Lawrence of Arabia
The high-point of David Lean's career, Lawrence of Arabia is perhaps most memorable for its stunning debut from Peter O'Toole as TE Lawrence, a WW1 officer who finds himself leading the Arabian revolt against the Turks. Though many elements of the film have dated somewhat - namely Alec Guinness blackface - it is an enduring masterpiece because of its energy, personified through Omar Sharif's unforgettable turn, as well as O'Toole's superb performance, specifically the poles of pride and rage that his character fleets between. Aesthetically, the film's significance is clear; the sharp cinematography and crisp editing provide countless iconic moments - who can forget the match cut between the depleted match and the sun-kissed desert? - and historically, it takes on a whole other meaning altogether. The late Edward Said came up with the term "Orientalism", an apparent lower, simplified standard by which the West judge the likes of Arabs as both exotic and alien, and he contends that this film propagated that myth. With its stirring if stereotypical score by Maurice Jarre, Said might not be far wrong, but in suggesting this, he only concedes another fascinating cultural element of this mountainous filmmaking achievement.