If there is one director who embodies the essence of movie-making, it’s Steven Spielberg. From Jaws to The Color Purple, Spielberg has touched nearly every genre, adding his unique touch to each picture. But even the greatest of all time had his doubts at one point. Like many, Spielberg has always held a fondness for Lawrence of Arabia, and it’s easy to see why. The war epic remains one of the most revered pictures of all time, thanks to David Lean’s innovative filmmaking and its fantastic performances. In fact, Spielberg deemed the movie so perfect, that he nearly didn’t pursue his own dreams.

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Remains One of the Greatest Films Ever Made

Following the epic tale of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness), Lawrence of Arabia set a new standard for filmmaking when it was released in 1962. Despite its nearly four-hour runtime, the film is enthralling throughout. Lean’s style is breathtaking, as he famously captured the desert landscapes with masterful craft, and the overall cinematography makes even the most basic sequences artistic. Structurally, the film is fascinating. It deviates from the normal biopic format to create a real sense of adventure, one that—even for audiences who know Lawrence’s story—keeps viewers enthralled. The film also manages to keep its plot clean, employing a cinematic flow that fills the extended runtime with only the most necessary details. By all meaningful metrics, the film is the definition of “perfect.”

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When Collider revisited the picture in 2022, it was declared an unrivaled masterpiece, and that review still stands. But it’s not just moviegoers who can still appreciate the film, as it continues to influence moviemakers. Lawrence of Arabia heavily shaped director James Cameron’s masterpiece, Avatar. Of the inspiration, Cameron said: “[it] owes a lot to good, old-fashioned, adolescent adventure storytelling like… Lawrence of Arabia. There are also a lot of very recognizable archetypes in the story: the American frontier and the conflict between a technical, military civilization and a nature-aligned Indigenous population.” Dune director Denis Villeneuve also sang the film’s praises while talking to TIFF. He remembered seeing the picture at 19 years old, saying the “screening changed my life.” Of course, Spielberg was also influenced by the movie, but not in the way anyone would expect.

Steven Spielberg Almost Gave Up His Dream Because of ‘Lawrence of Arabia’

It’s hard to find another filmmaker quite like Steven Spielberg. His influence and power have truly changed the movie industry forever. Beginning with his seminal classic, Jaws, Spielberg has influenced every genre of film thanks to his diverse efforts and endless curiosity. His semi-biographical movie, The Fablemans, gave audiences a nostalgic look at how he fell in love with movie making at a young age, which, according to the Max documentary Spielberg, the film was not far off from reality. The doc also sees the esteemed director himself proclaim Lawrence of Arabia as one of the most influential films he’d ever seen, but not necessarily in a good way at first.

Spielberg explains that, at roughly 16 years old, he went to see the film. “I remember the time I almost gave up my dream of being a movie director,” he said. Spielberg had been making home movies since he was a kid, but seeing Lawrence of Arabia changed things for him. When the film rolled out, it was all the rage, and the aspiring director paid premium prices to see it in a high-end theater on 70mm film with stereophonic sound. “[…] when the film was over, I wanted to not be a director anymore. Because the bar was too high.” He went on to praise the film’s visual aesthetics, as well as its dynamic script, saying: “It was the first time seeing a movie I realize that there are themes that aren’t narrative story themes, they are themes that are character themes, that are personal themes,” finishing with “at the heart and core of Lawrence of Arabia is: who am I?” However, the very film that once made Spielberg doubt his dreams would soon turn the tide for the future megastar.

Though the perfection of the picture initially deterred Spielberg’s life-long desire, he found himself going back for more. He claims he went to see the film again a week later and twice more in the following weeks. Enamored with its effects on him, Spielberg realized that he couldn’t let go of his dream. “I realized that there was no going back,” he explained. “[…] this was going to be what I was going to do or I was going to die trying.” Though it may have derailed him briefly, Lawrence of Arabia only affirmed Spielberg’s desires and helped set him on the path to becoming one of the greatest filmmakers in history.

Lawrence of Arabia is available to stream on Max in the U.S.

Lawrence of Arabia 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.Release Date December 11, 1962 Director David Lean Cast Peter O’Toole , Alec Guinness , Anthony Quinn , Jack Hawkins , Omar Sharif , Jose Ferrer Runtime 227 minutes Writers T.E. Lawrence , Robert Bolt , Michael Wilson Studio Columbia Pictures Tagline A Mighty Motion Picture Of Action And Adventure! Expand

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