The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks. I remember first seeing this film in college. I was taking a class on Filmmakers of the 50s and 60s. We were studying David Lean and we watched Lawrence of Arabia over 2 class periods over 2 … Continue reading 7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
British POWs are forced to build a railway bridge across the river Kwai for their Japanese captors, not knowing that the allied forces are planning to destroy it. You know, I think the one thing that this film made me realize, more than anything, is that I have no grasp on how plastic explosives work. Directed by David Lean and written by Carl Foreman and … Continue reading 36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
This past weekend, I went to the Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. I bought a popcorn and a drink and settled in to my seat. The theater began to fill with people. There were teenagers, young adults, people in middle age and older. They all got comfortable and settled in for what we were about to watch. We were about to see a film on … Continue reading The Importance of the American Cinematheque
