THE LEGEND ON FILM

The 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia is today widely considered one of the most influential movies ever made. The film, directed by David Lean and starring Peter O’Toole, Alec Guiness, and Omar Shariff, among others, was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won seven, including best picture and best director.

However, the movie also received substantial criticism upon its debut from friends and familiy members of some of the key figures depicted in the film.

Among the criticisms, there were complaints that some scenes were heavily fictionalized. As well, the portrayals of T.E. Lawrence, General Edmund Allenby, and other key characters were panned by some as inaccurate and deliberately sensationalized compared to the real-life figures.

Peter O’Toole, left, as T.E. Lawrence and Omar Shariff, as Sherif Ali, in a scene from the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.