The Best Movie Of Each Year From 1925-2025

64. 1962 - Lawrence Of Arabia

Honourable Mentions: Carnival of Souls, Harakiri, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Quite possibly the biggest movie ever made, David Lean's odyssey-like Lawrence of Arabia is unequalled in its sheer comprehensiveness and visual allure, a film as resplendent in its adventurousness as it is dripping with tragedy and regret.

A retelling of the life of career soldier T. E. Lawrence, who was instrumental in organising the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, Lean's film, like The Bridge on the River Kwai, is enmeshed within the trauma of empire and British convention, with Peter O'Toole's captivating performance casting his subject as a man marooned between worlds. It's a heartbreaking and iconic turn from the actor, who is paired excellently with Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, and Alec Guinness - frustrating as it is that the latter two were cast in favour of actors with a Middle East background.

In any case, in scale, drama, and performance, Lawrence of Arabia is a masterpiece no matter which way you cut it. It's a film that is so big, it feels like a crime to confine it to a home viewing.