No doubt, Lawrence of Arabia, the movie, has played a significant role in a turning point of my life, my move to the Middle East. The movie of 1962 by David Lean with the late Peter O’Toole who has passed yesterday at age 81 is one of the greatest ever. It certainly distorts history, and Juan Cole has pointed to that today. But it does so with the undeniable effect of making the confusing situation in Arabia in WW I more comprehensible including T.E. Lawrence’s disgust who, due to O’Toole’s great performance (his greatest), seems really to be torn over the incredible British “duplicity and bad faith”, as Cole writes.

The above scene with Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashimi is pivotal. Faisal seems to have read already Lawrence’s face. “No man needs nothing.”

The movie does not mention even Islam, amazing.

16 December 2013 @ 5:50 pm.

Last modified December 2013.