Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Peter O’Toole as Lawrence and Alec Guinness; Omar Sharif; Anthony Quinn;
Claude Rains, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quale, Arthur Kennedy and Jose Ferrer.
Directed by David Lean
Soundtrack composed by Maurice Jarre
Performed by London Philharmonic Orchestra/Sir Adrian Boult
With bonus material on the making of the film
Stereo 5.1 DTS-HD MA Video 1080 High Definition/2.20.1
Region-free.
SONY BLU-RAY SBR12058UV [227:00]
If you have a DVD of Lawrence of Arabia already, give it away and invest in this new Blu-ray version - you won’t regret it. I was amazed at how vivid the pictures are, vibrant colours, clear distinct vistas; every shred of desert sand seems visible, every colour in the rocks clearly delineated. If you can imagine this newest Lawrence of Arabia shot in modern High Definition technology, you will know what I mean.
The audio experience will not disappoint either. The sound is so much more alive. From the moment you hear the opening chords of the Overture your attention is riveted: those ferociously dramatic timp flourishes, the shifting meters, tritone intervals, Arabic motifs and that wonderfully expansive desert/Lawrence theme, the wildness counter-pointed by the disciplined British Military march, ‘Voice of the Guns’ by Kenneth J. Alford. They all add up to a thoroughly exciting musical experience delivered by Sir Adrian Boult conducting an orchestra of close on 100 players including an expanded exotic percussion section.
In case you’ve forgotten the impact Jarre’s Lawrence music why not visit Youtube to see John Wilson conducting the overture.
The new Blu-ray version of this classic film is well worth the outlay.
Ian Lace
The new Blu-ray version of this classic film is well worth the outlay.