Lawrence Of Arabia: The Man Behind The Legend [DVD]

The DVD ‘Lawrence of Arabia: The Man behind the Legend’ comprises two separate films.The first is simply titled ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ and was made for the Biography Channel. It was produced in 2004 and lasts forty-five minutes. This is generally a good film with some serious contributors, such as Phillip Knightley and Michael Asher, both of whom have written biographies of the man. (Indeed, Michael Asher has produced his own DVD, ‘In Search of Lawrence of Arabia’.)The programme makes good use of archive film, including some interiors of Clouds Hill. My main issue with it, though, is that it wrongly implies that Lawrence went into the war knowing the Arabs would be betrayed. But there is much to discuss on this and other issues, and the film makes clear that there are differing points of view, not helped, of course, by Lawrence himself couching many events in myth.The second film is also forty-five minutes long and was made for the History Channel in 2001. It is called ‘The Greatest Raider’ and has an American narration. It is more detailed overall than the first film, especially about Lawrence’s life before he became ‘Of Arabia’. But there is no mention of the effect his illegitimacy becoming known would have had on his personal life and career, and neither is there anything on his homosexuality (latent or otherwise): all that is said refers to “abuse” and “debasement” at Dera’a. On the question of whether Lawrence knew about the betrayal of the Arabs, this second film emphasises that he only found out about it well into the campaign.But if American prudishness about sex is present in this second movie, at least we have the benefit provided of a wider explanatory context of the First World War in the Near East as well as good maps. There is also more archive film. (But do I spy extracts from David Lean’s epic monochromed and passed off as archive?) Another of the strengths of this second show is that it incorporates valuable contributions from Alan Kirkbride, as well as from journalist and film-maker Lowell Thomas (including extracts from his 1927 documentary about Lawrence).Overall there is a contrasting balance here with these two films: the first is stronger on his character and less on the context of events; whilst the latter concentrates more on actions and less on the inner man.

One of the better Biography channel efforts, a well balanced account of the life and legend of T E Lawrence from his upbringing to Lawrence of Arabia and attempts to escape his moniker.Perhaps not as revealing as other writers and adventurers have made out Lawrence's life despite the latters' inclusion, Lawrence himself confused his own account and by all accounts his biographers attempts as well. This account tries to give a flavour of the time he lived in and the arguments among his supporters and detractors, the excerpts from Lean's Lawrence of Arabia may be most people's point of reference and may make wonderful cinema, but hardly scratches the surface of Lawrence the enigma.The episode in the Churchill's Bodyguard series dealing with Churchill's foray into 1920's Middle East politics for which Lawrence was Chuchill's adviser is also recommended. A worthy effort determined not to be side tracked by some of the wilder accounts of Lawrence's life lets the viewer make up their own mind. Is this Lawrence? Perhaps, perhaps not. A documentary as frustrating as its subject.

I used this book for the study of the life of Lawrence of Arabia.

Very enjoyable

A very interesting well made documentary this, about T. E. Lawrence. :o) :o)

fine

Husband loved this

Good read