The Legendary Epic That Inspired Dune Just Got A 4K Upgrade
There is nothing in the desert, and no man needs nothing.
The truest, purest way to watch Lawrence of Arabia — David Lean’s historical epic about British officer T.E. Lawrence fighting in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire — is projected on 70mm. The landscapes, the colors, and the striking intimacy of tortured souls against a backdrop of tremendous desert beauty are what the large-format film gauge is best at. But as we’re not all lucky enough to know a guy who can project it for us whenever we feel like it, a 4K Blu-ray is the next best thing. Thankfully, there’s a new UHD release of Lawrence of Arabia out courtesy of Columbia Pictures, and it’s a must-buy before Dune: Part Three wraps up Denis Villeneuve’s cinematic treatment of a series inspired heavily by Lean’s epic.
How was Lawrence of Arabia received upon release?
Lawrence’s 1926 autobiography Seven Pillars of Wisdom (aka Revolt in the Desert) is an account of his involvement in the Arab Revolt, and by the time Lean and producer Sam Spiegel purchased the rights, other filmmakers had tried and failed to adapt it. Lean’s film is the defining depiction of Lawrence: a sensory epic bristling with ambiguity and centering on a slippery, heroic protagonist.
Critics weren’t unanimously convinced of its “all-timer” status, with contemporary reviewers frustrated about the near-four-hour runtime and the subjective portrayal of its historical subject. But the film’s financial success was boosted by its 10 Academy Award nominations, and it ultimately won seven, including Best Picture and Director. Today, it’s routinely ranked as one of the greatest films ever made.
Why is Lawrence of Arabia important to see now?
In her article “Lawrence of Arabia, Paul Atreides, and the Roots of Frank Herbert’s Dune,” Kara Kennedy notes how Seven Pillars of Wisdom impacted Dune author Frank Herbert: “He saw messianic overtones in Lawrence’s story and the possibility for outsiders to manipulate a culture according to their own purposes.”
The acclaimed cinematic treatments of both books make similar choices in translating prose, character, and themes into imagery and visual style. In both films, the vastness of dunes, mountains, and canyons are constantly juxtaposed with the specks of the native rebels, and even though the orange colors of Villeneuve’s Dune films are far more burnt, Lawrence of Arabia shares a similar dynamic contrast between yellow tones and bright blue. Lead actor Peter O’Toole’s famously piercing blue eyes are reminiscent of the spice-affected gaze of Paul Atreides after he embraces his Muad'Dib identity, and bright eyes suit someone looking forward to a bold new future.
The similarities between the narrative journeys of Lawrence and Dune are noteworthy, but there are key differences. T.E. Lawrence’s involvement with the Arab revolt is an army assignment; Paul Atreides takes refuge with the Fremen after his father is murdered by the former occupying power, the Harkonnens. While both Lawrence and Paul leave behind their formal dress and habits as they ingratiate themselves into native communities, Lawrence is still working for Britain, while Paul is using the Fremen to reclaim his family’s authority. And while they both must prove themselves as shrewd, courageous leaders, Paul is the only one “prophesied” to lead the revolutionaries. But the cynical, artificial nature of the Maud’Dib prophecy has an eerie parallel with the colonial British collaborating with Arab rebels; the British were poised to quash hopes of an independent Arab nation as soon as their common Ottoman enemy was defeated.
There are shades of Paul Atreides in Peter O’Toole’s piercing blue eyes.
Lawrence of Arabia’s role in shaping Dune feels most clear in the dangerous undertones of a messianic outsider. In a memorable early scene, Lawrence’s fellow officers marvel at him extinguishing a match with his fingers, seemingly not feeling any pain from the party trick. “The trick is not minding that it hurts,” Lawrence says. He’s far more unbothered than Paul is when subjected to the excruciating Gom Jabbar, but by not removing his hand from the agony of the box, Dune establishes a similar type of psychological self-mastery as Lawrence on the cusp of a vast and exhausting conflict.
Both introductory scenes highlight how the characters feel about pain, and while Lawrence goes above and beyond to protect the lives of his Arab soldiers, his days on the front lines of a national conflict add a sadistic edge to his sensitive personality. Like Paul, bloodlust can overwhelm him in the heat of the moment, and his emotional intensity clouds his judgment and leads to a state of dejection when he's sent back to England without a cause to fight for.
While Paul ends Dune: Part Two victorious and embarks on a galaxy-wide conquest, Villeneuve underlines the disillusionment of Chani (Zendaya) to make a point similar to the lonely, melancholic ending of Lawrence of Arabia. The fiery cause of uplifting a people to a platform of self-determination failed, because it was superseded by an older, more powerful story: the superior power of cynical elites using the momentum of an oppressed people to continue their own gains.
What new features does Lawrence of Arabia Blu-ray have?
Colombia’s latest 4K release of Lawrence of Arabia includes a wide variety of interviews, featurettes, archival content, and other special features, including:
- 1962 Theatrical Trailer Vintage Trailers
- Wind, Sand and Star: The Making of a Classic
- A Conversation with Steven Spielberg
- Advertising Campaigns
- Archival Interviews Steven Spielberg on Lawrence of Arabia (1998)
- Archival Interviews Sydney Pollack on Lawrence of Arabia (2007)
- Archival Interviews William Friedkin on Lawrence of Arabia (2007)
- Blu-ray Exclusive: Secrets of Arabia: A Picture-in-Graphics Track
- Deleted Balcony Scene with Introduction by Anne V. Coates
- In Love with the Desert
- In Search of Lawrence Vintage Featurettes
- King Hussein Visits Lawrence of Arabia Set
- Lawrence at 50: A Classic Restored; Making of Lawrence of Arabia
- New York Premiere
- Peter O'Toole Revisits "Lawrence of Arabia"
- Romance of Arabia Vintage Featurettes
- The Lure of the Desert: Martin Scorsese on Lawrence of Arabia
- Unused International Prologue
- Vintage Featurettes Maan, Jordan: The Camels Are Cast
- Vintage Trailers 70mm Restoration Trailer (1989 release)
- Vintage Trailers T.V. Spot #1
- Vintage Trailers T.V. Spot #2
- Vintage Trailers Theatrical Teaser Trailer #1
- Vintage Trailers Theatrical Teaser Trailer #2
