Plot: A semi-fictional account of the exploits of British military officer T.E. Lawrence during WWI is presented, plus a prologue at his 1935 funeral where his contemporaries remark or don't remark at how they consider him and his military contributions especially to the Great War. Viewed somewhat as an insolent man, he, a lieutenant in intelligence at a desk job in the Cairo bureau, is assigned to go on a reconnaissance mission to the Arabian peninsula to assess Prince Faisal's efforts against the Turks. He is assigned this job in what is considered its low importance in the British still focusing their own efforts directly on the German offensive, and because of his academic knowledge of Arabia. Against the narrow confines of his original orders and advice of ranking officers in the field, Lawrence, befriending many he meets, not only the Prince but most specifically Sherif Ali, bands with the Arabs in being able to coalesce the many disparate tribes which comprise the fighting Bedouins. Things begin to change for Lawrence when the British military as a whole gets more involved in the goings-on in Arabia - they working on the presumed goals of the politicians - and Lawrence himself changes his own outlook as a human being in being caught directly in battle.
Alternative Plot: Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. With the aid of native Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Lawrence rebels against the orders of his superior officer and strikes out on a daring camel journey across the harsh desert to attack a well-guarded Turkish port.
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