Lawrence of Arabia Blu-ray truly is a masterpiece with perfect scores all around making it a contender for best Blu-ray ever
The dramatic portrait of the famed British officer's journey to the Middle East, Lawrence of
Arabia is one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved films of all time. Assigned to Arabia
during World War I, Lawrence courageously unites the warring Arab factions into a strong
guerrilla front and leads them to brilliant victories in treacherous desert battlefields, where they
eventually defeat the ruling Turkish Empire.
Sony has released its timeless classic 'Lawrence of Arabia' to Blu-ray in both a standard two-disc release as well as this massive and attractive four-disc version that
contains an extra disc's worth of supplements, a CD soundtrack, a limited 70mm film frame, and a handsome 88-page coffee table hardbound book.
It's elegant, a streamlined and simple collection with value added that's little in number but great in content and collectibility. This review will focus
exclusively on the new content exclusive to this box; the film, the video and audio presentations, and the discs one and two supplements are identical
to those included with the two-disc set. For reviews of that content, please click through the link above.
Lawrence of Arabia's Blu-ray box set hearkens back to the days of big LaserDisc boxed sets (see the last screenshots for a few size
comparisons), but inside, of course, is no 12" platter (or six or seven, as the case
sometimes was) but rather three
little
Blu-ray discs and one CD, one film frame, and one gigantic coffee table book. The box's exterior dimensions measure about a foot in length and height
and approximately 1.75" in depth. It's stored inside a somewhat flimsy but attractive plastic outer sleeve with basic identifying text on the front and
more detail about the film and the supplements on the back. The book measures about the same in length and height but, of course, is a bit thinner
at only 88 full-color glossy pages that include plenty of text and photographs chronicling the film. The individually numbered 70mm film frame comes
sealed in a
transparent sleeve. The Blu-ray case is of double width to accommodate the added two discs. Included inside is a UV
digital copy code as well as a soundtrack listing leaflet. Below is a review of the Blu-ray supplements exclusive to this set as well as the soundtrack
disc track listing.
Disc three Blu-ray special feature subtitle options include English, Chinese Traditional, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese,
Spanish, and Thai.
Deleted Balcony Scene with Introduction by Anne V. Coates (SD, 7:06): A newly reconstructed scene from the director's cut.
The Lure of the Desert: Martin Scorsese on Lawrence of Arabia (HD, 7:51): A disappointingly brief supplement in which the
Oscar-winning director discusses his first viewing, his thoughts on the hero arc, the dramatic contrasts between the film's halves, O'Toole's
performance, the picture's later influences, its grandest scenes, the score, and more. Scorsese's knowledge and passion are evident; it's too bad
there's not more Marty here.
Lawrence at 50: A Classic Restored (HD, 13:30): Sony Pictures Technologies President Chris Cookson; Sony Pictures
Entertainment Executive Vice President, Asset Management/Film Restoration/Digital Mastering Grover Crisp; and Digital Colorist Scott Ostrowsky
speak on the original 1988 restoration, the new restoration from the original 65mm film, the challenges of repairing the many flaws inherent to the
original source, working in 4k and its benefits, and more.
King Hussein Visits Lawrence of Arabia Set (HD, 2:01): A vintage newsreel piece depicting the King's visit to the set, his
meet-and-greet with cast and crew, viewing various prop materials, and watching a scene unfold.
Wind, Sand, and Star: The Making of a Classic (HD, 5:04): From the disc: "This is the original version of Wind, Sand and Star
filmed near the original release date of Lawrence of Arabia in 1963. This version is higher quality (35mm), focuses more on the creative
process and discusses O'Toole's process as an actor portraying the original historic figure, Lawrence of Arabia." The short is presented in 4:3 aspect
ratio. This is a different version of the supplement of the same name found on disc two.
In Love with the Desert (SD, 1:23:54): From the year 2000, this retrospective Documentary, hosted by Lawrence of Arabia
Property Master Eddie Fowlie,
journeys through the landscapes on which this classic film was photographed. The supplement weaves together more than just location
images; a wealth of information is revealed as it pertains to the making of the film, including intimate anecdotes and broad information alike. Fowlie
proves an amiable, interesting host; he's a fountain of knowledge and a pleasure to hear discuss the film.
Archival Interviews (SD): William Friedkin on Lawrence of Arabia (5:03), Sydney Pollack on Lawrence of Arabia (2:38),
and Steven Spielberg on Lawrence of Arabia (1:26).
This big box might cost big bucks, but unlike some previous Blu-ray mega-box editions, this one is well worth the added cost. Lawrence of
Arabia's definitive home video presentation is worth treasuring. The video and audio qualities are above reproach, and with the added disc of
supplements and the inclusion of the CD soundtrack, the Blu-ray collection cannot be beat. The box itself hearkens back to the good old collecting days
of
LaserDisc in terms of size, stature, and collection display prominence. The book is great and the 70mm film frame makes for a very nice value-added
collectible. All
things considered, this box is perhaps the best collector's edition yet released to Blu-ray. Look for it in the top spot of my "best of 2012" list coming later
this year. Of course, this set receives my highest recommendation.
When talking about this week's notable Blu-ray releases, we need to go back to November 9th; Sony released The Amazing Spider-Man, the rebooted beginning to the Spider-Man franchise. The worst thing anyone can say about the new film is how similar its setup is ...
In November, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will bring Lawrence of Arabia to Blu-ray. Director David Lean's epic drama focuses on the military career of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole, Becket), a lieutenant in the British Army who makes a profound impact on the ...
