Steven Spielberg is arguably one of the most famous directors of all time. For many aspiring filmmakers, he is the great role model. But he too had a role model when he was younger, and even a special favorite movie that he fell in love with at the age of 16.
Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest directors of all time. With films like E.T., Jaws or Schindler’s List, he has immortalized himself in film history. But Spielberg also had role models and films that inspired him.
Among them was also David Lean, and especially his epic adventure film: Lawrence of Arabia, which was released in 1962. The film is an autobiographical account of the British officer T.E. Lawrence, who united Arab tribes during World War I to fight alongside them against the Turks.
The film received 10 Oscar nominations and won 7 of them. Among them were major awards such as Best Picture and Best Director. On IMDb, it ranks among the Top 250 films.
You can find a trailer for the film here:
I consider this film a great miracle
What does Steven Spielberg say about the film? Steven Spielberg has praised David Lean’s monumental film on several occasions. At the American Film Institute (via YouTube), he even named Lawrence of Arabia as an inspiration for the path he has taken.
I consider this film a great miracle, you know, I mean, even the illusions were not made with CGI […] I mean, this film just uprighted me
Steven Spielberg on Lawrence of Arabia (via YouTube)
He mentions small narrative things that inspired him to learn more about filmmaking. A particular moment for him is the ride with camels. You can see the footprints in the sand, which hints that the group has been traveling for a long time.
Spielberg also raves about the actually small story that Lean has wonderfully brought to the screen. At another point, he praises the script, saying it is perhaps the best script ever written for the medium of film
, according to faroutmagazine.co.uk.
Where can you watch the film today? The film is currently not available on any streaming subscription, but you can rent or buy it from the usual online retailers. The film is now available in a restored 4K version. Steven Spielberg has also delivered a masterpiece in the series area: “One of the greatest scenes in television history” – Historian raves about a series by Steven Spielberg
