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Volume CXXXIII, Number 11 |
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Camels and Columbine
DAVIN MICHAELS
COLUMNIST
After such a rough week of work, what better way to blow off some steam by relaxing and watching one of the best films ever made on a large screen in a comfortable, friendly environment?
This semester, the Bowdoin Film Society is proud to present another landmark in film history: Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Like the recently shown The Bridge on the River Kwai, this film was directed by David Lean. It won seven Academy Awards including best picture, cinematography, directing, art direction, editing, and sound. Lawrence is an astonishing piece of cinematic brilliance that should not be missed for all of the oil in Saudi Arabia, which is where this epic adventure story takes place.
Lawrence of Arabia is a sort of biography about T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole), a lieutenant in the British Army in North Africa during World War I. Tired of his boring job, Lawrence is offered a job as an observer of Arabia, a country that is being overwhelmed by Turkish forces.
Lawrence joins Prince Fiesal (Alec Guinness), the leader of the Arab tribal army, in an effort to help him drive out the Turks from Arabia and destroy the Turk regime that occupies their territory. As the group engages in battle upon battle, Lawrence becomes a war-crazed leader, constantly putting himself in the face of danger as if he is immortal and the savior of mankind.
Lawrence has an amazing cast, also including Jack Hawkins, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Rains. The wonderful Peter O'Toole was nominated for best actor and Omar Sharif, who plays one of the Arabs, was also nominated for best supporting actor. Above all, Lean's film features exquisite camera work and breathtaking shots of the desert that truly must be seen on the big screen.
If nothing else, this film will put you in high spirits to begin another week of piles of work. Lawrence of Arabia will be shown in Smith Auditorium this Friday and Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m.
Next week, the film society sends the campus into finals and vacation with a film that has made several appearances on campus and sparked a great deal of popularity, interest, and controversy in the political world: Michael Moore's documentary Bowling For Columbine (2002). In this film activist filmmaker Michael Moore (Roger & Me) combines irony and angry humor in order to draw attention to patterns of gun violence in America and searches for the roots and answers to recent travesties, such as the Columbine massacre.
The film includes many discussions with celebrities and stock footage from prominent figures such as Charlton Heston, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. The effects of such a film are extremely haunting and moving, ensuring many interesting discussions to follow.
Bowling for Columbine won an Oscar for best documentary last year and is a film that every American should see. It will be playing on Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Smith Auditorium.
On behalf of the Bowdoin Film Society, have a great winter vacation, and go see some great movies!
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