#though David isn't one to be taken so lightly | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

one-boring-person · 4 years

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@jawline-of-steel I hope, as my new best friend (hehe), that you like this!😁💛💛👍 (I also hope that it's the right context and that😅💛)

You've Got The Wrong Girl.

David (The Lost Boys) x reader

Warnings: bad language, implied sexual themes, very vague mentions of death and blood (but only if you look closely)

Masterlist

Somehow, David manages to exhale his next breath of smoke in an aggressive manner as he leans back against his motorcyle, muscles tense and stance almost uncomfortable, drawing the other's attention to him instantly.

"Where's (Y/n)?" Is Paul's first question, the tall blonde moving forwards slightly, craning his head around to look for his leader's significant other.

"I don't care." He huffs angrily, lips closing around the butt of his cigarette once more, blue eyes iced over.

"Ooh, what happened? Did she shove a pole up your arse?" Marko quips, smirking to Paul suggestively, only to yelp when David's hand snaps round to clip him round the ear, the platinum blonde's venomous scowl fixed on him briefly.

"You'd better keep your mouth shut, or I'll take great pleasure in doing it for you." He snarls at him, voice deceivingly quiet and threatening.

None of them speak for a few minutes, David's anger almost rippling off of him in static waves, keeping the air around them charged and tense, the four of them eyeing the area around them as a way to ignore this. Eventually, Marko and Paul wander off, bored as hell and feeling incredibly awkward, not quite noticing their leader's dirty look as they walk away, leaving Dwayne and David behind to brood in silence. Once again, neither of them say anything, until the dark haired vampire finally has enough of the tension, standing from his motorcycle and going to stand before David with a curious look on his face.

"What happened between you and (Y/n)?" He questions, blunt and to the point as always.

"What do you mean?" David's voice is monotone, blue eyes boring into Dwayne's pointedly.

"Don't pull that bullshit with me, you've been acting cold since you got here. The only time you ever get this annoyed is when (Y/n)'s said or done something you don't agree with." The tanned vampire points out, crossing his arms over his bare chest with a frown.

"I don't have to tell you anything." His leader responds, ees narrowing as he throws his cigarette butt to the floor, where he uses his foot to crush out the embers.

"No, but then at least act better towards the rest of us. You're not being fair on us." Dwayne snaps in reply, before he turns and walks off in a different direction, ignoring David as he let's out a low growl.

Sulking, David kicks at the tyre of his motorcycle, scowling at a surfer as they pass by, only to sigh in frustration and go looking for the object of his frustration: (Y/n), the girl who he somehow cares for, yet has the capacity to royally piss him off at any given time. It was, ironically, what drew him to her in the first place, her ability to completely go against what he asks without thinking twice about it, finding her personality a near perfect match to his. It's this thought that prompts him to go looking for her now.

He looks high and low, not entirely sure where she'd go without the boys, only to have an epiphany when he steps into the part that is lined with food stalls, figuring out exactly where she is in seconds. His icy eyes immediately find the back of her head amongst the sea of others, his legs instinctively taking him over to her, a habit he'll probably never kick, even in his long years of living. As he reaches her, David takes a hold of her wrist and goes to pull her into the nearest alley with the intention of talking to her, only to feel a little surprised when she digs her heels into the floor and stops still, her eyes meeting his challengingly.

"I'm busy at the moment, David. Would you mind coming back later?" She inquires with a false smile, pulling her arm from his grip.

"I would not. Come with me." He responds, drily, glaring at her as she cocks her head and looks at him.

"I'm busy, David. I'd rather stay here." She presses, shrugging as she goes to walk away, only to squeak suddenly when the vampire grabs her around the waist and carries her over his shoulder into the alley, ignoring the looks people are giving him as she hits him on the back, demanding that he let her go. Once out of sight, he puts her down, standing uncomfortably close to her to make his point, body outsizing her's with ease, though she doesn't back down, even as he places one hand on the wall behind her to stop her from trying to get away again.

"Well now that you've manhandled me in here, what do you want?" She sighs out, exasperated at the vampire's tactics, her eyes remaining fixed on his in defiance.

"I want you to stop behaving like a brat all the time, (Y/n). You've been testing my patience for weeks now, and I've had enough of it. Stop it before I make you." He threatens her, flashing his eyes slightly to make his point more obvious.

"Hold on, you want me to stop being who I am? And what in the hell are you going to do to enforce that, David? You know you don't scare me, even if you are a murderous person. You've got the wrong girl to be ordering around like that, something which you signed up for the moment you asked me out." She informs him, stepping forwards slightly, poking his chest to enunciate her words properly, unaffected by his tough guy act.

"I am well aware that you aren't a pushover, (Y/n). All I'm asking is that you don't put up such a fight all the time. Your sarcasm I can live with, because you put up with mine, but your attitude at times is something that has to stop. And as for what I'll do to you, you know full well what I mean." David growls quietly to her, leaning in close towards her neck, where he snaps his teeth, his canines pushing out long enough to lightly graze over her skin, images of him tearing into my skin flashing into her head, put there by the platinum blonde backing her into the wall.

"Controlling much, huh? Don't you realise that you can't make my decisions for me and control how I'm supposed to act? You shouldn't be asking me to adjust my entire personality to suit yours, David. If we're not getting along, we both need to change something. I'm happy to tone it down a bit, but only if you stop being so damn dominant all the time. I get that you're into that and all, but it doesn't always make for an easy relationship, so that's something you need to think through before coming here with your high-and-mighty orders for me." She explains to him, standing up straight as he leans over her, his eyes blazing with frustration.

For a minute, he says nothing, regarding her with an expression half-caught in anger, half in contemplation, a look of realisation seeming to creep into the hard lines of his handsome features, eyes softening slightly.

"Fine, I'm sorry that I'm controlling all the time, and I'm willing to stop being like that so much with you, but only if you do the same. We just keep clashing, and it isn't going to end well. I want to make this work, so I'll change for you if you change for me." He finally says, not quite backing up yet, clearly waiting for her to say something, too.

"Good. I'm glad we were able to work this out. I'll be less of a "brat" as you put it, but if I hear you trying to control the way I act again, I'll go right back to being the little bitch you know and hate." She promises him, smirking at her expression as his eyes darken.

Pressing himself against her, David grins to himself as he regards her face, enjoying the sensation of her body underneath his, even if it is obscured by the layers of clothing between them. Leaning in close, he uses his hands to pin her's to the wall behind them, their faces a centimetre or so apart, breath mingling, lips grazing one another as he speaks again.

"You'll still be my little bitch though, kitten. I'm not gonna let you go that easily. I'll change for you outside the sheets, but under them, well then you belong to me."

It's all she has in her to respond with a smile and a nod, going to reply before being cut off by his hungry lips on her's, his tongue easily slipping into her mouth as she gasps in surprise, a battle of tongues starting instantly. Her hands try to pry themselves from his vice-like grip, only to find themselves taken in one of his and held easily above her head, his other hand slipping down their bodies until he reaches the hem of her shirt, pushing underneath and onto her skin, caressing it smoothly as he swallows her moans and sighs. Grinding his hips into her's, he moves his lips from here and trails kisses down her neck and jaw, leaving purple marks in his wake, the wet track of his lips chilling in the cool air around them, but she only groans in response, wishing she could wrap her arms around him, though a small part of her is enjoying being restricted. Pulling away, he moves back up to her ear, where he breathes over it hotly before speaking again, voice husky and at a lower tone than usual.

"I'm sorry, (Y/n), I can be less dominant, if that's what you want." He purrs, sounding genuine as his darkened eyes bore into her's.

"It is, but I can be less rebellious, too. If that's what you want." She chuckles, breath hitching slightly from the arousal.

"We'll see." He says ominously, before his lips have collided with mine again.

#the lost boys #joel schumacher #vampire #david(thelostboys)#kiefer sutherland #paul(the lost boys)#dwayne(the lost boys)#santa carla #marko(the lost boys)#star(the lost boys)#request #ask #answer

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brideofcthulhu10 · 4 years

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The Lost Boys Find Out Their Fem!S/O is Pregnant [3/4]

Guh, this one has taken the longest so far. Dwayne is such a strong silent type, and unfortunately got the least lines in the film so I had to really push myself to get into the right mindset. I think it came out fantastic, I hope you guys love it too. Now it's time for:

DWAYNE

Rays of light were beginning to crack through the little nooks of the ceiling, a slow sunrise ushering the vampiric quartet into the depths of the hotel ruins for a long anticipated rest after another wild night. The last to go was your night bird, Dwayne. Calloused hands dragged on your cheek, stealing away any kisses he could. You savored the smokey scent his hair carried and nearly giggled at how his stubble tickled your neck.

"Dwaaayne, I'll still be here tonight," you insisted, gently nudging him off. "Go inside before you burst into flames."

He chuckled with a wide grin, taking one last kiss. "Alright, I'll be back. 6 o'clock on the dot, as soon as the sun goes down."

"It's a date."

You watched him scurry into the cove, pushing past collapsed beams and cobwebs. How they could sleep in that you would never know. Still, that meant you had an entire day to kill before they would be up again. A long, boring day.

You had stopped verbally complaining long ago, every time you did David would insist if you just let Dwayne bite you, this wouldn't be a problem. But you just weren't ready. At least, not yet. The night was so alluring, and every day you felt yourself wanting to be beside them more. However, you still had some final days to cling to. Maybe it was just the fear of making such a massive change. Cowardice.

Just waiting around the cave quickly grew boring, laying atop the bed that once housed Star and Laddie now eerily vacant. You tried to pass the early morning hours by flipping through magazines, listening to your portable cassette player- yeah, you knew it was going out of fashion, but CDs were so expensive, and you were not about to let the boys steal a $200+ player just to listen to Mötley Crüe on a slightly different player. You'd brought your own entertainment after so many visits, but you soon groaned when you realized it was only 10 am. There were still 7 and a half hours of waiting to go, and you were nowhere near tired enough for a nap!

Maybe a quick walk would kill your boredom, a quick snack on the boardwalk, pick up the guys something to munch on before they go out hunting. Yeah, that should be good.

With a soft grunt you scooted off the bed, wedging your feet into your boots with your backpack slung over your shoulder. "I'll be back soon," you whisper out loud, looking over at the dusty hole they'd disappeared into. Dwayne definitely couldn't hear you, but it still felt nice to give a little goodbye every time you went out. This time you'd use the cave entrance that led up those old wooden stairs. The walkway was a gorgeous deck barely over the water. On high tide it could wash over and hit your feet. Part of you was amazed it was still standing after so many decades of wear and tear.

However, the moment you looked outside it made your eyes squint, weighing heavy on your brow. Was it always this bright during the day?

It got significantly worse once you were fully outside shuffling around the debris littered across the rocks. It wasn't just your average tired eye sting. That was pretty common after spending all night out, and half the day in a dimly lit cave. But you'd never experienced it like this. It was a splitting, throbbing headache that almost made you lose your footing. You had to close your eyes just to feel any kind of relief. Noise was amplified- Oh god, those stupid seagulls made your ears ache!

Walking just made it hurt more. It was taxing on your body, like wading in molasses in August. Now, you weren't a stranger to the heat. After all you grew up on California sunshine. Almost thrived in it. Now you barely made it up the stairs atop the cliffside, until you just had to sit down. Wedged tightly against the banister you reveled in the tiny slivers of shadow that cascaded from the wooden railing. When your jacket became to much you peeled it off to use for cover, and eventually you forced yourself to continue walking. What was happening?? Those few steps were enough to make your stomach wretch and twist with starvation. Truthfully you hadn't been eating well lately, everything just made you nauseous. Stomach flu, maybe. Why was the ground spinning..?

And that was it. The next time your eyes opened the last bits of sun were long gone. Something- no, someone, was shaking you, trying to snap you out of that fog. They yelled out, nearly swinging you around like a ragdoll in a panic. It was muffled, you could hear another voice, then another.

"Y/N! Y/N!"

"Dude, you keep shaking her like that, she's gonna break something."

"What is she doing out here in the first place anyway, man?"

A huge breath of life reanimated your body, almost screaming as you sat up crashing into the chilled chest of Dwayne who still had you in his arms. "Hey, easy, easy. You're okay, it's just us."

Quickly your eyes darted around. Dwayne's arm was hooked under your back elevating you off the ground, Marko was knelt on your other side with Paul leaning on the smaller vampire's back. David was just behind Dwayne with arms crossed, looking down at you.

"You know, Y/N, if your bed was uncomfortable we woulda gotten you another," Paul teased.

"Dude," Marko questioned, lightly elbowing him in the ribs.

"Ow. Aw, c'mon I'm just kiddin'."

Dwayne still wouldn't set you down, pushing sweaty locks of H/C from your face. "What happened," you managed to ask in a raspy voice, carefully shifting your weight onto your butt.

"We found you out here, I was hoping you could tell us," David answered with a cigarette clenched between his teeth, a small flame roasting the end into ashy cinders.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. I only wanted to head over to the boardwalk for an hour or two. I thought I could pick you guys something up on the way back but..," you held the side of your head, the remains of your headache still lingering from earlier. "My stomach hurt all over and.. I just fell."

Something just wasn't adding up, enough that David paused, looking at you. Your heart beat was calm but… every other beat an entirely new rhythm would chime in. Rapid, quiet, stirring. "You sure you hadn't been with anyone else, Y/N?"

"What," You questioned, immediately offended by the implications of that question. Unsurprisingly, Dwayne was equally outraged as he helped you onto your feet.

"Y/N isn't like that, you know this David," he snapped. Dwayne always had that sulking gaze but it wasn't often he was legitimately upset. With his arms still around your waist you could feel his muscles tighten into cement. The atmosphere was so thick you could cuz it with a knife, and after a few minutes of intense glares… Dwayne's eyes widened.

He heard it too. Faster than your own heart beat, buried deep below it was almost too soft to hear. A pulse submerged in water.

He had been so busy worrying about your fainting, he never realized why. It made sense the more he thought about it. Grabbing you, he spun you around to face him. He hadn't intended to be so rough that even Marko was telling him to ease up. "You swear.. you swear you haven't..." The suggestion was cruel. He didn't want to even say it out loud, and your face twisted into one of disgust, slapping his hands off your shoulders.

"Alright that's enough," you snapped, stepping away from all of them. "What is with all of you?! Is this just how you guys check up on people who faint, accuse them of adultery? What the fuck?!"

You could feel tears forming in your eyes and you immediately had to look away. You were not about to show weakness while angry. Dwayne gently took your wrist before you could storm off, looking deep into your eyes. Why did he look so afraid, even in the inky night you could see something haunted those chocolate orbs. "Dwayne...What's going on…," you asked again, this time softening your tone. David, easily sensing the building tension, cleared his throat.

"Marko, Paul, let's wait inside."

"Aw what," Paul chimed in, arms up in the air. "No way man, I wanna know what's going on! What's with all the crazy??"

Marko looked at David, then back and for between you and Dwayne. Oh. He got it. While Paul still protested, Marko slung his arm over his shoulder and yanked him down to whisper in his ear. At first he looked utterly confused, but then his face went wide. The realization of the century. "Ohhhhhhh," he finally said, looking over at you. "Gotcha. Good luck babes, we'll give you guys a little alone time." Both blondes had these odd smirks on their face, no doubt clued in on the inside joke you were definitely a part of yet left completely clueless. David followed them down the steps with a smug grin, giving a small wave.

Alright, now you were confused. Dwayne didn't speak though. He just clasped your hand tightly in his. All he said was "c'mon" while lightly pulling you along. The moon was so huge tonight in lit up the ocean, a sea of stars dipped in black. There you both sat, legs just barely hanging off the edge in utter silence. Whatever it was must have been weighing heavy on his mind because he never turned to look at you. Instead he kept your hand firmly clutched in his own, staring straight off into the unknown. His sigh broke the silence, fingers tightening around your hand again. "There's more than one heart beat… coming from inside you."

It took a moment for what he said to sink in. Another..? What did that-...

Oh. That's why they were being so weird. It was hard to breath, like someone was sitting on top of your chest. And now what haunted Dwayne's thoughts now crept into your own. Their suspicions were reasonable. No one figured that.. well considering the boys were undead it wasn't exactly expected for you to..

"Dwayne I…," you started, looking at him. "I've never been with anyone else. You know that, right?"

This time he couldn't speak, just nod in agreement. Of course he knew you were loyal. Honestly he never doubted it, but the shock of what that meant was a bit much for him to handle. He'd taken care of Laddie alongside Star for years, even before he turned, he was great with kids. But the thought of fatherhood never really crossed his mind. Were he human it'd be common sense, he'd be at the proper age. Maybe even already have a family.

But he was 19. He just… happened to be 19 for a very long time. Quietly he pulled you by your waist so you were beside him, then nudged your head onto his shoulder. You weren't scared, just in awe. For a moment you brushed your hand over your abdomen. It was warm, already firm to the touch. In the months to come you knew it would grow, your baby would grow. But in that moment, as Dwayne's calloused hand placed over yours feeling that little life stir inside you, you felt at peace. That was that. You two sat there for what felt like hours, watching the waves, watching the moon rise high above. It really was a beautiful night. A perfect night. The first night of many more to come.

#lost boys imagine #lost boys 1987 #lost boys #lost boys dwayne #billy wirth #the lost boys #lost boys fanfiction #fanfiction writing #fanfiction #pregnancy #pregnant #vampire pregnancy #pregnancy imagine #lost boys vampires

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introvertguide · 3 years

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962); AFI #7

The next film that we watched for the AFI top 100 project was the epic British drama, Lawrence of Arabia (1962). It is the story of how the famed English hero T.E. Lawrence worked with the Arab nomadic tribes in the Middle East, including Hejaz and Greater Syria, during World War 1. There is a particular focus on his efforts to unite the Arabic tribes and form an Arab National Council. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won 7 of them, especially in the technical realm. David Lean is considered one of the greatest British directors of all time and this is one of the greatest British films of all time. Notice I keep saying British. I want to delve more into that, but let's go over the plot of the film first. Before that, though...

SPOILER WARNING!!! I AM GOING TO REVEAL ALL OF THE PLOT TO THIS FILM!!! THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HISTORICAL DRAMA SO IT ISN'T MUCH THAT CAN'T BE FOUND IN A HISTORY BOOK, BUT HERE IS A WARNING ANYWAY!!!

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The film opens in 1935, when Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is killed in a motorcycle accident. At his memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, a reporter tries, with little success, to gain insights into the remarkable, enigmatic man from those who knew him. There is a feeling that there is a secret behind the real T.E. Lawrence as the people who actually worked with him do not seem to have liked him.

The story then moves back to the First World War. Lawrence is a misfit British Army lieutenant who is notable for his insolence and education. There is some issue of motivation because the film does not really explain why Lawrence is being helped nor why he isn't simply just discharged. It turns out from reading a biography blurb that Lawrence is the illegitimate son of a nobleman and so many of his actions are hidden. The movie does not address anything that Lawrence did before the war and a little background information helps when watching this movie. Over the objections of General Murray (Donald Wolfit), Mr. Dryden (Claude Rains) of the Arab Bureau sends him to assess the prospects of Prince Faisal (Sir Alec Guinness) in his revolt against the Turks. On the journey, his Bedouin guide, Tafas (Zia Mohyeddin), is killed by Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) for drinking from a well without permission. Lawrence continues into the desert alone and later meets Colonel Brighton (Anthony Quail), who orders him to keep quiet, make his assessment, and leave. On arriving at the camp, there are German planes strafing the residents and many are killed with no way for the Prince to fight back. Brighton says that the prince does not understand modern weapons and wants the group to retreat back to English protection. Lawrence ignores Brighton's orders when he meets Faisal and his outspokenness piques the prince's interest.

It turns out that Sherif Ail is at the meeting with Prince Faisal and he does not seem to like Lawrence. Something to note is that the Arabic people in this film assume that the character is named "L' Orense" and refer to him often as "OR-ins." It is a little confusing, but that is the way culture shock happens. Brighton advises Faisal to retreat after a major defeat, but Lawrence proposes a daring surprise attack on Aqaba. Its capture would provide a port from which the British could offload much-needed supplies. The town is strongly fortified against a naval assault but only lightly defended on the landward side. Lawrence convinces Faisal to provide fifty men, led by a pessimistic Sherif Ali. The teenage orphans Daud (John Dimech) and Farraj (Michael Rey) attach themselves to Lawrence as servants. They cross the Nefud Desert, considered impassable even by the Bedouins, and travel day and night on the last stage to reach water. One of Ali's men, Gasim (I.S. Johar), succumbs to fatigue and falls off his camel unnoticed during the night. When Lawrence discovers him missing, he turns back and rescues Gasim, and Sherif Ali is won over. There is no reason for him to be won over because Lawrence risked his life to go back and rescue a man that will likely die in the battle ahead and the Sherif does not care about. He gives Arab robes to Lawrence to wear that have a light veil which no other man in the group has. I looked it up and they basically gave him women's robes and Lawrence has a scene where he runs around in a circle so the robes will catch the wind. OK. He is caught by a man while running around and this man goes with Lawrence back to the group.

Lawrence persuades Auda abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn), the leader of the powerful local Howeitat tribe, to turn against the Turks. Lawrence's scheme is almost derailed when one of Ali's men kills one of Auda's because of a blood feud. Since retaliation by the Howeitat would shatter the fragile alliance, Lawrence declares that he will execute the murderer himself. Lawrence is then stunned to discover that the culprit is Gasim, the man whom he risked his own life to save in the desert, but Lawrence shoots him anyway.

The next morning, the Arabs overrun the Turkish garrison and it is one of the most underwhelming attack scenes of all time. They overtake the city with almost no resistance at all but do not find the gold that Lawrence promised would be there. To make up for it, Lawrence heads to Cairo to inform Dryden and the new commander, General Allenby (Jack Hawkins), of his victory and to secure funds for the Arab tribes. While crossing the Sinai Desert, Daud dies when he stumbles into quicksand. Lawrence is promoted to major and given arms and money for the Arabs. He is deeply disturbed and confesses that he enjoyed executing Gasim, but Allenby brushes aside his qualms. Lawrence asks Allenby whether there is any basis for the Arabs' suspicions that the British have designs on Arabia. When pressed, Allenby states that there is none.

Time for an intermission!

Lawrence launches a guerrilla war by blowing up trains and harassing the Turks at every turn. It seems that all of the Arab tribes are willing to follow Lawrence and it is still unclear why he gets universal appreciation from everybody who is not a politician. An American war correspondent, Jackson Bentley (Arthur Kennedy), publicizes Lawrence's exploits and makes him famous. On one raid, Farraj is badly injured and, unwilling to leave him to be tortured by the enemy, Lawrence shoots him dead before he flees.

There comes a point where Lawrence seems to believe that he is actually Arabic and decides to try to pass through a city and believes that nobody will notice. When Lawrence scouts the enemy-held city of Deraa with Ali, he is taken, along with several Arab residents, to the Turkish Bey. Lawrence is stripped, ogled, and prodded. Then, for striking out at the Bey, he is severely flogged before he is thrown into the street. The experience leaves Lawrence shaken. He returns to British headquarters in Cairo and wants to return to a simple soldier's life, but he does not fit in. A short time later in Jerusalem, General Allenby urges him to support the "big push" on Damascus. Lawrence hesitates to return but finally relents.

Lawrence recruits an army that is motivated more by money than by the Arab cause. They find a column of retreating Turkish soldiers who have just massacred the residents of Tafas. One of Lawrence's men is from Tafas and demands, "No prisoners!" When Lawrence hesitates, the man charges the Turks alone and is killed. Lawrence takes up the dead man's battle cry; the result is a slaughter in which Lawrence himself participates. Afterwards, he regrets his actions and has a melodramatic breakdown.

Lawrence's men take Damascus ahead of Allenby's forces. The Arabs set up a council to administer the city, but the desert tribesmen prove ill-suited for such a task. Despite Lawrence's efforts, they bicker constantly. Unable to maintain the public utilities, the Arabs soon abandon most of the city to the British.

Lawrence is promoted to colonel and immediately ordered back to Britain, as his usefulness to both Faisal and the British is at an end. As he leaves the city, his automobile is passed by a motorcyclist, who leaves a trail of dust in his wake. End of movie.

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The biggest star of this film has to be the desert scenery filmed in Jordan and Spain. The expansive background that frames these small bands of people really gives the idea of isolation, whether it be of Lawrence himself or of the bands of nomadic tribes. The biggest fear is not of death by a rival tribe or even the machines that bring death from the outside world. It is from the desert itself and it is both beautiful and horrific. The film score by Maruice Jarre is beautiful and generally considered one of the best film scores of all time. The music is also widely recognized as representing Middle Eastern adventure in visual and audio media.

Three major issues I have with this movie are the bad acting from the lead, the lack of historical accuracy, and then insulting use of brown face. First of all, Peter O'Toole did not seem like he based his performance on the historical figure of Lawrence as was written at the time. Instead of creating a character around Seven Pillars of Wisdom, the book on which the screenplay was supposed to be based, O'Toole went with the screenplay of Bolt and an overly dramatic egotist character of his own creation. Historians and biographers have generally agreed that this was a poor interpretation of the historical figure and just an unflattering version made to be dramatically more interesting for film.

Also, why did the have to put so many white actors in brown face? There is proof on the screen in the great Egyptian actor Omar Sharif that strong dramatic actors of Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asia exist. Why didn't the casting group try and find somebody to look the part. They really didn't have to pick the standard actors and it just meant a plethora of white British actors on screen in brown face doing the same old over dramatic acting. There was a large population of English speaking people of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent in and around Britain at the time of shooting (as evidenced by the giant number of extras), so why did they have to fall back on the standard white actors. I suppose that the white actors were proven and had box office draw (also Alec Guinness is always great), but I still have objections. I am specifically looking at the part played by Anthony Quinn. He did not knock it out of the park and the part would have benefited from being played by a true Middle Easterner.

Like The Bridge on the River Kwai, this film seems to have been appropriated by the AFI when it is clearly a British film. The film is listed as a "1962 British epic historical drama" and is based on the life of a British soldier who was the illegitimate son of a British lord. The film was directed by David Lean, a man who was born and died in England and worked with mostly English actors. There was only one American character in the whole film, and he was just a reporter that found Lawrence interesting and blew the story out of proportion. The movie was produced by German Sam Spiegel and the screenplay was re-written by English playwright Robert Bolt because the original American screenwriter Michael Wilson was blacklisted for being a communist. The production company was based in Great Britain and shot entirely in Europe and the Middle East. The only American connection was actor Anthony Quinn and the distributor was Columbia Pictures. This movie belongs on the BFI top 100 (it is ranked #3) and not on the AFI lists.

This review seems to be coming across more harshly than this film deserves, so I will be candid about this movie experience. I found this film to be extraordinarily boring. There have been other movies on the AFI list that have been difficult for me to watch: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf was extremely cringy, Intolerance was hard to stay awake through because it was long and silent with a pretty peaceful score, and Bringing Up Baby was just frustrating. For me, Lawrence of Arabia has all of these issues. I find the lead to be embarrassing, the film is so long that it is hard to stay awake through, and the way that everyone in the film worships the ground that the lead walks on is so annoying. I admit that this opinion is extremely personal and my parents both enjoyed the film thoroughly. It is really just not my cup of tea for reasons listed above.

So does this film belong on the AFI list? No, because it is not an American film. It may have been distributed in America, but the director was from England, the lead actors were English, the crew was mostly English, the studio was English, and the production company was English. It is not appropriate to put this film on the greatest American movie list and instead leave it where it is and belongs: the BFI top 100. Would I recommend it? I guess so. It is most definitely a classic and it is a beautifully shot movie. I am not going to watch with you, though. I can see why many people enjoy this movie, but it just hits all of the wrong buttons for me and I don't want to watch it any more. Feel free to give a watch, though, because it is an enduring epic and you might seriously enjoy it.

#lawrence of arabia #david lean #peter o'toole #omar sharif #middle eastern #beautiful films #1960s #introvert #introverts #british films

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