"A mighty spectacle of action and adventure!" - wikiquote.org
I couldn't agree more.
I think I've developed a new appreciation for the word "epic"; The dramatic scenery, the large scale of the conflict, just the the sheer number of people, costumes and animals in this movie is astonishing.
"So long as the Arabs fight tribe against tribe, so long will they be a little people; a silly people; greedy, barbarous, and cruel . . ."
Lawrence's main tangible goal throughout the film is to unite the Arab tribes to create a single, great nation of Arabia. However, it's never quite explained why he wants to do this.
As far as personal motivation goes, Lawrence seems to be driven by a need to challenge fate and prove that a man can create his own destiny, he also seems to struggle with his own identity and purpose in the world.
Neither of these factors seems to be directly related to the Arab revolution, but maybe it doesn't matter.
There are so many elements to this film that are excellent; I feel like any one of them warrants it's own analysis and breakdown. I plan on coming back to these topics for future post, but in the interest of brevity (sort of), I will limit this analysis to focusing on what I believe is one of the most important themes:
Lawrence vs. Fate
With this overarching goal in mind, it's interesting to note that the film begins with Lawrence dying an irrelevant and almost comical death, after which we see that even though he made a significant impact on a few individuals, he died relatively unknown to the world.
When Lawrence first encounters the various Arab tribes, he challenges their tribal nature and superstitious beliefs . . . "Nothing is written" he insists, and wins the trust of the Arabs when he saves Gasim's life, despite "fate" dictating that it was his time to die.
Shortly after, however, Lawrence is forced to kill Gasim to resolve a blood feud, taking the very life that he saved - this would seem to reinstate the belief that it was "his time to die" after all.
Fate: 1 Lawrence: 0
In an act of kindness Lawrence takes on two orphaned boys as his servants, (it is implied that due to not having parents they are worthless and have no future) agreeing to pay them well, offering them a future. One boy dies in a quicksand pit (Lawrence laments at having 'killed' him). The second boy is critically injured and is at risk of being captured by the Turks; Lawrence is forced to shoot him.
Fate: 2 Lawrence: 0
Lawrence attempts to infiltrate a Turkish town alone, convinced that he will be a one-man Arab revolt and that he cannot fail - "Please Ali, I am invisible." He is captured immediately. As it turns out, unrelated to the revolt and his efforts against the Turks, Lawrence fits the profile for he Turkish Bey's particular fetish and is chosen as this evenings perverse entertainment.
Fate: 3 Lawrence: 0
Dejected and disillusioned, Lawrence tries yet again to choose his own path - "Well, 'any man' is what I am. I'm going back . . . for a job that 'any man' can do." He gives up on the revolt and attempts to resign from the military.
The general convinces Lawrence that he is still destined to win this war - "Not many people have a destiny, Lawrence. It's a terrible thing for a man to flunk it if he has." Lawrence's resignation is denied and he is sent back out to lead the Arab revolt.
Fate: 4 Lawrence: 0
Lawrence, after learning about the secret Sykes-Picot agreement that would divide Arabia between Britain and France, leads the Arab revolt swiftly to Damascus, arriving before the British forces. They take control of the city and Lawrence tries to establish an Arab government in hopes of creating a "Capital" that the newly unified Arab people can operate from.
However, the the newly formed "Arab Council" devolves quickly into bickering and shouting, and rapidly falls apart; the Arab tribes leave the city and head back to the desert.
Lawrence's dreams of a united Arabia are crushed and, having outlived his usefulness, he is sent back to Britain. Despite his every effort to prove the contrary, Lawrence has been the pawn of 'fate' every step of the way . . .
Fate: 5 Lawrence: 0
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