Lawrence of Arabia

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. 1962 British-American epic historical drama film distributed by Columbia Pictures directed by David Lean based on the life of T E Lawrence. It starred Peter O'Toole in the title role and is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential films in the history of cinema. It was nominated for ten Oscars at the 35th Academy Awards, finally winning seven including best film and best original score. Its budget was 15million USD and it took 70 million USD at the box office. The film depicts T E Lawrence's experiences in the Arabian Peninsula during World War 1. Its themes include his emotional struggles with the personal violence inherent in war, his own identity and his divided allegiance between his native Britain and its army and his new-found comrades within the Arabian desert tribes. In 1991, the film was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.