‘Lawrence of Arabia’: Why Colin Farrell thinks the classic movie is “maddeningly brilliant”
For a range of reasons, Colin Farrell has consistently surprised his fans. From entering the Harry Potter universe as Percival Graves in Fantastic Beasts to donning grotesque prosthetics as the Penguin in The Batman, for better or for worse, Farrell has a penchant for keeping audiences on their toes.
Presently, the Irishman is one of the greatest character actors around. This point is displayed by various examples, including his role as the guilty father, Steven Murphy, in Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Killing of a Sacred Deer. And most recently, his flawless turn as Pádraic Súilleabháin in Martin McDonagh’s tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin.
Recently, Farrell’s propensity to surprise has come via the undoubted substance of his work. This pulp should not be too much of a surprise either, as even in his early days, he stood out from most of the Hollywood crowd for his genuine personality. Although a string of critically panned films compounded the criticisms of his partying back then, it’s difficult to blame him. He was just a naive newbie finding his way in the complicated world of Hollywood.
However, as with anyone worth their salt, he soon shaped up and became an exemplary force, establishing a varied and notable oeuvre. In addition to this rise, he’s remained a fascinating figure with many stories to tell. One place his substance has come to the fore is in the list of his favourite films.
When he sat down with Rotten Tomatoes in 2016, he revealed the titles of his five favourite movies of all time. These eclectic choices reflect the scope underpinning his own varied back catalogue, warts and all, to this day.
Of his picks, the one film that stood out was David Lean’s epic 1962 film, Lawrence of Arabia, featuring the late Peter O’Toole in his defining role. The film has been a favourite of cinephiles since it was released, including Goodfellas auteur Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. In short, Farrell is in good company.
Other greats that have registered its importance to their crafts have been Stanley Kubrick, Sam Peckinpah, and Oliver Stone. Notably, the latter’s 2004 epic, Alexander, starred Farrell in the lead role as Alexander the Great. Before its release, many touted it as the contemporary answer to Lawrence of Arabia. However, it didn’t live up to expectations. Instantly, it was critically trashed. The reception shocked the young Farrell and led to him changing tact. Without this failure, he wouldn’t be the world-beater he is today.
“This is just maddeningly brilliant,” Farrell said of Lawrence of Arabia. “At once sweeping and epic, and yet searingly personal, thanks to the incredible work of Peter O’Toole”. The actor concluded that Lawrence of Arabia “feels like a perfect piece of cinema to me”. It’s easy to see how the stress on nuance even within a vast production has influenced his own work.
