Celebrating its 60th anniversary. Winner of 7 Academy Awards® including Best Picture of 1962, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA stands as one of the most timeless and essential motion picture masterpieces. The greatest achievement of its legendary, Oscar®-winning director, David Lean (1962, Lawrence of Arabia; 1957 The Bridge on the River Kwai), the film stars Peter O’Toole — in his career-making performance — as T.E. Lawrence, the audacious World War I British army officer who heroically united rival Arab desert tribes and led them to war against the mighty Turkish Empire. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards in 1962, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA won seven, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography [Color], Best Art Direction-Set Decoration [Color], Best Film Editing, Best Music [Score] and Best Sound.

For thoughts on Lawrence of Arabia, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Lawrence of Arabia returns to 4K UHD split over two discs with a 2160p release with Dolby Vision that serves as a fantastic step up from the included Blu-Ray that was first released a decade ago. The previous release was one of the best the format had to offer, but Sony sets the bar for home entertainment with this new 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. To be clear, this set was previously available exclusively in the now out-of-print Columbia Classics Collection: Volume One 4K set, but now fans can once again own this classic as a standalone release.

One of the most striking aspects of this transfer is the precise rendering of the sumptuous natural film grain. David Lean was a master of filmmaking who could craft an epic filled with textures and compositions with so much character that it completely changed the face of cinema. This disc replicates the perfect amount of natural film grain which is not overly thick but definitely not absent as you see it is very tight and finely resolved. The image is complemented so well by this structure which is truly unmatched on physical media. This allows the movies to shine and gives an abundance of pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. The image presents a miraculous amount of depth that makes these distinct environments feel more three dimensional than ever.

The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are likewise outstanding. You only need to glance upon the screen to feel as if you have been transported somewhere else, the natural splendor of the world and textures on costumes both feeling as if you could reach out and touch them. The UHD disc contains very vibrant, deep colors throughout with locations truly dazzling thanks to the peerless cinematography. White levels are bright and crisp while offering a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including some of the sweat from the oppressive heat of the desert. There is absolutely no sign of any print damage or other such blemishes that would ruin the look of this title. This transfer is hands down one of the best releases to be found on the 4K UHD format.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc utilizes a Dolby Atmos track in addition to the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track for the purists. Sony once again offers a dazzling amount of audio and subtitle options in a variety of languages. The Atmos track is not a night-and-day difference in execution from the 5.1 presentation, but it does help flesh out the soundscape with a renewed vitality and a more deeply immersive quality. The front channels are tasked with handling the majority of the dialogue, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers when it comes to the music and certain environmental sounds to make these worlds feel more robust and all-encompassing. The sounds up above are more discrete, but they are present enough to keep the listening experience quite engaging. These channels really come in handy during scenes of airplanes flying overhead.

The stirring score from Maurice Jarre washes over you in a really satisfying, enveloping way that feels more rousing than ever. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer are not garish or unnatural in their response, but they aid in certain kinetic moments well. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. While this film may not benefit from an Atmos track in the same way as modern blockbusters, the expanded audio track allows it to feel more powerful and precise than ever. Sony has treated this one with much respect.

Special Features

Sony has provided Lawrence of Arabia with a sleek, colorful new SteelBook featuring artwork that is truly lovely in person. The front artwork is an animated depiction of Lawrence on a camel crossing the desert with planes overhead and the sun setting in the background, and the rear features a key item from the film. The interior sports a solid burnt orange appearance that is not creative in any particular way. Video of the SteelBook can be found at the top of this review.

Unused International Prologue: A minute-long piece which provides a text crawl that contextualizes the story for those unfamiliar with the situation which was used in some international territories before David Lean demanded it be removed.

Secrets Of Arabia – A Picture-In-Picture Graphics Track: An option to watch the film with what is essentially a trivia track with videos of the production of the film, explorations of the life of T.E. Lawrence, the customs and rituals of desert existence, passages from Lawrence’s book and more.

Peter O’Toole Revisits Lawrence Of Arabia: A 21-minute interview with an elderly O’Toole in which he discusses landing the role of T.E. Lawrence, how he prepared to inhabit this character, his general relationships and interactions with the cast and crew, the experience of filming on location, the themes of the film and epic sprawl, his feelings over losing the Best Actor Oscar, the film’s legacy and much more.

Making Of Lawrence Of Arabia: A terrific 62-minute documentary that explores nearly every aspect of the film including the hiring of David Lean, his impact on the narrative, the music of the film, adapting a real-life story, the casting process, the shooting locations, the production design, controversies on set, the toll this production took on everyone involved, the film’s restoration and legacy, and much more.

Deleted Balcony Scene with Introduction by Anne V. Coates: A seven-minute piece in which Coates discusses the process of trying to restore one of the scenes for a “director’s cut” and the problems that prevented it from being executed perfectly. A version of the scene is provided for historical purposes. It is a very good scene, but you can see some of the limitations Coates discusses prior to the presentation.

The Lure Of The Desert – Martin Scorsese on Lawrence Of Arabia: An eight-minute piece in which Scorsese discusses his love of Lawrence Of Arabia, the qualities of the T.E. Lawrence character, the narrative arc of the story and how it compares to other classic films, why the film always feels fresh, the restoration in the 1980s and more.

A Conversation with Steven Spielberg: A nine-minute archival interview with Spielberg in which he discusses the first time he watched the film, the impact it had on his life, his fascination with the construction of this epic, the way the film takes dramatic license, his interactions with David Lean, and much more.

Wind, Sand and Star – The Making Of A Classic: Two versions of the making-of featurette totaling ten minutes are provided here. The 1963 version focuses more on the creative process and O’Toole’s process as an actor bringing the character of Lawrence to life. The 1970 version focuses more on the historic nature of the film and the overall legacy.

Vintage Featurettes

- Maan, Jordan – The Camels Are Cast: A two-minute vintage look at how the camels were chosen to star in the film and what it is like having them on set.

- In Search Of Lawrence: A five-minute look at the harsh experience of shooting in an unsparing desert.

- Romance Of Arabia: A nearly five-minute look at the visual splendor of the setting and the history associated with it.
King Hussein Visits Lawrence Of Arabia Set: A two-minute vintage piece which shows the monarch visiting the set during production.
In Love With The Desert: An 84-minute documentary from 2000 in which Lean’s friend and property master Eddie Fowlie pays tribute to the film and the experience of bringing it to life. Anyone who has been watching special features for a while will know the crew members often have the best stories.

Lawrence at 50 – A Classic Restored: A 14-minute featurette which takes a closer look at the decision to restore this classic film by the studio and what that entailed in practical terms.

Archival Interviews: Brief insights into the film from some extremely talented filmmakers in their own right.

- Steven Spielberg (1998) (1:32)

- William Friedkin (2007) (5:49)

- Sydney Pollack (2007) (2:44)

New York Premiere: A minute-long archival examination of the star-studded premiere of the film.

Advertising Campaign: A five-minute look-back at the advertising utilized for the film.

Vintage Trailers: The disc provides 11 minutes of Trailers, Teasers and TV Spots

Final Thoughts

Lawrence of Arabia is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement from the maestro David Lean. The film has a thematically appropriate epic runtime of nearly four hours which modern audiences may balk at, but the journey is so rewarding that you will feel as if the film is over before it scarcely begins. Peter O’Toole is at the height of his powers along with an ensemble that complements him perfectly. The film has always been known to be a classic, and nothing I can say will cement this fact any further. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a flawless A/V presentation and invaluable special features all in a gorgeous SteelBook package. Any serious fan of classic films should make sure this has a prime spot in their collection. Essential

Lawrence of Arabia is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.