Original subtitles

Excuse me, friend. Who do these bags belong to?

To Prince Feisal.

-You're not Prince Feisal? -No.

You know him though?

He is my master. I am his servant.

Can you read?

Chicago Courier is my paper, but my work is syndicated in America.

I understood so from your letter, Mr. Bentley.

Now....

-Where can I find Major Lawrence? -Is that what you have come for?

Not altogether, sir, no.

Well, Mr. Bentley, you will find Major Lawrence with my army.

That's what I meant, sir. Where can I find your army?

I don't know.

-Last week they were near El Ghira. -Ghira?

Yes, I fear you have a long journey. Can you ride a camel?

-I've never tried. -Take a mule.

Avoid Mellaha, the Turks are there.

In Mellaha now? They move fast.

They do.

But not so fast as we do, you will find.

Myself...

...I am going to Cairo.

-As you know. -Yes.

There's work for me there of a different kind.

Yes.

I understand you've been given no artillery.

-That is so. -You're handicapped?

It restricts us to small things.

It's intended to.

Do you know General Allenby?

Watch out for Allenby. He's a slim customer.

-Excuse me? -A clever man.

Slim customer. It's very good.

I'll certainly watch out for him. You're being very sympathetic.

Your Highness, we Americans were once a colonial people.

We naturally feel sympathetic to any people...

...who struggle for their freedom.

Very gratifying.

Also, my interests are the same as yours. You want your story told.

I badly want a story to tell.

Ah, now you are talking turkey, are you not?

I will give you a guide and a letter.

And before I leave here...

...which must be presently...

...I will have some facts and figures put on paper for you.

You know that we are destroying the Turkish railways.

I do, sir.

Major Lawrence is in charge of all this, is he?

My army is made up of tribes.

The tribes are led by the tribal leaders.

Your people do think very highly of Major Lawrence?

Oh, yes. And the rightly.

In this country, Mr. Bentley...

...the man who gives victory in battle is prized...

...beyond every other man.

One figure I can give you from my head...

...because it never leaves my head.

Since starting this campaign four months ago, we have lost...

...37 wounded...

...156 dead.

You remark the disproportion between our dead and wounded.

Yeah.

Four times as many.

That's because those too wounded to bring away, we ourselves kill.

We leave no wounded for the Turks.

-You mean...? -We leave no wounded for the Turks.

In their eyes, we are not soldiers but rebels.

Rebels, wounded or whole, are not protected by the Geneva Code...

...and are treated harshly.

How harshly?

More harshly than I hope you can imagine.

I see.

Our own prisoners are taken care of until the British...

...can relieve us of them, according to the Code.

-I should like you to notice that. -Yes, sir.

Is that the influence of Major Lawrence?

Why should you suppose?

It's just that I heard in Cairo that...

...Major Lawrence has a horror of bloodshed.

That is exactly so.

With Major Lawrence, mercy is a passion.

With me, it is merely good manners.

You may judge which motive is the more reliable.

-And now, perhaps.... -Oh, sure, sure.

Thank you, sir.

Can you manage the letter--?

I'll do everything I have said...

...if you will tell me truly the nature of your interest...

...in my people and Major Lawrence.

It's very simple, sir. I'm looking for a hero.

Indeed. You do not seem a romantic man.

Oh, no.

But influential men back home believe it's time for America...

...to lend her weight to the struggle against Germany.

And Turkey.

I've been sent to find material to show our people that this war is....

-Enjoyable? -Hardly that, sir.

But to show it in its more adventurous aspects.

You look for a figure who will draw your country towards war.

All right. Yes.

Lawrence is your man.

Stop!

Stop it!

Stop it!

Come on, men!

Lawrence!

Good God! God!

Jiminy! Never seen a man killed with a sword before.

Why don't you take a picture?

Wish I had.

How is it with thee, Lawrence?

Am I in this?

Did you take his picture?

Yeah.

You are using up your nine lives very quickly.

Charming company you keep.

Auda?

He's a bit old-fashioned. He thinks these things will steal his virtue.

He thinks you're a kind of thief.

It's all right to take your picture?

-All right. -Okay.

Just walk.

Major Lawrence!

Yes, sir, that's my baby.

This looting has got to stop!

It is customary.

It's theft. And theft makes thieves.

I would not say that to Auda.

-It is their payment, colonel. -Payment.

Truly. Are not British soldiers paid?

-They don't go home when being paid. -They are not free to.

Well, there's another lot you've seen the last of.

They'll come back.

He says they'll come back. Will they?

Not this year, Lawrence.

Look, Lawrence, how many men do you think you'll have left? 200?

-Less. -Well, then?

I said, they'll come back.

You badly hurt?

Not hurt at all.

Didn't you know? They can only kill me with a golden bullet.

It is for children. I have set myself to learn again.

-What are you learning from this? -Politics.

You'll be a democracy in this country? You gonna have a parliament?

I will tell you that when I have a country.

Did I answer well?

You answered without saying anything. That's politics.

You learn quickly.

I have a good teacher.

Yeah.

-How's your hurt? -Fine.

Before I return to the fleshpots, which I shall be very glad to do...

...may I put two questions to you, straight?

I'd be interested to hear you put a question straight.

One.

What, in your opinion, do these people hope to gain from this war?

They hope to gain their freedom.

Freedom.

"They hope to gain their freedom."

-There's one born every minute. -They're going to get it.

I'm going to give it to them.

-The second question? -Well, I was going to ask...

...what is it that attracts you personally to the desert?

It's clean.

Well, now...

...that's a very illuminating answer.

May I...

...take one farewell picture?

I gave Math Budad two lamps for it.

One clock for two lamps.

A fair bargain.

Fair? I robbed him.

Trash.

I must find something honorable.

Honorable?

The year is running out, Brighton.

I must find something honorable.

Now you may blow up my train.

And what will you do now?

Now I go home. They will carry my toys.

They will carry my toys too, see?

Major Lawrence will campaign this winter.

But you got what you wanted, so you're going home, is that it?

Of course. When Lawrence has got what he wants, he will go home.

When you've got what you want, you will go home.

No, I shan't, Auda.

Then you are a fool.

Maybe. But I am not a deserter.

Give thanks to God, Brighton...

...that when he made you a fool, he gave you a fool's face.

You are an impudent rascal.

I must go, Lawrence, before I soil myself with a fool's blood.

Like talking to a brick wall.

So what will you do now? What can you do?

I'll go north.

That's what Allenby wants.

Allenby wanted the Arab army behind Deraa.

Then that's where I'll take it.

Tell Allenby to hurry up, or we'll be in Deraa before he's in Jerusalem.

Won't we?

Train, Farraj.

Yeah, Lawrence.

Hide yourself, my friend.

Detonator.

All right, fetch another.

-Pardon, Lawrence. I put-- -Plenty of time. Fetch another.

Farraj?

-What happened? -Detonator. A detonator!

He cannot ride, Lawrence. Look.

If they take him alive, you know what they'll do to him.

Daud will be angry with you.

Salute him for me.

What will you do now?

Go north.

With twenty?

What would you recommend me to do?

What would you recommend?

He hasn't 1/10 so many men, sir.

He's lied, in fact.

Yes and no. He doesn't claim to have done anything he hasn't done.

Then there is an Arab north army.

-No, sir, he has lied about that. -Any idea why?

-It's his army, I suppose. -It's Prince Feisal's army.

Do you think he's gone native, Harry?

No.

He would if he could, I think.

-Not my line of country. -It doesn't matter. Just curious.

What matters is I believed it.

The Turks believe it.

They are offering 20,000 pounds for him.

Good heavens.

-Shouldn't say he had long to live. -Whatever else, he's a brave man--

Surely, surely. If he's still going north with 50 men, he doesn't lack guts.

I wonder if they'd offer that much for me.

What about next year? Will they still come back?

I wouldn't be surprised.

-They think he's a kind of prophet. -They do or he does?

-Now may I speak? -Yes.

One more failure and you will find yourself alone.

-I do not include myself. -I do not include the others.

So say they love you.

The more reason to be thrifty with them.

Give them something to do that can be done. But you, no.

They must move mountains, walk on water.

That's right. That's right.

Who are you to know what can be done?

If we'd done what you thought could be done, we'd be in Yenbo now.

Whatever I ask them to do can be done. They know that if you don't.

Do you think I'm just anybody?

Do you?

My friends, who will walk on water with me?

-Who will come with me into Deraa? -Deraa is garrisoned.

Will you take 20 against 2000?

-I'll go by myself if I have to. -Why?

Because I told the English generals...

...the Arab revolt would be in Deraa when they'd be in Jerusalem.

Or perhaps you are here...

...for the English generals.

Who says this?

Rumor.

That is not an argument.

Oh, argument.

This afternoon I will take the Arab revolt into Deraa...

...while the Arabs argue.

Can you pass for an Arab in an Arab town?

Yes. If one of you would lend me some dirty clothes.

It's madness.

What are you looking for?

Some way to announce myself.

Be patient with him, God.

-Do you not see how they look at you? -Peace, Ali, I am invisible.

Halt!

Walk on.

-Halt! -Walk on.

You and you.

You.

You have blue eyes.

-I say you have blue eyes. -Yes, effendi.

-Are you Circassian? -Yes, effendi.

How old are you?

Twenty-seven, effendi.

I think.

You look older. You have had a lot of experience.

It's an interesting face.

I am surrounded by cattle.

He wouldn't know an interesting face from a sow's belly.

I have been is Deraa now for three and a half years.

If they posted me to the dark side of the moon, I could not be more...

...isolated.

You haven't the least idea what I'm talking about.

No, effendi.

Have you?

No.

That would be too...

...lucky.

Where did you get that?

-It's old, effendi. -No, this is recent.

-You are a deserter. -No, effendi.

Yes, you are a deserter.

But from which army?

Not that it matters at all.

A man cannot be always in uniform.

Your skin is very fair.

Beat him.

To me!

Sleep.

Sleep.

Eat.

Eat.

You have a body, like other men.

Good.

Then sleep.

Better?

Much better. You were right.

Rest, rest. Can you not learn?

Oh, I've learned all right.

I'm going, Ali.

-Why? -Why?

Heavens.

Why?

I've come to the end of myself, I suppose.

And the end of the Arab revolt?

I'm not the Arab revolt, Ali. I'm not even Arab.

A man can be whatever he wants. You said.

I'm sorry. I thought it was true.

You proved it.

Look, Ali. Look.

That's me. What color is it? That's me.

And there's nothing I can do about it.

A man can do whatever he wants. You said.

He can...

...but he can't want what he wants.

This is the stuff that decides what he wants.

You may as well know. I would've told them anything.

I would've told them who I am. I would've told them where you were.

-I tried to. -So would any man.

Well, any man is what I am.

And I'm going back to Allenby to ask him for a job...

...that any man can do.

Allenby's in Jerusalem.

-I'll make easy stages. -You?

Oh, yes. Easy stages.

Look, Ali, I think I see a way of being just...

...ordinarily...

...happy.

Can I take this?

It is not clean.

No, but it's warm.

And these...

...having led them here, have you no care for them?

You lead them. They're yours. Trust your own people.

And let me go back to mine.

-I say, don't forget those form fives. -All right.

Mind if I join you?

Honored, sir.

-Good to be back. -We heard you were, sir.

-What's doing out there? -Where?

-Arabia? -Well, yes, sir.

Nothing much. Wrong time of year. What's doing here?

We're settling in. We built a squash court.

Jolly good.

Well, I have to go up there.

It's borrowed. Someone pinched mine.

Bloody wogs.

Yes, probably.

Jolly good about the squash court.

Lays it on a bit thick, doesn't he?

Morning.

-Good morning, sir. -Good to be back.

-I'll believe you, sir. -No, really it is.

Hello.

Morning. You're to go right in.

Lawrence.

Or is it Major Lawrence?

Sir.

Well, general, I will leave you.

Major Lawrence doubtless has reports to make...

...about my people and their weakness...

...and the need to keep them weak in the British interest.

And the French interest too. We must not forget the French.

I told you, sir, no such treaty exists.

Yes, general, you have lied most bravely, but not convincingly.

I know this treaty does exist.

Treaty, sir?

He does it better than you, general.

But then, of course, he is almost an Arab.

You really don't know?

Then what the devil's this?

It's my request for release from Arabia, sir.

For what reason?

You sure you haven't heard of the Sykes-Picot Treaty?

No.

-I can guess. -Don't guess. Tell him.

Well, now....

Mr. Sykes is an English civil servant.

Monsieur Picot is a French civil servant.

Mr. Sykes and Monsieur Picot met, and they agreed that after the war...

...France and England should share the Turkish Empire.

Including Arabia.

They signed an agreement, not a treaty, sir.

An agreement to that effect.

There may be honor among thieves, but there's none in politicians.

And let's have no displays of indignation.

You may not have known, but you certainly had suspicions.

If we've told lies, you've told half-lies.

And a man who tells lies, like me, merely hides the truth.

But a man who tells half-lies has forgotten where he put it.

The truth is I'm an ordinary man.

You might have told me that, Dryden.

And I want an ordinary job, sir.

That's my reason for resigning.

It's personal.

-Personal? -Yes, sir.

Personal? You're a serving officer in the field.

And as it happens, a damned important one. Are you mad?

No, and if you don't mind, I'd rather not go mad.

That's my reason too.

Look, I'm making my big push on Damascus the 16th of next month...

...and you are part of it.

Can you understand that? You're an important part of the big push!

I don't want to be part of your big push!

What about your Arab friends?

I have no Arab friends! I don't want Arab friends!

What in hell do you want, Lawrence?

I've told you, I just want my ration of common humanity.

-Lawrence. -Yes?

Nothing. Sorry I interrupted, sir.

That's all right. Thank you, Mr. Dryden.

Thank you, sir.

Why don't we...?

There's blood on your back.

-Do you want a doctor? -No.

Tell me what happened.

Say, what goes on in there?

-Nothing. -Oh, come on!

-No, really. Nothing at all. -Is the man in trouble?

I expect so. We all have troubles. Life's a vale of troubles.

Let me know if the man's in trouble. I've got a claim in that man.

-What claim? -I've made that boy a hero.

When the war's over, he can be anything he wants.

Yes. Well, at the moment he wants to be somebody else.

Will you kindly allow me to pass?

Walk away, Dryden, walk away.

Always walking away, aren't you?

Well, I'll tell you.

It's a clash of temperament that's going on in there.

Inevitably, one of them's half-mad...

...and the other, wholly unscrupulous.

I believe your name will be a household word...

...when you'd have to go to the war museum to find who Allenby was.

You're the most extraordinary man I ever met.

Leave me alone.

-Leave me alone. -That's a feeble thing to say.

-I know I'm not ordinary. -That's not what I'm saying.

All right, I'm extraordinary.

What of it?

Not many people have a destiny, Lawrence.

It's a terrible thing for a man to flunk it if he has.

Are you speaking from experience?

No.

You're guessing, then.

Suppose you're wrong.

Why suppose that? We both know I'm right.

-Yes. I said, yes. -After all--

-The 16th? -Can you do it?

I'll give you a lot of money.

-Artillery? -I can't.

They won't be coming for money, not the best of them.

They'll be coming for Damascus.

Which I'm going to give them.

That's all I want.

All you want is someone holding down the Turkish Right.

But I'm going to give them Damascus. We'll get there before you do.

And when we've got it, we'll keep it.

Tell the politicians to burn their paper now.

Fair enough.

Fair? What's fair got to do with it?

It's going to happen.

I shall want quite a lot of money.

All there is.

Not that much.

The best of them won't come for money.

They'll come for me.

No pictures!

It's not for you, it's for Major Lawrence.

He doesn't mind having his picture taken. He doesn't mind at all.

Well, there's only one Lawrence.

Have you met Major Lawrence since he's come back?

Yes.

-Changed, hasn't he? -No.

Oh, I'd say he had. Different man, I'd say.

What did that Turkish general do to him in Deraa?

He was the same man after Deraa. The same man, humbled.

What did the English general do to him in Jerusalem?

Search me. Ask Lawrence.

-I did. -What did he say?

He laughed.

He told me to gather the Harith here.

He offered me money.

Did you take it?

No. But many did.

-What is this? -This is my bodyguard.

There is not a man without a price on his head.

-There's a price on my head too. -But these are murderers.

The sheiks will hang these men.

These men are mine.

Lawrence, these things know nothing of the Arab revolt.

-You, Ghitan of Aleppo. -Sherif?

-Where do we ride? -Damascus, sherif.

Aye, but for what?

Sherif, for Lawrence.

-You have bought these things. -I bought half the men here, Ali.

That is different. These are not ordinary men.

I don't want ordinary men. Hut!

Damascus!

Damascus! Damascus!

Damascus! Damascus!

Very well, gentlemen. The cavalry's gone through Mazril and Deraa.

Very good, by the way. Very good indeed. Now your turn.

If the enemy's retreating in any order, which we'll assume--

Certainly.

He can't be far from Mallud...

...in which case I can have him within range by 0900 hours tomorrow.

Splendid. Philip.

These are the last infantry supports going up now.

But Mallud, we could have the fusiliers there by Wednesday.

That'll do for now. The guns are what matter.

Any questions?

This Arab army on the right, sir, what's it consist of?

Irregular cavalry, sir. About 2000.

Where are they now?

-Can only know by being with them. -Then get with them. I want to know.

Pound them, Charley.

Pound them.

God help the men who lie under that.

They're Turks.

God help them.

Well, he's got the bit between his teeth all right.

Cocky?

More than cocky, sir.

He's got the bit between his teeth all right.

I tell you, sir, I think he'll get to Damascus before we do.

-Unless.... -Unless?

Well, there's a Turkish column in front of him, out of Mazril.

-What do the Turks have in Mazril? -A brigade, sir.

I wonder where they are now.

No prisoners.

Damascus, Lawrence.

Lawrence, not this.

Go round. Damascus, Lawrence, Damascus.

No prisoners.

This was Talaal's village.

Talaal!

Talaal!

No prisoners!

No prisoners!

God.

God.

God!

Enough. Enough! Make them stop!

Major!

Major Lawrence!

Jesus wept.

Jesus wept.

Does it surprise you, Mr. Bentley?

Surely you know the Arabs are a barbarous people.

Barbarous and cruel.

Who but they?

Who but they?

Oh, you rotten man.

Here, let me take your rotten bloody picture.

For the rotten bloody newspapers.

These were cut last night, Lawrence, in Damascus.

Damascus!

Take them to Sherif Ali.

Tell him.

Remind him.

-Is Allenby in Damascus? -Near.

Tell Sherif Ali that.

They are not ripe.

General salute!

Present arms!

Port arms!

Lawrence is behind it, sir.

The whole town is plastered with the Arab flag.

-When? -A day and a night, sir.

They've been here a day and a night.

They've occupied the town. They've done it.

He's set up his own headquarters in the town hall.

What else beside the town hall?

Telephone exchange, post office, powerhouse...

...hospitals, fire station. Everything, sir.

They call themselves the Arab National Council...

...and they're in the town hall.

Well, they're your pigeon, Harry.

What should we do about it?

Get them out of it, sir, quick time.

How about that, Dryden?

Not unless you want a full-scale rising.

-What, then? -When will Feisal be in Damascus?

By special train in two days' time.

Two days.

Two days is what you asked for. I can't keep him out any longer.

-Isn't it enough? -Yes.

-Ample, I should think. -We can't just do nothing.

Why not? It's usually best. Get us something to drink, Tracey.

And Tracey, all troops to remain quartered until further orders.

Does that apply to technical units?

Technical units particularly.

Yes, sir.

Medicals too, sir?

I'm afraid so, Harry.

Medicals too.

We here...

...are neither Harith nor Howeitat...

...nor any other tribe, but Arabs...

...of the Arab Council, acting for Prince Feisal.

He insulted me.

Sherif Ali said that the telephones are in the care of the Howeitat...

...and they have ceased to work. And this is true.

They will not work because they are given no electricity.

The electricity is in the care of the Harith.

If you answer, there will be bloodshed.

You speak to me of bloodshed?

I ask pardon of Auda Abu Tayi.

Humbly?

Humbly, Harith?

Yes, humbly.

This is a new trick.

Why is there no electricity?

I have been to that electrical house, Lawrence.

There are three large machines.

He means generators!

So.

One of them is burning.

They are of an incredible size, but helpless.

It is so of all machines.

Let them burn. What need of telephones?

-The need is absolute. -Then we need English engineers.

No. Take English engineers and you take English government.

Take--

Fire has broken out.

-Where? -The Jinsibi district.

-It is not a district that matters. -It will spread!

Then use the fire brigade!

We have tried, but there is no force in the water.

Then you must carry it.

-The Ruala do not carry water. -What else are they good for?

We will hear petitions this afternoon.

This afternoon!

-I'll take this up after the war. -Surely we should do something, sir.

-It's an old man's sport. -Are you an old man, sir?

All I can say is, sir, it's a heavy responsibility.

Sorry, sir.

Maybe it's the bulb.

No, sir.

It's the power.

They're leaving.

That's it, then.

Marvelous-looking beggars, aren't they?

Leave it, Lawrence. Come with me.

-Come where? -Back.

I know your heart.

What is it?

Is it this?

I tell you, this is nothing.

Is it the blood?

The desert has dried up more blood than you could think of.

I pray that I may never see the desert again.

Hear me, God.

You will come. There is only the desert for you.

What about you?

No, I shall stay here and learn politics.

A very low occupation.

I had not thought of it when I met you.

You have tried very hard to give us Damascus.

It's what I came for.

And then...

...it would be something.

Yes.

Much.

-He is your friend? -Take your hand away.

-You love him. -I fear him.

Then why do you weep?

If I fear him, who love him...

...how must he fear himself, who hates himself?

Take your hand away, Howeitat!

So you are not yet entirely politician.

Not yet.

Well, these are new tricks, and I am an old dog.

And Allah be thanked.

I'll tell thee what...

...being an Arab will be thornier than you suppose, Harith.

In all my years, I've never seen anything like it.

It comes within the jurisdiction of the Arab Council.

Under the circumstances, I think I must take over. Immediately.

Under any circumstances at all, you must obey your orders.

No, sir, I will not.

Control yourself.

Now, go over to the town hall and see what they say.

We did what we could in the civic hospitals.

But you forgot the Turkish Military Hospital.

It has 600 beds. There are about 2000 Turkish wounded in it.

All of whom are the responsibility of your precious Arab Council.

What's it like?

This is outrageous!

Outrageous!

Outrageous!

You filthy little wog!

My friend Lawrence, if I may call him that.

"My friend Lawrence."

How many men will claim the right to use that phrase? How proudly.

He longs for the greenness of his native land.

He pines for the Gothic cottages of Surrey, is it not?

Already in imagination, he catches trout...

...and all the activities of the English gentleman.

That's me you're describing, sir, not Colonel Lawrence.

You're promoted colonel.

Yes. What for?

Take the honor, colonel. Be a little kind.

As a colonel, you'll have a cabin to yourself on the boat home.

Then, thank you.

Well, then...

...Godspeed.

There's nothing further here for a warrior.

We drive bargains. Old men's work.

Young men make wars, and the virtues of war...

...are the virtues of young men.

Courage and hope for the future.

Then old men make the peace.

And the vices of peace are the vices of old men.

Mistrust and caution.

It must be so.

What I owe you is beyond evaluation.

The powerhouse, the telephone exchange, these I concede.

The pumping plant I must retain.

If you retain it, there will be no water.

-I shall be glad of assistance. -Then you must bring down your flag.

I shall not, and if your men attempt it, my men will resist it.

-Have you men? -Enough for that.

It's a thing that makes an ugly incident.

I'm sure your government...

...does not wish to appear at the peace conference as an aggressor.

I say!

It's Lawrence, isn't it?

May I shake your hand, sir?

Just want to be able to say I'd done it, sir.

Haven't we met before?

Don't think so, sir.

No, no, sir, I should remember that.

It is widely known the Arab Council took power in my name.

They have no power. It's illusory.

Illusions can be very powerful.

Particularly...

...when they take this form.

The world is delighted at the picture of Damascus...

...liberated by the Arab army.

Led, may I remind you, by a British-serving officer.

Ah, yes. But then Lawrence is a sword with two edges.

We are equally glad to be rid of him, are we not?

I thought I was a hard man, sir.

You are merely a general.

I must be a king.

Excuse me, sir.

Well?

Well...

...it seems we're to have a British waterworks...

...with an Arab flag on it.

Do you think it was worth it?

Not my business. Thank God I'm a soldier.

Yes, sir.

So you keep saying.

You, I suspect...

...are chief architect of this compromise.

-What do you think? -Me, Your Highness?

On the whole, I wish I'd stayed in Tunbridge Wells.

Well, sir. Going home.

Home, sir.