Britain taking land that was not theirs, but they were also taking the accomplishments and achievements obtained by both them and their allies. The film stands today as a powerful reflection on the colonial impacts of Britain and France from World War 1. 

Barber, D. (2017). Lawrence of Arabia (1962): A Dying Empire’s Cri de Coeur. Film & History, 47(1), 28–45. https://doi.org/10.1353/flm.2017.a668277

Wyatt-Brown, B. (2009). Lawrence of Arabia: Image and Reality. Journal of the Historical Society/˜The œjournal of the Historical Society, 9(4), 515–548. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5923.2009.00286.x