Show LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1 2 12 Film Review by Mike Richan Contributing Writer David Leans Lean's restored version of this Academy winner Award-winner is a masterpiece and although it lasts nearly four hours it takes only a few minutes to realize that this project spurred by the likes of Martin and Steven Spielberg was and always will be bemeant bemeant meant for the wide screen with track six-track Dolby and a theatre full of people The m mass ss Theater experience is clearly superior to the edited or video version Lean revels in the big backdrop for his flawed characters and Lawrence of Arabia is bigger than life the desert here is not the matte paintings weve we've Y grown accustomed to in the seventies and andY eighties and his sprawling panoramic shots with people and tents spread from here to eternity are no not miniatures miniatures n they're real The scope of the visuals in this film is breathtaking ing everything is BIG Lean uses the desert to full effect the line for drinks at intermission 5 5 5 is a mile long Peter Lawrence is one of his few subtle performances Thanks to the length of the film the character is fully flesh fleshed d p provid oyid- oyid 1 t ing ng a rare sense nse of completeness fo found 1 only 1 J l L 1 ii It J o rr 7 r l i in films such as Omar Sherif Alec Guinnes and Anthony Quinn round out the male all-male cast and each shines brilliantly in his role The restored segments of this version version version ver ver- sion painstakingly edited and recorded re-recorded some of the soundtrack and original script was lost lip readers were brought in to determine determine determine deter deter- mine what lines had to be recorded re-recorded are sometimes smooth sometimes choppy this is not a perfect restoration by any means The picture quality however appears flawless and seeing the panorama at the Regency one of the few big screens left in this city is truly spectacular The first half of the film is two and one- one half hours and it is clearly the better half following following following fol fol- lowing the intermission is another hour and anda a half but the sense of compulsion felt so strongly in the first half is missing keeps Lawrence interesting but when he finally leaves Arabia for England the bittersweet bittersweet bittersweet bit bit- nature of his departure is not so tragic for the viewer Of course seeing this classic in a theater with a big screen en is definitely a a. once in a lifetime op opportunity ort and not to be missed Take plenty to drink and be prepared for a along along long but satisfying epic i d r 1 k I. t. t Y y i l 1 t If JJ i ii n u v V rl ii f a. a r 1 4 oJ r h tit f i i k i t I J i. i I Z r J j f 4 lf W t. t r Hags j li V t r 1 i S r r c i. i t I tf t f 1 lj J l j f x 1 4 J N j 4 H t 3 1 f S t J. J i rP v w I I t r f r- r j Jd I. I 1 4 t t j- j jt t J It R 4 t r c l f-l p. p t f I X h 1 f t Z 4 Y k CRYST r 5 t oJ 00 f Crystal Wind provided New Age music during Drug and Alcohol Awareness Week |