Scene Analysis - Lawrence of Arabia

For my scene analysis, I’ve chosen a scene from David Lean’s epic film, Lawrence of Arabia. The film opens with Lawrence’s death and following funeral, where the audience is given the impression that this was an important man. The film then flashes back to when Lawrence is working away at a dull office job in Cairo, coloring maps for the British army. Lawrence is more than happy when he is given a more exciting assignment that involves heading out into the desert to find and meet with Prince Feisal, an Arab who is leading the revolt against the occupying Turks in Arabia.

The scene begins with a transition from Lawrence putting out a match to an extreme wide shot of the blazing sun over the desert landscape. This transition shows how Lawrence is ready to take on the challenge (previously he had been shown putting out matches with his fingers). The soundtrack plays an ominous tune as the sun slowly rises, thus indicating the extreme conditions of the environment. The music tells us that this is not a comfortable place. As the sun rises, the music begins to swell. The sunrise shot fades into a beautiful extreme long shot of desert hills and a few moments later we see two tiny specs approaching from over one of the hills while the triumphant and majestic non-diegetic soundtrack blares. This is a story about a larger than life figure, overcoming the challenges of a larger than life location in an enormous movie (3.5 hours!), and this single shot helps to convey that message. The fact that these people are so small in the frame accentuates just how small and insignificant they are compared to the vast and imposing desert. This journey will not be an easy one.

Next there is a two shot (long shot) of Lawrence with his native Bedouin guide sitting on their camels looking over the landscape. The Bedouin tells Lawrence that he may have a drink, which Lawrence agrees to. It is a low angle shot which positions Lawrence lower in the frame while the Bedouin is positioned so that he seems larger and more authoritative.

The next shot cuts in a little closer to a medium shot, again from a low angle, only now the angle is more severe, thus making Lawrence seem even smaller compared to the Bedouin. “One cup,” says the guide, and Lawrence begins to pour. Once Lawrence realizes that the guide is not also going to take a drink, Lawrence tells him that he will wait to drink until he does. Lawrence wants to prove his ability to endure and to be seen as an equal to the native desert dweller.

The next shot cuts to a reverse shot on Lawrence, from an fairly level angle that doesn’t show the head of the Bedouin. The triumphant theme music resumes as Lawrence smirks and pours the water back into the canteen. The audience is getting a little bit of insight into Lawrence’s character and his desire to be seen as an equal to his Arab counterparts. This short scene shows us not only that he is tough, but that he wants others to know it.

One of the larger purposes of the film is to try to help the audience to better understand the legendary man, T.E. Lawrence. One thing that is central to his character is his ability to endure pain and overcome immense obstacles. He meets every challenge that the desert or his enemies throw at him, eventually gaining the trust of his Arab colleagues who come to see him as one of their own (they even give him traditional Arab clothes to wear). This brief scene succinctly shows Lawrence’s toughness juxtaposed with the native culture as well as the harsh landscape. Ultimately, Lawrence does encounter something that he can’t endure when later in the film he is tortured and likely raped by his Turkish captors. He becomes a broken man who wants to leave the desert and return to England to live a quiet, comfortable life.