Steven Spielberg’s Favorite 1960s Classic Movie

When the official publication of the British Film Institute, Sight and Soundreleased its ten-year list of the “Greatest Films of All Time” in 2022, one notable — and, to many, shocking — omission caught our attention: the undeniably masterful epic David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia (1962), did not appear in the top 100.

Although the film had been declining on the list throughout the early 21st century (ranking at #51 in 2002 and dropping to #81 in 2012), many believed there would be a minimum threshold for a work as universally revered as Lean’s biographical drama about the tumultuous (and probably exaggerated) desert adventures of Lawrence. Although the film contains “white savior” elements, Leanthe screenwriter Robert Bolt and the actor Peter O’Toole portray Lawrence as a dangerous thrill-seeker with a messianic complex, whose fervor is both inspiring and terrifying.

Although I consider that the theme of Lawrence of Arabia may be automatically demotivating for some critics, I also believe that the film’s decline in critical esteem is due to its very particular aesthetic. The film’s Lean is not unique in being a 70mm visual experience, but unlike Ben Hur (1959), Cleopatra (1963) and The Sound of Music (1965), does not have a conventionally paced narrative or memorable songs that keep the viewer engaged during home viewing.

It is worth remembering that these films recorded high audience ratings when they were broadcast with cuts for 4×3 televisions (often in black and white). Lawrence of Arabia did not captivate in the same way. It was filmed in Panavision Super 70mm to be projected on 70mm film in the largest theaters available.

These days, that experience is tragically close to impossible, considering that you’re lucky if there’s a theater with a working 35mm projector within 100 miles of your home. What about 70mm projectors? There are currently just over 60 theaters capable of showing films in that format. Given the number of prints that can be shown, Lawrence of Arabia and the arrangement of Sony In order to lend one of these copies to a theater outside of Los Angeles, the vast majority of moviegoers would need to plan a trip to the West Coast to see the film. Lean in 70mm.

In fact, it is likely that most of the critics and directors consulted by BFI never seen Lawrence of Arabia in its original 70mm format. And that’s unfortunate, considering this is just about everyone’s favorite film of all time. Steven Spielberg.