LAWRENCE OF ARABIA AFFIRMATIONS

DREAMERS OF THE DAY ARE DANGEROUS MEN

THE TRICK IS NOT MINDING THAT IT HURTS

MY FEAR IS MY CONCERN

THE DESERT IS CLEAN

I SHALL HAVE MY RATION OF COMMON HUMANITY

THERE IS ONLY THE DESERT FOR ME

                                 ~rules of a gentlemen\lawrence of arabia~

“The dreamers of the day are dangerous men for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible. This I did.”

                                                                                                                                     — T.E. Lawrence

Queerness and subtext in David Lean's "Lawrence".

When I went to see Lawrence of Arabia last Friday, I came away surprised at how much queer subtext there was in the movie. I had always been aware that it was there, vaguely- I had read the articles and wondered about the historical Lawrence, the same as everyone else. But after this viewing, I was surprised at how blatant the subtext really was. This is a film about race and imperialism, about hubris and violence and orientalism, and, last but not least, about queerness and sexuality.

Lawrence came across as very definitely gay, both in terms of the script and acting choices. It wasn’t accidental. And the film doesn’t just make Lawrence queer and leave it at that- it’s an integral part of the film and a huge part of Lawrence’s character.

My heart broke when Lawrence told Ali that “[A man] can’t wantwhat he wants. This is the stuff that decides what he wants.”

Tell me that that isn’t about being queer. It’s about race, yes, and fitting in, but it’s also blatantly about sexuality. Lawrence is a white, upper-class British man, who cannotbe openly queer, not in 1917. He can’t want what he wants. It’s impossible.

I’ve screencapped a few (ahahaha!) scenes that exemplify the Lawrence-is-queer subtext, and I’m not a film major or someone who’s good at analyzing imagery, but I’ll give it a shot. Please bear with me.

Let’s jump right in with the start of the movie. General Murray refers to Lawrence as a “creature” that he can’t stand, and expresses the hope that Arabia will “make a man out of him”. He could be referring to the fact that Lawrence is an intellectual and not a “real” soldier, but Lawrence’s status as an adviser to the military isn’t explicitly stated in the film, and Murray’s contempt could equally be for Lawrence’s sexuality, perceived or actual.

To follow this up, there’s the scene where Lawrence meets Colonel Brighton, and O’Toole’s body language in this scene was what made my friend pinch me and whisper “Is he gay?” (She’s queer, if it makes a difference).

Lawrence appears to be wearing more makeup than before (early days of filming, perhaps, or a trick of the light?), and his limp-wristed grip on his reins and riding crop, along with his tone of voice, all come together to make him appear more than a little fey, and very, very pretty. This isn’t necessarily intentional on anyone’s part, but I include it because it’s the scene my friend pointed out when we were discussing the movie. Also, it may well have been on purpose:

Moving on to Lawrence and Ali’s second meeting in Feisal’s tent:

Lawrence’s gaze sweeps up Ali’s body- lingers on the gun-

And they end up sitting pressed shoulder to shoulder. The overall effect is undeniably sensuous.

And then Lean puts tent post between them during the argument about Aqaba, which is meant to be a framing device and a way of showing how opposed Lawrence and Ali are, but-

Whoops! Lawrence starts caressing it, and it turns into a phallic symbol. Sort of.

And then of course there’s this:

It’s after Lawrence rescues Gasim from the Sun’s Anvil that the subtext starts getting, well, anvilicious. The camera keeps Ali in the center of the frame, in the middle of all the action, when he’s bringing water to Lawrence, and they keep eye contact for almost the entire scene, even before Lawrence’s camel has stopped moving. When you watch it, look out for that. Lawrence only has eyes for Ali. It’s probably more of a “fuck you” thing than an “I want to fuck you” thing, but it’s there. And the parallels between DahoumDaud and Farraj are definitely there:

And then, out of all of the possible beds, Lawrence chooses Ali’s to sleep in. Tulip offers his bed, as does another rider, but Lawrence ignores them both.

After Lawrence and Ali bond over Lawrence’s illegitimacy (and this is where I kind of derailed and started capping OMAAAR because look at those EYES), Ali tucks Lawrence in. Someone once pointed out that in cinema only mothers and lovers tuck their loved ones in onscreen, and while I can’t prove that, I’m willing to apply it to this scene.

This is immediately followed up by the infamous “wedding” scene:

And Ali fits in some pensive gazing. [Historical aside: Ali ibn el Hussein, the historical basis for Sherif Ali, really did wear head-to-toe black ALL THE TIME. Dude had swagger.]

Lawrence, Queen of the Desert:

At Auda’s feast, Ali and Lawrence are again in frame together, and have no problem getting into each other’s personal space. This intimacy is probably to emphasize that they’re working as a team, but the subtext is nothing to sneeze at.

And then everything gets shot to Hell when Lawrence has to execute Gasim. It’s the beginning of the end for our heroes. I would like to point out more phallic imagery in this scene:

OH MY GOD THIS NEXT SCENE.

There’s existential angst, yes, but to me this has blatant queer undertones. Lawrence is none of those things, neither a man in the way he’s supposed to be (straight) or a prince. I could probably say something about water and the feminine, but I’ll leave that to better writers.

Let’s skip ahead to Part II, to Lawrence and Ali’s Syrian hideout. The army is in tatters, the men are mutinous, and Ali is worried about Lawrence and the revolt. He tries to make Lawrence see reason and warns him that his men will desert him if he pushes too hard.

He and Lawrence both explicitly differentiate themselves and each other from the rest of the group. Their relationship is something special - friendship, yes, but there’s more than a hint of something else underneath. They are together.

And then Lawrence goes to Deraa and everything falls apart.

A man can’t wantwhat he wants. Lawrence feels like he has to give everything up and become a straight, white Englishman again. (White, yes, English, yes. Straight? Not so sure. This is primarily about race and nationality, but the subtext is there).

Oh, Ali. Oh, Omar. You’re not talking about the revolt at all. This whole scene is heartbreaking.

The next time Ali sees Lawrence, Lawrence brushes him off:

And then goes crazy.

In the aftermath of the battle Ali can’t quitebring himself to touch Lawrence.

The Arab Council:

I only just noticed that there is a MAN ON A CAMEL in the council chamber.

After the Arabs leave Damascus, Lawrence and Ali say their goodbyes. Look at Ali’s face during this scene. Look at it.

And of course:

I particularly love the very last scene with Lawrence, because O’Toole’s face, obscured by the dusty windshield, is both a staggeringly primal image of sadness (that hint of a frown is all you can see), and the closest yet to the real T.E. Lawrence.

(The song that the soldiers are singing is Goodbye Dolly Grey, which you can hear here.)

Yeah, ok, never mind. It IS supposed to be this queer.

I FOUND IT. 

I used to dedicate one Sunday a month to this movie and everything in this post is true and important. GOD THIS MOVIE. I think I just figured out what I’m doing with my day off tomorrow.

imagine having oscar stare at you like that every time you walk into a room

sepang 2015

*sigh* am I allergic to happiness or what

and some brawn gp stuffs!

what is his problem

Oh they MISSED each other

the beauty of wearing camel leathers next to a no-smoking sign / shanghai circuit, 2006

diogo's balls to be sayin this shit is crazy