8.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins (I), Omar SharifDrama | 100% |
Epic | 54% |
Period | 50% |
War | 40% |
History | 40% |
Biography | 24% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.19:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.20:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Hungarian: Dolby Digital 2.0
Italian: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 2.0
Polish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0
Russian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (192 kbps)
Polish, Russin=VO, Spanish DTS=Castilian, Spanish Mono=Latin American, All Dolby Atmos tracks have a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) core
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish
Blu-ray Disc
Four-disc set (4 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Sony has released Director David Lean's timeless 1962 classic 'Lawrence of Arabia' to the UHD format. The 4K presentation is currently exclusive to the studio's prestigious Columbia Classics Collection boxed set. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video and Dolby Atmos audio. One new supplement is included and this four-disc set bundles in the pair of Blu-ray discs originally released in 2012.
The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
For its UHD release, Lawrence of Arabia has been split between two discs: part one runs 2:19:23 and part two 1:27:38. Sony's 2160p/Dolby
Vision UHD is every bit the filmic wonder one expects it to be, that the film needs to be. It's difficult to imagine the film ever looking any
better
than this. Sony's presentation practically defies written definition; it truly must be seen to be believed. But in the interest of spelling out the
essentials
of what makes it so special, it all begins with that vital grain structure, which flows freely and with even distribution. It's not simply complimentary,
it's
a key defining feature and a significant portion of what makes this image an instant classic. Its consistency is vital, its composition exacting, its
splendor unmatched. The fine detailing within the image is breathtaking. Clarity far exceeds, and is unmatched by, any previous home video version,
even the
outstanding 2012 Blu-ray. It's simply resplendent. "Sharp" barely begins to describe, it, "intricate" cannot fully report on the clarity of even the fine
sandy and pebbly terrains. For essential textures such as faces and clothes, it goes without saying that Sony's image is first-rate. In any light -- even
in
difficult day-for-night shots -- there's a superb level of definition to essential skin and clothing lines, and that so many are war-weary and caked over
with sand and dust and marked by sweat and frays only add to the splendor. Practically every shot leaps off the screen with razor sharpness. This
extends even to the wide vistas and broad shots of both serene majesty and raging battle. The UHD is a sight to be hold, and the Dolby Vision color
grading only betters it.
Tones are full and resplendent. Accuracy is unmatched. As the image deepens colors compared to the Blu-ray it seems to
find their
fullest life. Look at Dryden's gray suit in the opening
minutes; the color depth adds are striking as it transitions from flat and bleak to fully saturated and impeccably dense and deep on UHD. Of course
the
movie is largely defined by earthy beiges and browns, both in describing the sandy desert locations and the various military
uniforms. These colors find a new level of excellence, not reimagined by any means but solidified with a genuine saturation and contrast that flatters
the
material. Blue skies are amongst the revelations. Here they are intensely bright and bold, leaving the Blu-ray looking flatter and more lifeless. White
garments shine with newfound crispness and vitality. Black levels are likewise improved with perfectly balanced depth and shadow detail. Skin tones
are
firm and reflective of individual composition as well as influencing lighting and other elements, like caked-on sweat and dust. There are no print
blotches or encode issues to report.
Make no mistake, the 2012 Blu-ray still holds its own as one of the finest on that format, but this UHD is something else. It's transformative in all the
best
ways, a picture-perfect breath-taker that is as expected: a new reference image for the UHD format and proof of physical media's viability, and
necessity, in delivering an epic in the most perfect way possible. The only downside to this reviewer's experience, beyond a technical hiccup around
the
20:10 mark on disc two which fixed itself upon
rewind/playback, was watching on a 65" screen. It demands to be seen big and bold, both the film and its UHD. Yet even on a relatively "small"
screen, what an experience! Movie making and movie watching don't get any better.
Lawrence of Arabia features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack, and what a wonderful presentation it is. To open, the musical richness and fullness is apparent with the overture. Instrumental detail is spectacular, with each piece identifiable within the whole. Spacing is perfect, both for front width and surround wrap. Low end extension is solid. Throughout, score is majestic but not overwhelming. It doesn't dominate, but it is presented in equal proportion and splendor to Lean's and Cinematographer F.A. Young's grandiose cinematography. Environmental spacing is efficient and natural. Listeners will feel part of every environment, from sweaty English headquarters interiors to wide-open desert vistas, from tents to caves and, indeed, every location in the film. The overhead channels don't engage with much in the way of discrete effects within generalized musical and ambient supports; even the reverberation heard in chapter five of disc one certainly bounces throughout the listener but doesn't necessarily fill the space above nearly so fully as it does around, though moments later some explosions do feel as if there's more of a pronounced top end support. One of the best examples of discrete overhead usage comes during this battle in the form of plane flyovers that plainly engage directly above the listener, and with excellent spacial awareness and fluid top end movement, too. However, action scenes do lack the fluidity and precision of tracks engineered in the modern style. Horses charging into battle in chapter three on disc two leaves a bit wanting in terms of absolute clarity, for example. But the resplendent music, perfectly clear and positioned dialogue, and natural ambience and feel for spacial absoluteness make this a first-rate track and a practically perfect compliment to the amazing visuals.
Note: As I received the set there are missing supplements. Sony has sent this statement: "It has come to our attention that due to a technical
error, the set includes an incorrect bonus materials disc for 'Lawrence of Arabia' with fewer pieces of content than intended. We are working with our
operations team to determine a solution for consumers who are purchasing the collection, and will communicate that to you as soon as possible.
This review will be updated once the new disc arrives.
This four-disc set includes a good many supplements as they carry over from the original two-disc Blu-ray release as included with this collection. The
UHD also adds a single supplement. See
below an outline of what's included and please click here for full coverage. As it ships in the Columbia
Classics
boxed set, a slipcover and Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included.
UHD Disc One:
To be perfectly frank, the entirety of the Columbia Classics collection is worth buying for this film, and this UHD presentation, alone. One can almost consider the other five films bonuses. This one looks that good. It's breathtaking, and it's impossible to imagine even the most stringent videophile not smiling the whole way through. The Atmos soundtrack is first-rate, too. There is one new, brief extra but the carryover content is perfectly fine in support. What a gem of a film and of a UHD. Of course, Lawrence of Arabia's UHD disc earns my highest recommendation.
60th Anniversary Limited Edition | Limited Edition Reprint
1962
60th Anniversary Limited Edition
1962
1962
50th Anniversary Limited Collector's Edition
1962
1962
1960
1957
2008
2005
1975
2008
2008
Remastered
1970
Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter
2013
25th Anniversary Edition
1993
2007
2005-2006
1989
1966
1957
1987
1963
1961
1980
1982