TCM Big Screen Classics: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Thanks to TCM and Fathom Events, I had the great pleasure of watching Lawrence of Arabia (1962) in an actual movie theatre. This movie is one that needs to be seen on a movie theatre. This is a large epic film in every sense of the word. This is not a movie you can simply sit down to watch. To fully appreciate the film, you must instead experience it. This is of course something that can be done in a cinema much better than it can on a TV screen (or heaven forbid your phone screen (I have no problem with people watching a movie on their phones, but there are some movies, where it gives you a disadvantage)). As soon as the movie begins simply seeing these images on the big screen is breathtaking. This is not a movie where just some scenes amaze you on a big screen. The whole movie does this. Considering this is a near four hour movie, that is no small accomplishment. I love that TCM kept in the little things that make this movie an even greater experience. Before the film begins the screen stays black as we hear the incredible music score playing. This lets us feel like we are not just simply going to a movie but an event. It is like hearing the orchestra playing before a live play. I also love that they kept the intermission. For me an intermission does more than just give you time to use the restroom during a long movie. It makes the experience of going to the movie feel like something special and allows the film to stop to let us take in all that has happened. For this reason I wish more modern day epics would use this device in them.

This post is not a review of the movie or a history but rather an appreciation for seeing such films on the big screen. That is why this is such a brief post. Still I hope it has made you want to see future TCM Big Screen Classics or other great movies from the past in a theatre.

-Michael J. Ruhland