Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Lawrence of Arabia is epic--an epic, to be exact.  Epics in film are easy to pick out--they're LONG, they have a classic score, and the story is often about a heroic person who changes history.  Epics often occur in a war-setting and emphasize the importance one life can make in the world.  Lawrence of Arabia fits this description entirely.

When looking at the film's epic qualities, I had to agree that the score was incredible.  I recognized it quickly because it is often played at the Oscars.  Cinematically, the wide screenshots were beautiful; they really captured the beauty and expanse of the desert.  The eye makeup was very Adam Lambert.  Peter O'Toole (who played Lawrence) was a splendid and believable character.

The story is perhaps the strongest epic quality of the film.  It is the tale of T. E. Lawrence, a British military officer, engaged in Arabian conflicts during World War 1.  This is a true story, and of course, that makes it all the more important.  Lawrence helped unite warring Arab tribes to defeat the Turks and take over Aqaba and then Damascus.  He was a successful leader, I believe, because he gave up his identity to become Arab--he wore their clothes, rode their camels, survived the deserts, and ate their food.  And it is this that makes this movie worthwhile, in my opinion.

I love the fact that Lawrence gave up his English persona to help these Arabs.  Of course, originally, his goal was to help further the British Empire (I think...), but he ended up really loving these people.  At one point, when he had enough of death, he wanted to get as far away from the desert and its nomads as possible.  However, as he was leaving, you see him looking longingly at the Arabs traveling along the road.  It was as if he was leaving behind a part of himself.

The reason his identifying with the Arabs is so beautiful to me is that it reminds me of Jesus and the way that he left Heaven to come to Earth and be a man.  He laid aside His outer glory and took on a perishable body in order to heal our brokenness and bring us peace.  Lawrence stepped out of his comfortable position as an English soldier and found himself identifying with these warring Arab tribes.  He united them and brought peace--in a similar manner as Christ.

We learn at the beginning of the movie that he dies in a motorcycle wreck, and many memorialize him.  Some talk about what a hero he was while others only remember his eccentric and showboating personality.  I just found it incredibly ironic that a man who survived the Sinai Desert, sandstorms, avoided quicksand, and managed to live through wars, ends up dying in a motorcycle wreck.  He was definitely more than a showboat riding camels and wearing Arabian clothes, he was a world-changer.  That's pretty epic.

Next up: The Sound of Music

Casablanca

Casablanca is a legend of film.  It might be the most quoted movie of all time.


"Play it, Sam."


"Here's lookin' at you, kid."


"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."


Neither Dave nor I had seen this film, and we've known for a long time that it was one we definitely needed to see.  It is not only frequently quoted by fans, but also in other films, tv shows, and books.  A movie worth quoting is a movie worth watching.


I would have to say that I enjoyed it about as much as I enjoy most old movies (which is pretty well).  What stood out to me the most was the quality of the character seen in both Rick and Ilsa.  Rick was rough around the edges, but his quality of character outshined Ilsa's in my opinion.  He had been politically active and supported worthwhile causes at great personal risk.  Ilsa was refined and cultured, but she was dishonest with Rick concerning Victor Laslow, her husband.


Later in the film, though Rick has hardened his heart towards Ilsa, he still goes out of his way to be kind to others (as long as his reputation for being hard isn't compromised)--he made sure a young couple was able to get enough money gambling to be able to leave Morocco and in turn, the wife then did not have to buy their passage by sleeping with an officer.  Ilsa, on the other hand, still sought out Rick, even though she was a married woman.  Rick's heroics in the end of the film, and his self-denial in matters of the heart prove him to be the moral winner of the two.


A theme that pervades American culture--both in literature and in film--is the idea that one must do whatever makes one happy, regardless of who is hurt in the process--be it husbands, wives, children, friends or family members.  The Hours was an excellent example of this theme--women leaving behind their families to pursue their dreams and loves at the expense of their children.  I couldn't help but feel that Ilsa was a classic example of this, and Rick was the antithesis of it.  I have to admire his sacrificial nature far above any romance perceived in the film.


It's not about ROMANCE.  It's about TRUE LOVE.  It would have been romantic for these two lovers to run off with one another and complete each other--but at whose expense?  Victor's, for sure, and on a grander scale--the Allies.  True love sacrifices itself for others.  The Apostle Paul says it best,

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.   

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

Anything less isn't love.