Best Picture of 1962: Lawrence of Arabia

War. This has been the subject of many of the Best Picture films that I have come across so far, and will be the subject of many more to come. Up until this point you have war talked about or portrayed in movies as the same war we have been taught in school. It's the same story of one side against the other and the same side always wins. We rarely are every taught, or even talk about, the other battles or issues that happen during the war. That is what make the winner for the Best Picture of 1962 Lawrence of Arabia so wonderfully different. During World War I there was another fight going on that was never discussed or looked up much in history books. The movie is based off real attacks that happened on Aqaba and Damascus and the real happenings of the Arab National Council. The reason that this story is so amazing is because most of these events would not have happened if it weren't for one man, T.E. Lawrence. Lawrence is a well have a taste of experience the world and it's many different cultures. One that he has grown fond of would the Arab culture. When he heard of the issues that they were having he started working with the councils in charge of that area to convince his superiors to let him go and help in Arab. When he was allowed Lawrence went to do great things in helping the Arab people and slowly they accepted him as one of them. They came to look for him for guidance and leadership in the years to follow. However much Lawrence loves the culture, and the people he has come to meet, is knows that he is still very loyal to Britain and he feels that he is loosing himself. He was a man who was not very fond of violence and he was a very high strong man with very high ideals of himself and the world. By going this far to help these people in crisis he realized he stated to change along the way.

This film is a true classic. It's a film that has some of the greatest passion pieces that have every been seen. The Academy must have thought so too because it was nominate for 10 awards that year. This film had the perfect storm of creativity. From the actors, writers, director, to the cinematographer nothing in this film was left untouched by creativity. In every scene that is shot you can experience the pride that it took to make create that scene. They did everything that they could to make it not only see and hear their work but almost feel the sun beating down on your head, or the smell of the dry sand as it blows in the wind. It is because of these experiences that Columbia took home the top prize of 20th Century Fox's The Longest Day, Warner Brothers' The Music Man, MGM's Mutiny on the Bounty, and Universal's To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Lawrence of Arabia is a film that has become one of the most influential films to ever grace the silver screen. The care that was put into every line, every costume, and every set in this film is clearly shown. There is not one scene in which you don't marvel at it's captivating beauty. How film creators can make war and mayhem look so enticingly beautiful I will never know. I am not usually one to say lets go to the desert but after seeing this film again it makes me want to go. Other films when it comes to war scenes they are very bloody and gruesome. The shock and horror are make you not want to look away. Not this film. This film was clearly handled with care in every shot. They took the time to make it beautifully poetic. The grace and beauty that were brought to a story about soul crushing war would be something I never thought could really truly be accomplished. If I could turn back time to when this film was being produced I would be truly honored to watch them create every single detail come to life as it was happening.