MovieChat Forums > Lawrence of Arabia (2013) Discussion > Why show him dying at the beginning ?

Why show him dying at the beginning ?

posted 9 years ago by rsgre
19 replies | jump to latest

I don't understand why they chose to show him dying, in such an elaborate manner, at the very beginning of the film. They take you through this 5 minute,up close, anonymous motorcycle ride (we don't it is him yet),that ends in tragedy. They could have just inserted it, more appropriately, at the end, it seems to me.
It would have had more pathos at the end, after all he has gone through, and we see him die in a silly accident. Was it just a wide screen, cinerama kind of thing, to get your attention..?

RSGRE

[–] mikethemartian (6705) 3 months ago

I just saw the film for the very first time last night at a Fathom Events screening. I need to rewatch the funeral at the beginning to compare it to the events that unfolded in the film. The one thing that jumped out to me at the end of the film was the man who was proud he had shaken his hand.

[–] MartyMoose1977 (193) a month ago

At the beginning of the picture we see Lawrence riding recklessly on a Motorcycle and ends up crashing to his death. I assumed he was just an adrenaline junkie looking for a thrill. By the end of the picture I think Lawence was probably suicidal or at a minimum even if he didn't purposely kill himself intentionally just wanted to feel something... anything.

After he is taken prisoner by the Turks it doesn't show it but I believe he was raped by the Turkish General and that killed the wonderful spirit that Lawrence had before he was taken prisoner. After that event he basically wants to just give up but is carried on by the idea of capturing Damascus for the Arabs to start a new nation. When that goes tits up Lawrence has nothing to live for.