From
The way to the east this time leads through the desert. In David Lean’s sand and battle epic “Lawrence of Arabia”, Peter O’Toole, as a titan-blonde Briton, amazes the Arabs who believe in fate. Despite warnings, he turns back to rescue a missing boy. “Gasim’s time has come. It is written,” his companions insist. O’Toole is unimpressed: “Nothing is written.” Of course he’s right, of course he’s bringing the boy back. The Arabs recognize with admiration that for some men “nothing is really written”. Compared to the Western understanding of history as a development with an open end, “oriental” fatalism seems yesterday’s and lame. From today’s debate about Russia, Ukraine and the passage of time, the film is less distant than one might think.
