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84-410: In 2011 Juan Muñoz Corn published La Historia de la Biblioteca Provincial de Sevilla , a history of the library from its inception in 1959 until 2009. The book was written by Juana Munoz, former director of the library. She describes the internal challenges and changes made to the library over the fifty-year period, and relates these to the related external events and social changes. The book was issued in

168-434: A 'Moorish paradisical style' with a half mile of tiled fountains, pavilions, walls, ponds, benches, and exhedras . There are lush plantings of palms, orange trees, Mediterranean pines, and stylized flower beds with bowers hidden by vines. The park serves as a botanical garden. Many plant species, native or exotic, are represented, along with educational panels to inform the visitors to the park. Many birds make their home in

252-413: A faithful docudrama that would educate the audience, but a hit picture". Stephen E. Tabachnick goes further than Korda by arguing that the film's portrayal of Lawrence is "appropriate and true to the text of Seven Pillars of Wisdom ". David Murphy, historian and author of the 2008 book The Arab Revolt , wrote that although the film was flawed with inaccuracies and omissions, "it was a truly epic movie and

336-458: A gay relationship. When asked about whether the film was "pervasively homoerotic", Lean responded: Yes. Of course it is. Throughout. I'll never forget standing there in the desert once, with some of these tough Arab buggers, some of the toughest we had, and I suddenly thought, "He's making eyes at me!" And he was! So it does pervade it, the whole story, and certainly Lawrence was very if not entirely homosexual. We thought we were being very daring at

420-502: A hero. To get rid of Lawrence, the British promote him to colonel and order him back to Britain. As he leaves the city, he looks longingly at the departing Arabs before his car is passed by a motorcyclist, who leaves a trail of dust in his wake. The crew consisted of over 200 people. Including cast and extras, over 1,000 people worked on the film. Members of the crew portrayed minor characters. First assistant director Roy Stevens played

504-565: A limited edition of 1,000 copies. The library was opened on 2 October 1959, at first in premises provided by the Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del Pais . For its opening it was given 15,000 volumes from the 18th and 19th centuries. The library moved in 1979 to a building at 19 calle Alfonso XII and was named the Biblioteca Pública Provincial de Sevilla (Provincial Public Library of Seville) for

588-456: A man interested only in loot and money is at odds with the historical record. Although Auda at first joined the revolt for monetary reasons, he became a steadfast supporter of Arab independence, notably after Aqaba's capture. Despite repeated bribery attempts by the Turks, he took their money but remained loyal to the revolt and went so far as to knock out his false teeth, which were Turkish-made. He

672-650: A man, as he moved farther north. The film's timeline inaccurately depicts the chronology of the Arab Revolt and First World War, as well as the geography of the Hejaz region. Bentley's meeting with Faisal in which he mentions that the United States has not yet entered the war is in late 1917 after the fall of Aqaba, months after the American entry into the war . Lawrence's involvement in the Arab Revolt prior to

756-582: A month before Lawrence's first attack. The film shows the Hashemite forces consisting of Bedouin guerrillas, but the core of the Hashemite force was the regular Arab Army recruited from Ottoman Arab prisoners of war. They wore British-style uniforms with keffiyehs and fought in conventional battles. The film makes no mention of the Sharifian Army and leaves the viewer with the impression that

840-580: A pre-war topographical survey of the Sinai Peninsula and his attempts to negotiate the release of British prisoners at Kut , Mesopotamia , in 1916. Lawrence is made aware of the Sykes–Picot Agreement very late in the story and is shown to be appalled by it, but he may well have known about it much earlier while he fought with the Arabs. Lawrence's biographers have a mixed reaction towards

924-463: A score with two themes to show the 'Eastern' and British side for the film. It was intended for Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian to create one half and British composer Benjamin Britten to write the other. The original soundtrack recording was originally released on Colpix Records , the records division of Columbia Pictures, in 1962. A remastered edition appeared on Castle Music , a division of

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1008-414: A second source of natural light for the reading rooms. The courtyard itself can be used as an open-air reading room. The structure defines a C-shaped space with the rooms fully open to the interior façade. The two floors have a combined area of 5,000 square metres (54,000 sq ft). The building is built of exposed brick and black metalwork. The ground floor is almost entirely open to the outside, while

1092-584: A unique building that takes the form of a small hexagonal castle with turrets at the corners. It is the oldest building in Seville in the Neo-Mudéjar style. Numerous other buildings were constructed in and around the park for the exhibition in a mix of 1920's Art Deco and mock Mudejar . Some of them were extravagant in their decor, built just before the Wall Street crash. The Guatemala building, off

1176-454: A wide ratio produced some unwanted effects during projection, such as a peculiar "flutter" effect, a blurring of certain parts of the image. To avoid the problem, the director often had to modify blocking, giving the actor a more diagonal movement, where the flutter was less likely to occur. Lean was asked whether he could handle CinemaScope : "If one had an eye for composition, there would be no problem." O'Toole did not share Lawrence's love of

1260-647: Is badly injured. Lawrence is forced to kill him to save him from the Turks, who torture their captives. The Turks capture Lawrence while he covertly scouts the Turkish-held city of Deraa . They do not recognise him, but the Turkish Bey orders him stripped, ogled, prodded, and beaten—and, it is implied, raped. The Turks throw the injured Lawrence into the street. Ali rescues him and nurses him back to health. The experience leaves Lawrence shaken and humbled. He returns to British Cairo, but does not fit in. With

1344-536: Is built on a pedestal, the bust of the poet. To his right is Cupid as a child throwing arrows at three young women. To the left of the bust is Cupid as an adult, stabbed and dying. The two angels are in bronze, the rest of the work is in marble white. This scene is inspired by Becquer's poetry collection Rimas . The monument to Miguel de Cervantes is located on the Plaza de America, near the Royal Pavilion. It

1428-495: Is dismayed to learn that Ali is Faisal's advisor. Relations between Britain and the Arabs are polite but tense. While Britain will supply guns to the Arabs, it will not provide artillery, which would make Faisal a power player after the war. Brighton asks Faisal to fall back and help the British defend the Suez Canal . Lawrence violates his orders by encouraging Faisal to attack. Faisal is impressed by Lawrence's familiarity with

1512-473: Is no gold. Lawrence agrees to go to British Army headquarters in Cairo to obtain bribe money for Auda. On the way, he loses Daud in quicksand . In Cairo, Lawrence perplexes the British officers with his Arab clothes and his insistence that Farraj be treated like a white person. The new commander, General Allenby , promotes him to major and agrees to back the Arabs with arms and money. Lawrence confesses that he

1596-525: Is not clear to what degree Lawrence sought or shunned attention, as evidenced by his use of various assumed names after the war. Even during the war, Lowell Thomas wrote in With Lawrence in Arabia that he could take pictures of him only by tricking him, although Lawrence later agreed to pose for several photos for Thomas's stage show. Thomas's famous comment that Lawrence "had a genius for backing into

1680-480: Is rightly seen as a classic". Previous films about T. E. Lawrence had been planned but had not been made. In the 1940s, Alexander Korda was interested in filming The Seven Pillars of Wisdom with Laurence Olivier , Leslie Howard , or Robert Donat as Lawrence, but had to pull out owing to financial difficulties. David Lean had been approached to direct a 1952 version for the Rank Organisation , but

1764-656: Is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made . In 1991, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry . In 1998, the American Film Institute placed it fifth on their 100 Years...100 Movies list of the greatest American films and it ranked seventh on their 2007 updated list . In 1999,

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1848-495: Is worried about his own bloodthirstiness, but his superiors dismiss his concerns. Before heading back, Lawrence asks Allenby whether the Arabs are correct that the British seek to dominate Arabia, and demands artillery for Faisal's army. To please Lawrence, Allenby—who worries that Lawrence has "gone native"—lies to him on both counts. Lawrence launches a guerrilla war by blowing up the Ottoman Hejaz railway and harassing

1932-682: The British Film Institute named the film the third-greatest British film . In 2004, it was voted the best British film in The Sunday Telegraph poll of Britain's leading filmmakers. In 1935, T. E. Lawrence dies in a motorcycle accident. At his memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral , it becomes clear he is not universally well liked. During the First World War , Lawrence is a misfit British Army lieutenant , notable for his insolence and education. Over

2016-686: The Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture in 2001. Beside the modern library is the Science Center ( Casa de la Ciencia Seville ), housed in the original Pavilion of Peru. Adjoining the Science Center is the Teatro Lope de Vega , a small baroque-style theatre that was also built for the exhibition. Lawrence of Arabia (film) Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 epic biographical adventure drama film based on

2100-596: The Quran and honesty about British interests in Arabia. Lawrence convinces Faisal to launch a surprise attack on the port of Aqaba to improve his supply lines. Ali protests, as Aqaba is protected from land attacks by the harsh Nefud Desert and the local Turkish enforcer, Howeitat tribal leader Auda Abu Tayi . Faisal gives Lawrence just fifty men. Lawrence also hires teenage orphans Daud and Farraj as his attendants. The march to Aqaba demonstrates Lawrence's cunning and charisma. He wins over Faisal's men by turning back into

2184-709: The Arabian desert tribes. The film was nominated for ten Oscars at the 35th Academy Awards in 1963, winning seven including Best Picture and Best Director . It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama and the BAFTA Awards for Best Film and Outstanding British Film . The dramatic score by Maurice Jarre and the Super Panavision 70 cinematography by Freddie Young also won praise from critics. Lawrence of Arabia

2268-406: The Arabs can take Damascus before the British, they will have enough leverage to demand an independent Arab state after the war. Lawrence's army sights a column of retreating Turkish soldiers who have just massacred the residents of Tafas . One of Lawrence's men is from Tafas and demands no prisoners . Ali insists on proceeding to Damascus, but the man charges alone and is killed. Lawrence takes up

2352-489: The Hashemite forces were composed exclusively of Bedouin irregulars. Many complaints about the film's accuracy concern the characterisation of Lawrence. The perceived problems with the portrayal begin with the differences in his physical appearance — the 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Peter O'Toole was almost 9 in (23 cm) taller than the 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) Lawrence — and extended to his behaviour. The screenwriters depict Lawrence as an egotist. It

2436-537: The Lions ( Fuente de los Leones ), based on a concept by the park designer Jean Claude Nicolas Forestier , was sculpted by Manuel Delgado Brackembury in 1913. It consists of four stone lions, each carrying a shield, placed on four of the eight sides of the octagonal fountain into which they spit water. The fountain is decorated with tiles from the workshop of Ramos Rejano. The lions were installed in 1928. Badly damaged by vandals, in 1957 they were replaced by copies made by

2520-669: The Paseo de la Palmera, is an example of this elaborate style. The largest mansions from the fair, near the south end of the park, now serve as museums, including the Archeological Museum of Seville . Some of the original buildings have been replaced by more modern structures. For example, the Seville Public Library was inaugurated in 1999 by the Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo . It was nominated for

2604-505: The Quran. Permission was granted only on condition that an imam be present to ensure that there were no misquotations. Lean planned to film in Aqaba and the archaeological site at Petra , which Lawrence had been fond of as a place of study. The production had to be moved to Spain due to cost and outbreaks of illness among the cast and crew before these scenes could be shot. The attack on Aqaba

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2688-528: The Sevillian sculptor Juan Abascal Fuentes . The fountain was restored in 1992. The Plaza de España was a principal building built on the park's edge to showcase Spain's industry and technology exhibits in 1929, being built over a period of 19 years. It happened to be that the US stock market crashed when the complex was being completed. The complex is a huge half-circle with buildings continually running around

2772-465: The Turks on the back foot, Dryden informs Lawrence about the Sykes–Picot Agreement , a secret treaty to partition the Middle East between Britain and France after the war. Allenby urges Lawrence to return to Arabia to support the "big push" on Damascus . Lawrence feels betrayed, but reluctantly complies. He recruits a mercenary army only tenuously motivated by Arab liberation. Lawrence hopes that if

2856-462: The Turks. The American media romanticises Lawrence's exploits and makes him famous, as the Americans are looking to highlight the "more adventurous aspects" of war to help draw America into the fight . In reality, Lawrence's recklessness and bloodthirstiness get many of his soldiers killed. Ali urges him to slow down, but Lawrence—who has developed a saviour complex —ignores him. On one raid, Farraj

2940-522: The Water-lily Pool ( Estanque de los Lotos ). The monument to Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer is located in the north of the park, along the Avenida de Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. It was constructed in 1911 by Lorenzo Coullaut-Valera , in collaboration with the architect Juan Talavera Heredia and Catalan sculptor Federico Bechini . The monument consists of an octagonal base, surrounding a tree, which

3024-539: The attack and slaughter of the retreating Turkish columns who had committed the Tafas massacre , but most current biographers accept the film's portrayal as reasonably accurate. The film shows that Lawrence spoke and read Arabic , could quote the Quran and was reasonably knowledgeable about the region. It barely mentions his archaeological travels from 1911 to 1914 in Syria and Arabia and ignores his espionage work, including

3108-667: The attack on Aqaba is absent, as are his involvement in the seizures of Yenbo and Wejh . The rescue and the execution of Gasim are based on two incidents that were conflated for dramatic reasons. The film shows Lawrence representing the Allied cause in the Hejaz almost alone, with Colonel Brighton ( Anthony Quayle ) as the only British officer there to assist him. In fact, there were numerous British officers such as colonels Cyril Wilson , Stewart Newcombe , and Pierce C. Joyce , all of whom arrived before Lawrence began serving in Arabia. There

3192-465: The comprehension of our littleness came slow to him". The fictional Allenby's words at Lawrence's funeral in the film stand in contrast to the real Allenby's remarks upon Lawrence's death, I have lost a good friend and a valued comrade. Lawrence was under my command, but, after acquainting him with my strategical plan, I gave him a free hand. His co-operation was marked by the utmost loyalty, and I never had anything but praise for his work, which, indeed,

3276-498: The conductor of the score in the film's credits, but he could not conduct most of the score, due in part to his failure to adapt to the intricate timings of each cue, and Jarre replaced him as the conductor. The score went on to garner Jarre his first Academy Award for Music Score—Substantially Original and is now considered one of the greatest scores of all time, ranking number three on the American Film Institute's top twenty-five film scores . Producer Sam Spiegel wanted to create

3360-533: The council remained more or less in power in Syria until France deposed Faisal in 1920. Little background is provided on the history of the region, the First World War and the Arab Revolt, probably because of Bolt's increased focus on Lawrence (Wilson's draft script had a broader, more politicised version of events). The second half of the film presents a fictional desertion of Lawrence's Arab army, almost to

3444-410: The dead man's battle cry, and the Arabs massacre the Turks. After the battle, Lawrence looks at his own reflection in disbelief, having become the image of the barbarity he once condemned Ali for. The Arabs beat the British to Damascus. To protect their independence, Lawrence asks them to run the city without British support. His plan fails. The tribesmen bicker constantly, the public utilities fail, and

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3528-489: The desert and stated in an interview "I loathe it". The film score was composed by Maurice Jarre , little known at the time and selected only after both William Walton and Malcolm Arnold had proved unavailable. Jarre was given just six weeks to compose two hours of orchestral music for Lawrence . The score was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra . Sir Adrian Boult is listed as

3612-526: The desert to rescue Gasim, a lost Arab. The grateful Arabs give Lawrence traditional Arab clothing; Lawrence in turn grows to admire the Arab civilisation. In addition, Lawrence convinces Auda to switch sides by promising him a vast Turkish gold hoard at Aqaba. The Arabs begin relying on Lawrence, as an outsider, to arbitrate tribal disputes. In one instance, Lawrence is forced to execute Gasim to prevent an all-out conflict. Lawrence and Auda capture Aqaba, but there

3696-453: The edge accessible over the moat by numerous beautiful bridges. In the centre is a large fountain. By the walls of the plaza are many tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain. Today, the plaza buildings are mainly used for government offices. The Queen's sewing box ( Costurero de la Reina ) was built in 1893 in the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo, as a retreat. It is

3780-459: The extras copied the idea and sheets of the foam can be seen on many of the horse and camel saddles. The Bedouin nicknamed O'Toole Abu-'Isfanj ( أبو إسفنج ), meaning "Father of the Sponge". During the filming of the Aqaba scene, O'Toole was nearly killed when he fell from his camel, but it stood over him, preventing the extras' horses from trampling him. Coincidentally, a very similar mishap befell

3864-405: The film and engaged Bolt in a lengthy correspondence over its portrayal of Lawrence. The film portrays Allenby as cynical and manipulative with a superior attitude to Lawrence, but there is much evidence that Allenby and Lawrence liked and respected each other. Lawrence once said that Allenby was "an admiration of mine" and later that he was "physically large and confident and morally so great that

3948-420: The film's characters and believed that the train attack scenes were the only reasonably accurate aspect of the film. Criticisms were not restricted to Lawrence. Allenby's family lodged a formal complaint against Columbia about his portrayal. Descendants of Auda Abu Tayi and Sharif Nassir (upon whom the film's Ali was partially based) went further by suing Columbia. The Auda case went on for almost 10 years before it

4032-459: The film. Several scenes directly recall Ford's film, most notably Ali's entrance at the well and the composition of many of the desert scenes and the dramatic exit from Wadi Rum . Lean biographer Kevin Brownlow noted a physical similarity between Wadi Rum and Ford's Monument Valley . In an interview with The Washington Post in 1989, Lean said that Lawrence and Ali were written as being in

4116-537: The film. The authorised biographer Jeremy Wilson noted that the film has "undoubtedly influenced the perceptions of some subsequent biographers", such as the depiction of the film's Ali being a real rather than a composite character and the highlighting of the Deraa incident. The film's historical inaccuracies, in Wilson's view, are more questionable than should be allowed under normal dramatic licence. Liddell Hart criticised

4200-411: The film. When Bolt was arrested for taking part in an anti-nuclear weapons demonstration, Spiegel had to persuade him to sign a recognizance of good behaviour to be released from jail and continue working on the script. O'Toole was not used to riding camels and found the saddle to be uncomfortable. During a break in filming, he bought a piece of foam rubber at a market and added it to his saddle. Many of

4284-646: The filming being delayed because of a flash flood. The Sierra Nevada mountains filled in for Azrak, Lawrence's winter quarters. The city of Seville was used to represent Cairo, Jerusalem and Damascus , with the appearance of Casa de Pilatos , the Alcázar of Seville and the Plaza de España . All of the interiors were shot in Spain, including Lawrence's first meeting with Faisal and the scene in Auda's tent. The Tafas massacre

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4368-538: The first floor is taller and has a denser appearance. This is where the exposed brick is used. The roof is made of zinc that slopes slightly inward to the courtyard. Parque de Mar%C3%ADa Luisa The Parque de María Luisa (María Luisa Park) is a public park that stretches along the Guadalquivir River in Seville , Spain. It is Seville's principal green area. Most of the grounds that were used for

4452-650: The library as a place to study and from older people in the habit of reading the papers there in the afternoon or watching movies. The current library building is located in the Parque de María Luisa . This was the site of the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 . It lies between the Pavilion of the United States and the Pavilion of Peru, which now holds the Science Center and the consulate of Peru. The architects Cruz y Ortiz were selected to undertake

4536-500: The library supports a variety of cultural activities throughout the year. These include film series aimed at young audiences, musical theater and concerts. Over 25,000 people visited the library in August 2002. From June to September 2011, however, the library was forced to close earlier due to the financial crisis. It would only be open from 9 am to 2 pm during this period. This drew complaints from students who had come to rely on

4620-544: The life of T. E. Lawrence and his 1926 book Seven Pillars of Wisdom (also known as Revolt in the Desert ). It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company Horizon Pictures and distributed by Columbia Pictures . The film stars Peter O'Toole as Lawrence with Alec Guinness playing Prince Faisal . The film also stars Jack Hawkins , Anthony Quinn , Omar Sharif , Anthony Quayle , Claude Rains and Arthur Kennedy . The screenplay

4704-416: The limelight" suggests that his extraordinary actions prevented him from being as private as he would have liked, or may suggest that Lawrence made a pretence of avoiding the limelight but subtly placed himself at centre stage. Others point to Lawrence's writings to support the argument that he was egotistical. Lawrence's sexual orientation remains a controversial topic among historians. Bolt's primary source

4788-661: The motorcyclist at the Suez Canal; Lean is rumoured to have provided the cyclist's voice shouting "Who are you?" Continuity supervisor Barbara Cole appeared as one of the nurses in the Damascus hospital scene. Most of the film's characters are based on historical figures, but to varying degrees. Some scenes were heavily fictionalised, such as the Battle of Aqaba , and those dealing with the Arab Council were inaccurate since

4872-410: The next twenty years. It moved again in 1999 to its present location with the new name of Biblioteca Pública Provincial Infanta Elena de Sevilla (Princess Elena Provincial Public Library of Seville). In its new location the library has attracted growing numbers of visitors, prompting the management to extend the hours that it is open, even in the summer. In addition to being used for reading and study,

4956-526: The objections of General Murray , Mr Dryden of the Arab Bureau sends him to link up with Colonel Brighton, who has been tasked with advising Prince Faisal in his revolt against the Turks . On the journey, Lawrence is outraged when his Bedouin guide Tafas is ruthlessly killed by Sherif Ali bin el Kharish for drinking from his well without permission. He accuses Ali of being an uncivilised barbarian, and

5040-515: The original draft of the screenplay. Lean was dissatisfied with Wilson's work, primarily because his treatment focused on the historical and political aspects of the Arab Revolt. Lean hired Robert Bolt to re-write the script to make it a character study of Lawrence. Many of the characters and scenes are Wilson's invention, but virtually all of the dialogue in the finished film was written by Bolt. Lean reportedly watched John Ford 's 1956 film The Searchers to help him develop ideas as to how to shoot

5124-535: The park were formerly the gardens of the Palace of San Telmo . They were donated to the city of Seville in 1893 by the Infanta Luisa Fernanda, Duchess of Montpensier , for use as a public park. Starting in 1911, Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier redesigned the gardens into their present shapes. In 1914 the architect Aníbal Gonzalez began construction for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929 , which

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5208-475: The park, which is known for its large population of doves (for which a part of the Plaza de América is called the Parque de las Palomas , or Dove Park). There are also many parakeets living in the centre of the park, and ducks and swans in the fountains and lakes. The park is home to many monuments and to numerous ponds and fountains. Among the most famous are the Fountain of Lions ( Fuente de los Leones ) and

5292-434: The project fell through. At the same time as pre-production of the film, Terence Rattigan was developing his play Ross which centred primarily on Lawrence's alleged homosexuality . Ross had begun as a screenplay, but was re-written for the stage when the film project fell through. Sam Spiegel grew furious and attempted to have the play suppressed, which helped to gain publicity for the film. Dirk Bogarde had accepted

5376-489: The project, despite extensive pre-production work, including location scouting in India and a meeting with Jawaharlal Nehru . Lean then returned his attention to T. E. Lawrence. Columbia Pictures had an interest in a Lawrence project dating back to the early '50s, and the project got underway when Spiegel convinced a reluctant A. W. Lawrence to sell the rights to Seven Pillars of Wisdom for £22,500. Michael Wilson wrote

5460-517: The project, which started in 1995. The building conforms to the shape of the site, with six sides in all. One of the sides faces the park while another faces the Guadalquivir River The building was inaugurated in 1999 by the Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo . It was nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture in 2001. The two-story building conceals an interior courtyard, invisible from outside, which provides

5544-493: The real Lawrence at the Battle of Abu El Lissal in 1917. Super Panavision technology was used to shoot the film, meaning that spherical lenses were used instead of anamorphic ones, and the image was exposed on a 65 mm negative, then printed onto a 70 mm positive to leave room for the soundtracks. Rapid cutting was more disturbing on the wide screen, so film makers had to apply longer and more fluid takes. Shooting such

5628-540: The role in Ross ; he described the cancellation of the project as "my bitterest disappointment". Alec Guinness played the role on stage. Lean and Sam Spiegel had worked together on The Bridge on the River Kwai and decided to collaborate again. For a time, Lean was interested in a biopic of Gandhi , with Alec Guinness to play the title role and Emeric Pressburger writing the screenplay. He eventually lost interest in

5712-505: The time: Lawrence and Omar, Lawrence and the Arab boys. Lean also compared Ali and Lawrence's romance in the film to the relationship of the two main characters in his 1945 film Brief Encounter . The film was made by Horizon Pictures and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Principal photography began on 15 May 1961 and ended on 21 September 1962. The desert scenes were shot in Jordan and Morocco and Almería and Doñana in Spain. It

5796-472: The town to fall into chaos as the Arab Council collapses. Murray was initially sceptical of the Arab Revolt's potential but thought highly of Lawrence's abilities as an intelligence officer. It was largely through Lawrence's persuasion that Murray came to support the revolt. The intense dislike shown toward Lawrence in the film is the opposite of Murray's real feelings, but Lawrence seemed not to hold Murray in any high regard. The depiction of Auda Abu Tayi as

5880-473: The truck driver who transports Lawrence and Farraj to the Cairo HQ at the end of Act I; the sergeant who stops Lawrence and Farraj ("Where do you think you're going to, Mustapha?") is construction assistant Fred Bennett and screenwriter Robert Bolt has a wordless cameo as one of the officers watching Allenby and Lawrence confer in the courtyard (he is smoking a pipe). Steve Birtles, the film's gaffer , played

5964-466: The understaffed hospitals can barely function. A British medical observer furiously criticises the situation in front of Lawrence, although he does not recognise him. Faisal ruthlessly discards Lawrence's dreams of Arab independence in exchange for British support and a promotion from prince to king. Lawrence bitterly returns to the British Army, where, ironically, the medical observer greets him as

6048-421: Was "one of the nicest, kindest and most exhilarating people I've known. He often appeared cheerful when he was unhappy". Later, he said to The New York Times , "[The film is] a psychological recipe. Take an ounce of narcissism, a pound of exhibitionism, a pint of sadism, a gallon of blood-lust and a sprinkle of other aberrations and stir well." Lowell Thomas was critical of the portrayal of Lawrence and of most of

6132-419: Was Professor A. W. Lawrence , T. E. Lawrence's younger brother and literary executor, who had sold the rights to Seven Pillars of Wisdom to Spiegel for £25,000 and went on a campaign in the United States and Britain to denounce the film. He said, "I should not have recognised my own brother". In one pointed talk show appearance, he remarked that he had found the film "pretentious and false" and that his brother

6216-483: Was a French military mission led by Colonel Édouard Brémond serving in the Hejaz but it is not mentioned in the film. The film shows Lawrence as the originator of the attacks on the Hejaz railway. The first attacks began in early January 1917 led by officers such as Newcombe. The first successful attack on the Hejaz railway with a locomotive-destroying "Garland mine" was led by Major Herbert Garland in February 1917,

6300-512: Was created in 1913 by the architect responsible for the Ibero-American Exposition, Aníbal González, in collaboration with Manuel Ramos Rejano and Eduardo Muñoz. The monument is a polygonal space decorated with tiles depicting scenes from the works of Cervantes. Two statuettes, representing Don Quixote on his horse and Sancho Panza on his donkey, were found here for a long time. They have now disappeared. The Fountain of

6384-399: Was dropped. The film has its defenders. Biographer Michael Korda , the author of Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia , offers a different opinion. The film is neither "the full story of Lawrence's life or a completely accurate account of the two years he spent fighting with the Arabs". Korda said that criticising its inaccuracy "misses the point". "The object was to produce, not

6468-581: Was filmed in Ouarzazate , Morocco, with Moroccan soldiers substituting for the Turkish army; Lean could not film as much as he wanted because the soldiers were uncooperative and impatient. The film's production was frequently delayed because shooting commenced without a finished script. Wilson quit early in the production and the playwright Beverley Cross worked on the script in the interim before Bolt took over, although none of Cross's material made it to

6552-475: Was held partly within the park. The new buildings of the Plaza de España , a semi-circle on a plaza, were used as the offices of the fair. They have been used as settings for filmed scenes, including in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). In preparation for the exhibition, the entire southern end of the city was redeveloped into an expanse of gardens and grand boulevards. The centre of it is Parque de María Luisa ,

6636-439: Was invaluable throughout the campaign." Allenby spoke highly of him numerous times and much to Lawrence's delight publicly endorsed the accuracy of Seven Pillars of Wisdom . Although Allenby manipulated Lawrence during the war, their relationship lasted for years afterwards, indicating that in real life they were friendly, if not close. The Allenby family was particularly upset by the Damascus scenes, in which Allenby coldly allows

6720-487: Was originally to be filmed entirely in Jordan; the government of King Hussein was extremely helpful in providing logistical assistance, location scouting, transport and extras. Hussein visited the set several times during production and maintained cordial relationships with cast and crew. The only tension occurred when Jordanian officials learned that English actor Henry Oscar did not speak Arabic but would be filmed reciting

6804-470: Was ostensibly Seven Pillars , but the film's portrayal seems informed by Richard Aldington 's Biographical Inquiry (1955), which posited Lawrence as a "pathological liar and exhibitionist" as well as a homosexual. That is opposed to his portrayal in Ross as a "physically and spiritually broken recluse". Historians like B. H. Liddell Hart disputed the film's depiction of Lawrence as an active participant in

6888-452: Was present with Lawrence from the beginning of the Aqaba expedition and helped to plan it, along with Lawrence and Prince Faisal. Faisal was not the middle-aged man depicted, as he was in his early thirties. Faisal and Lawrence respected each other's capabilities and intelligence and worked well together. The reactions of those who knew Lawrence and the other characters cast doubt on the film's veracity. The most vehement critic of its accuracy

6972-514: Was reconstructed in a dried river bed in Playa del Algarrobico, southern Spain (at 37°1′25″N 1°52′53″W  /  37.02361°N 1.88139°W  / 37.02361; -1.88139 ); it consisted of more than 300 buildings and was meticulously based on the town's appearance in 1917. The execution of Gasim, the train attacks, and Deraa exteriors were filmed in the Almería region, with some of

7056-596: Was written by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson . The film depicts Lawrence's experiences in the Ottoman provinces of Hejaz and Greater Syria during the First World War , in particular his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus and his involvement in the Arab National Council . Its themes include Lawrence's emotional struggles with the violence inherent in war, his identity and his divided allegiance between his native Britain and his new-found comrades within

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