The one movie scene that has informed every Steven Spielberg’s film
Some directors are just true masters of the big-budget blockbuster, and there’s no doubt that Steven Spielberg sits comfortably at the high table of such distinction. With the likes of Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan to his name, Spielberg’s classic comprise so many of the best moments of modern cinema.
As for Spielberg’s own favourite movie of all time, though, it’s undoubted and on record that he holds David Lean’s 1962 epic biographical adventure film Lawrence of Arabia the closest to his heart. Starring Peter O’Toole in the lead role with Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quinn, and Omar Sharif also appearing, Lean’s film is widely considered one of the greatest of all time.
There’s one scene from Lawrence of Arabia, though, that is of particular admiration in Spielberg; it’s the moment when Lawrence arrives at the canal, and a British officer shouts to him, “Who are you?”. This part of the film might not be exactly the most memorable to most audience members, but it’s one that Spielberg has always thought highly of.
“The film cuts to the big close-up of Lawrence listening to the question he’s been asking about himself, but failing to know the answer to,” Spielberg once told Reader’s Digest. “That’s what we do when we make movies. Sometimes we just stand on the other side of the canal, screaming across it, ‘Who am I?’ All art is that.”
“Every movie I’ve directed has posed the question, ‘Who am I?’” the legendary director added. It’s refreshing to hear Spielberg explain what he hopes to achieve in every project he releases, a humanist touch that lies buried beneath their drama and action, and it’s all been inspired by a classic moment in Lawrence of Arabia.
In another interview with Empire, Spielberg explained how when he had first seen Lean’s film, he “sat bolt up for its entirety” before noting another scene in which he first noticed the true power of cinema. The scene sees Lawrence cross the desert with “50 other true believers”, and it “cast a spell” on the teenage Spielberg.
“Dozens of people in the audience suddenly rose to their feet and left the theatre,” the director remembered of that time in the cinema. “I didn’t understand what was happening. We had all watched one of the greatest moments in movie history, and people were walking out…”
It was at that moment that Spielberg understood the impact that film could possess. He added: “That sequence had dehydrated 800 people, many of whom rushed to the oasis of the concession stand to quench their thirst. I haven’t witnessed anything like it since. At the time, I didn’t quite understand the impact that it had on me.”
