The real life friendship of T. E. Lawrence and Prince Faisal (later the king) of Iraq was examined in the Oscar Winning epic "Lawrence of Arabia", and gets more focus in this British T. V. movie that gives us further detail and a different view of the rules that Peter O'Toole and Alec Guinness had played in 1962. Ralph Fiennes is perfectly cast as a young Lawrence, and truly emulates what O'Toole had already done without doing an imitation. The strikingly handsome Alexander Siig takes on the Guennis role of Prince Faisal, youthening the character to his realistic age at the time, working with Lawrence to seek a proper peace treaty following the end of World War I.
This is a very complex story, told in great political detail so a little knowledge of the actual events can help in understanding the situation. But the most interesting elements of the film is the brotherly relationship that grows between the two men of different cultures, nearly a love story as to how they are only seemingly complete when with each other, whether working on the treaty or sharing ideas or just celebrating life. Siig, with his most expressive eyes, gives his character no shame over revealing his feelings, and it's very apparent that this is a relationship that didn't require carnal relations to be considered love.
Another interesting element in the love story is the fact that it isn't another man or woman trying to come between them in traditional ways, but the pompous ideals of old British authoritarians, one in particular at the end who demands that they never see each other again and sends Lawrence off to Oxford as a way of keeping them apart. It's about the obsession of propriety in certain cultural institutions, accusing Lawrence of betraying his own race by daring to have such an intellectual friendship with what they consider an outsider. In the end though, what makes this a fascinating drama is the fact that these two men will not allow the propriety other cultures and other varying differences to ruin what they've established, and that makes it a very strong story, brilliantly acted and very well written.
This is a very complex story, told in great political detail so a little knowledge of the actual events can help in understanding the situation. But the most interesting elements of the film is the brotherly relationship that grows between the two men of different cultures, nearly a love story as to how they are only seemingly complete when with each other, whether working on the treaty or sharing ideas or just celebrating life. Siig, with his most expressive eyes, gives his character no shame over revealing his feelings, and it's very apparent that this is a relationship that didn't require carnal relations to be considered love.
Another interesting element in the love story is the fact that it isn't another man or woman trying to come between them in traditional ways, but the pompous ideals of old British authoritarians, one in particular at the end who demands that they never see each other again and sends Lawrence off to Oxford as a way of keeping them apart. It's about the obsession of propriety in certain cultural institutions, accusing Lawrence of betraying his own race by daring to have such an intellectual friendship with what they consider an outsider. In the end though, what makes this a fascinating drama is the fact that these two men will not allow the propriety other cultures and other varying differences to ruin what they've established, and that makes it a very strong story, brilliantly acted and very well written.