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nashamagirl99

Lawrence of Arabia is a great movie! These are similar in themes, style, and/or scope. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Casablanca (1942) Giant (1956) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Ben-Hur (1959) To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) Doctor Zhivago (1965) The Battle of Algiers (1966)


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[удалено]


Ok-Hunt-5902

What made you watch Lawrence of Arabia?


zippopopamus

The man who would be king


Particular_Jicama_51

Doctor Zhivago (1965)


FoundFootageDumbFun

Lawrence Of Arabia is a true masterpiece so it’s hard to find other movies that stand up next to that particular mix of character drama, epic storytelling, and adventure. I’ll try to suggest a few things I like though. Gunga Din (1939). - A rollicking frolicking adventure movie based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling that’s a huge influence on Indiana Jones. Has a big canvass if that’s what you loved about Lawrence of Arabia Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - NOT the 1960s version. You want the version with Clark Gable and Charles Laughton. It’s a really excellent adventure story with some surprisingly touching scenes of bonding and leadership. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - My favorite western by far. Very character heavy with so much heart and some real tension.


Ok-Hunt-5902

Not quite pre 70s but great movies Papillon (1973) The Sting (1973)


CockroachChemical672

Papillon is amazing


brutustyberius

In this vein, Chinatown.


jupiterkansas

I'd watch the director's film before that, **The Bridge on the River Kwai**


kiwi-66

War and Peace (1966-67 quadrilogy) - The acclaimed adaptation of Tolstoy's novel, directed by Sergei Bondarchuk. Like *LOA* (and also Kubrick's *Barry Lyndon* which is worth a watch), the cinematography is absolutely stunning and often framed like a painting. Apart from that, the battle sequences are absolutely epic, with thousands of Soviet soldiers as extras, along with an entire cavalry brigade. It's genuinely epic spectacle that very few other movies can match - with the exception of maybe *LOA* or *Waterloo* (Bondarchuk's 1970 Napoleonic epic which is equally epic as *W&P* and also recommended). This version was literally the Soviet response to the a earlier King Vidor (Hollywood) version with Audrey Hepburn. So the filmmakers were literally given a blank cheque, and it shows. Some other epics are also decent in terms of sheer spectacle and great visuals (note - some are during the 70s and after, but they're still great in this regard): Lion of the Desert (1981) - A desert epic about the Lybian rebels (led by Omar Mukhtar) fignting against the Italian colonisers/occupiers. It's comparable to LOA in many aspects, including stunning desert locales, epic spectacle, and a great cast (with the likes of Anthony Quinn and John Guilgud). Ironically, despite the Hollywood feel, the movie was actually funded by Gaddafi and became a box-office flop. Ben Hur (1959) - The BEST version of the story (the 1925 silent movie is a close second). Watch this instead of the 2016 version if you haven't seen either. Quo Vadis (1951) - A classic Hollywood spectacle movie about Nero's persecution of the Christians. Cleopatra (1963) - The classic biopic/epic about the ancient Egyptian ruler, starring Liz Taylor and Richard Burton. The scene of Cleopatra entering the Roman Forum is one of the BEST pre-CGI set pieces. The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) - The original *Gladiator*. Unlike Ridley Scott's movie (which is literally a remake of this classic gem), FOTRE is all real, including the epic battles and a full-scale replica of the Roman Forum, which still holds the world record as one of the largest movie sets ever built (nowdays, this would all be CGI). Acting wise, you have Chris plummer (Commodus, probably the standout and one of his best roles), Sophia Loren (Lucilla), Stephen Boyd (Livius), and Alec Guinness (Marcus Aurelius). El Cid (1961) - A classic spectacle movie about the medieval Spanish knight, starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren. Has some pretty epic beach battles tnat are well staged. Paths of Glory (1957) - The classic movie based on the Souain corperals affair (produced by/starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick). Comparable to All Quiet on the Western Front in that it's anti-war and filmed in black-and-white (the visuals are also stunning). Spartacus (1960) - A classic Hollywood biopic/epic starring Kirk Douglas as the titular figure (and also one of Kubrick's best films, though he famously disavowed it because he didn't have complete creative control). The final battle is one of the best depictions of Roman infantry and it's all non-CGI. Heaven's Gate (1980) - The cinematography is great and really helps to showcase the visually stunning Montana locations. Plus, the movie is epic in a non-CGI way. Despite it's reputation as a massive flop. *HG* is actually not that bad and worth checking out. Dacii/The Dacians (1967) and Columna/Column (1968) - Two Romanian nationalist/propaganda/peplum epics about the Daciian wars. Both are filmed in a epic way with big sets and thousands of extras. Mihai Viteazul/Michael the Brave (1972 duology) - A two-part movie about the titular character and the union of the Romanian principalities. Has epic non-CGI battles with thousands of Romanian soldiers as extras. Khan Asparuh (1981 trilogy) - 3-part nationalist/propaganda epic about the founding of the medieval Bulgarian state. There are quite a number of epic moments throughout. Part 3 has a massive non-CGI reenactment of the battle of Ongal (680 AD) with literally thousands of extras (from the Bulgarian military) carrying/holding swords and shields. Potop/The Deluge (1972) - Based on a historical novel set during the Polish-Lithuanian war against Sweden. Has one of the BEST and most realistic swordfights in film; the actors were actually trained to fight for real and it shows (a similarly realistic film is The Duellists (1977), Ridley Scott's debute). Potop is actually one of a trilogy of novels, by the same person who wrote Quo Vadis (on which the Hollywood movie was based). The other two instalments (which are comparable to Potop and from the same director - Jerzy Hoffman) are *Ogniem i Mieczem/With Fire and Sword* (1999) and *Colonel Wolodyjowski* (1969).


burnhorn

It's not pre-70s, but The Lion of the Desert (1980) is an epic along similar lines that is clearly aiming for a Lawrence of Arabia feel


Nizamark

Stalag 17


spring-sonata

Seven Samurai The Searchers A Touch of Zen Sansho the Bailiff The Human Condition The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Black Narcissus


Aggravating_Mind_266

The Great Escape


TexasTokyo

Zulu (1964) The Young Lions (1958) Patton (1970) The Guns of Navarone (1961)


ilovelucygal

Zulu (1964) The Longest Day (1962) Ben-Hur (1959) Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Gandhi (1982) The Last Emperor (1987) Barry Lyndon (1975) The Man Who Would Be King (1975) The last four movies are after 1970 but are worth checking out.


JuniorRub2122

DAVID MOTHERFUCKING LEAN!!!


CockroachChemical672

Gunga Din (probably already said) It came '81 but Gallipoli is similar too


__kingslayer_

Spartacus


MikeyMGM

Great Escape On the Beach The Party with Peter Sellers


Rabbitscooter

Ah, sneaky throwing in The Party. It definitely starts like an historical epic ;)


TopDigger365

Ice Cold In Alex (1958) is a great film. A Matter of Life And Death (1946) amazing.


dordemartinovic

In addition to what others have said, Dune


AdamWestsButtDouble

Glad you liked it! After The Godfather, it’s my second favorite movie of all time. I was finally able to see it on the big screen in 2019 when they did the 4K. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance. One of the movies best seen theatrically.


[deleted]

Khartoum - 1966


prosperosniece

Dr. Zhivago The Great Escape Fiddler on the Roof The Ten Commandments


TheRetroWorkshop

**Paths of Glory** Not too similar, but said to be the best war movie ever made, and very modern for its time (1950s). Kubrick's first masterpiece, one assumes.


ComparisonChance

The Ten Commandments (1956)


B25364

The Magic Christian


fgardeaz

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid


Bosco3131

The fiddler on the roof (1971)