历史上的劳伦斯其人，本身就有传奇的一生。他的全名是托马斯·爱德华·劳伦斯（Thomas Edward Lawrence），生于1888年8月16日，卒于1935年5月19日。在等级森严的英国贵族社会，一个非婚生子的地位让他过早地饱尝了人间的冷暖，这种生来就矮人一等的尴尬，也让他变得早熟与坚强。这成为他后来能够在阿拉伯战场上以超人的胆识与毅力，不畏生死地去主动完成使命的意志基础。
名编剧罗伯特·鲍特/Robert Bolt，名导演大卫·里恩/ David Lean，名作曲家莫里斯·雅尔/Maurice Jarre，名摄影师弗雷迪·扬/Freddie Young，名艺术指导约翰·布克斯/John Box组成的创作队伍，让这部电影成为一流作品，一炮而红。在1963年的第35届奥斯卡奖上，这部电影一举拿下七项大奖，并历经50年而不衰，一直成为专业人士与观众最为推崇的杰作之一，成为经典中的经典。
影片中劳伦斯的扮演者彼得·奥图/Peter O Toole 对当时的影坛来说是一个陌生的面孔，这正是导演的本意，他就要找一个脸生的人来演这个角色。彼得·奥图的外貌与气质同真实的劳伦斯比，颇有几分相似，金发碧眼，五官端庄，看上去很有些女性的特点，可是心里却有着无与伦比的勇敢与坚定，并有着卓越的军事才能。
It has been a few days since I watched the movie Lawrence of Arabia; however Lawrence's images refused to leave my mind.
One image was Lawrence skipping blissfully on top of a train celebrating Arab's victory in the battle against Turks. His blonde hair glistered under the son and his white robe spread out like angel's wings. At that moment, Lawrence might have been considered a saint, a guardian angle by his Arab followers. By then, his self confidence reached a height that he believed he could "walk on the water".
Another image was Lawrence staring blankly at the fire after he was thrown out by the Turks and rescued by Ali. So much emotion was written behind his stoic face. We couldn't even imagine what kind of unspeakable horror he had been through when he was captured. It was believed by historians that Lawrence was gang raped by the Turks.
The last image was Lawrence leading the Arab "army" facing a group of Turk soldiers. Lawrence's body was frozen, with his chin shivering and his eyes wild open. He was like looking at a ghost. He was reliving the appalling experience when he was a prisoner of Turks. After a long silence, he burst out a cry: "No prisoners!" - and that was the beginning of a massacre. At that point, Lawrence had transformed from an angel to a devil.
Looking at Lawrence, I couldn't help thinking of the scene of Lara being "raped" by her "lover" Komarovsky in the movie Dr. Zhivago. After Komarovsky left, Lara took a gun, followed him to a Christmas party and attempted to shoot at him. The novel had portrayed this plot differently. Nevertheless, I believe Lara and Lawrence had experienced similar traumatic emotions.
It was a tragedy of humanity. But how can anyone blame Lawrence or Lara?
larazhi 发表评论于
Thank you so much for writing so many wonderful movie and book reviews. Your reviews not only deliver your opinions, but also serve as previews and study guides for your readers. I admire the heart and mind that you have put into your writings.
Please forgive me for writing in English. It will take me forever to type Chinese.
最后与你共享劳伦斯写在Seven Pillars of Wisdom扉页上的一首诗。 这首诗的名子To S.A.让许多人浮想连翩。
To S.A.
I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands
and wrote my will across the sky in stars
To earn you Freedom, the seven pillared worthy house,
that your eyes might be shining for me
When we came.
Death seemed my servant on the road, till we were near
and saw you waiting:
When you smiled, and in sorrowful envy he outran me
and took you apart:
Into his quietness.
Love, the way-weary, groped to your body, our brief wage
ours for the moment
Before earth's soft hand explored your shape, and the blind
worms grew fat upon
Your substance.
Men prayed me that I set our work, the inviolate house,
as a memory of you.
But for fit monument I shattered it, unfinished: and now
The little things creep out to patch themselves hovels
in the marred shadow
Of your gift.
我也很喜欢这部片子，的确拍得很恢宏很有气势。
里面没有美女和爱情这一点，虽然貌似打破惯例，但是不能说影片和性没有关系。劳伦斯被德国军队抓住后，影片似乎暗示他受到德国军官的强奸，以至于他被放出后心灰意冷，想要退出战斗。还有一些他的传记作者对劳伦斯的性取向表示怀疑，似乎认为他是同性恋。如果这是真的，那就难怪他对女人不感兴趣，也不会有什么和美女的绯闻。
影片没有交代的是劳伦斯本来是牛津大学研究中东考古的研究生，战争之前已经在当地做了不少旅行，所以才会对当地的地理，语言，文化和风土人情如此了解。
他无疑对中东战争中政治局势有很大影响，不过在一些细节上学者对电影的刻画也多有争议。比如他是不是真的一心帮助阿拉伯人取得独立，完全不顾英国军队和政客的计划。“The real Lawrence, with the help of his vast knowledge of the different tribes, had himself drawn up a map of how Britain should divide up Arabia into many warring states, though eventually they would be divided up differently. This same map included the future Jewish state of Israel, as he was also a supporter of the creation of a Jewish settlement in the area of Palestine by means of expulsion of local Arabs.”所以似乎他的光辉形象也要打折扣。
不管劳伦斯，英国军队和政客在电影中被怎样刻画，以及是否准确，电影对阿拉伯人的描绘绝对不那么正面，几乎就是把他们当作一群互相征战的土匪，为了部族利益不惜破坏整个阿拉伯世界的平衡，而让外来者（比如英国，法国，德国军队）占了便宜。当地的阿拉伯人在武器上极其落后，以至总要依赖英国军队的武器供给，在战术安排上也是一盘散沙，只能为眼前小利而战，没法互相合作。即使把控制权交道他们手中，他们也要自己吵得天翻地覆，打得一塌糊涂，最后他们还是要撤到沙漠里过土匪的生活，而把管理权交道外国军队手中。不清楚这是不是对阿拉伯国家当时状况的真实反映。不过相信阿拉伯人是不会很喜欢影片里对他们民族性的刻画的。
影片里阿里这个人物有时会表现出超出他民族的理解力和领导力，可惜这个人物是虚构的。而Prince Feisal不过是一个精于计算的当地部族首领。他虽然可能在战事上或者治理方面不占优势，却很善于利用形势给自己攫取最大权利，捞到最大好处。他的形象并不比英国政客好多少。
