Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

As far as epic films go, this is the most epic of them all.  The ambitious scale of every aspect of this film is so enormously grand (including the length running nearly 4 hours), and it plays extremely well on 35mm film on the big screen.  You get a real sense of the expanse of the unforgiving and treacherous desert. Many shots show a tiny figure on the horizon or in a small corner with the rest of the screen is disproportionate amounts of sky and sand.  From start to finish, this is a visually stunning movie, capturing WWI-era Middle East, from the small port of Aqaba on the sea, to grand streets of Cairo.

More so than a film about the Arab revolt, this is really a character portrait of an enigmatic, complicated man.  There are times when his humanity is questioned, when his invincible God-complex takes over, and still others when the audience sees right through it to his ordinary core. Lawrence develops on both sides of the spectrum, presenting a nuanced story of a man affected by war.  In some ways, Lawrence can be compared to American Sniper, another portrait of a legendary war hero.  But Lawrence is more thoughtful about the effects of killing on the mind and politics of war.  Peter O'Toole gives a masterful performance, transforming emotionally and mentally and embracing the Arabian dress rather nicely to play Lawrence.