Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia
The historical epic is told and centered on the character of Peter O’Toole in the role of Lawrence who draws up plans to aid the Arabs in their rebellion against the Turks during the First World War. The Child- like expressions of Lawrence and his differences of character presented in the movie make him able to learn riding camel in the deserts of Arabia with a native guide. The visual dynamics of clothing from a British army and transforming to native Arab clothing presents the cultural differences within two societies. The visual theme of settings in the movie, the dessert, the sand, the will, the camels, the destroyed architectures, the tents are all visual elements that allow us two compare and contrast the differences of two cultures and different population. Lawrence being the center of the focus covers the empty space in the movie for a female co-actor. In a film without a single female speaking part, the journey of Lawrence on the desert presents the desert of Arabia as a friend, a foe and the love interest. Lawrence learns to survive in the unknown desert as the stranger and more importantly adopt the flexibility of living with different people in the desert as he would have if there was a female character in the movie.
It is said that the main perceived problems with the portrayal of Lawrence begin with the differences in his physical appearance: 6 foot 2 inch Peter O’Toole was quite a contrast with the real Lawrence, who was almost nine inches shorter. However, his adaptation of the Arab culture and winning their trust even with his comparatively white skin shows the success of visual elements in the movie where he leads the army of Arabs with a different skin color and different accent. Furth more, the difference of look, character and ways of communication visually presented in the movie as the center piece makes Lawrence to stand out among the Arab population in the deserts of Arabia.
