Sep 06 2009

Branded as: Film

In 1962 David Lean’s epic masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia was released in all its Super Panavisual glory. Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness - those cats knew what was what and cinematographer Freddie Young…that guy…he knew how to work a camera.

Early in the film a young Lieutenant Lawrence is given orders to go to Arabia to determine the intentions of Prince Feisal. Lawrence, thrilled at the prospect is reminded by Mr. Dryden of the Arab Bureau that for ordinary men the desert is a "burning fiery furnace."

"No, Dryden. It’s going to be fun", Lawrence counters and extends a lit match to Dryden’s cigarette. There then comes a seemingly simple sequence. Lawrence, pushing up his sleeve, brings the still burning match to his lips, smiles and extinguishes it with one deliberate puff of air. Instantly the film cuts to a shot of the morning sun rising over the desert.

In under a second we’ve been transported from the relative cool of a well appointed office in Cairo to a desert ready to ignite under a scorching sun all through the simple act of blowing out a match. Transition perfection.

Film scholars can speak with greater authority on the technique of such a jump cut (and lordy do they ever). All I know is that as a boy, I exhaled with Lawrence as he blew at that match and then just as quickly drew in a sharp breath as the transportation registered. Sublime.