They are afraid of us together

[bironic]

Festivids is live, and I'm sure there are lots of fabulous vids in the collection, but it almost doesn't matter, because my wonderful amazing like-minded anonymous Festividder franzeska made me the vid I was most hoping for of all my requests, and life is beautiful.

It is for the 1992 movie A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, in which Alexander Siddig (Prince Faisal of Syria & Iraq) and Ralph Fiennes (T.E. Lawrence) engage in intricate post-WWI politics while sharing gorgeous smoldering gazes.

(You barely need the "sub" in subtext, seriously. Look, even Wikipedia acknowledges: "The film goes further than its predecessor in showing the effects of revisionist historians. It demonstrates contemporary concerns about British and international politics and ethnic conflict. It also explores further Lawrence's enigmatic personality and suggests more openly his alleged homosexuality.")

Go go go: They Are Afraid of Us Together

And how perfect is that title, when Lawrence & Faisal are a powerful team who also threaten British/Western/white hegemony by crossing racial boundaries? How perfect and beautiful is the Persian love song -- poem, really -- franzeska selected?

Aaaah, it just makes me so happy. Look at those two. Look at Lawrence looking at Faisal in those film reels. Look at them so utterly in love with each other and tearing themselves to pieces over their choices and the bigotry of & backstabbing by those around them. Look at those eyes and those hands and that intensity.

I haven't seen the movie in more than 10 years. Need to track down a copy and rewatch, in order to better appreciate the nuances of the story here.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Why, yes, there is a bath scene, but it's about Lawrence's PTSD from gang rape/whipping/whatever it was that happened when he was captured and his inability to respond to that other guy's advances, not about him and Faisal smoldering at each other. (So, alas, it did not make it into the vid.)

--Your festividder who can't comment anonymously on your LJ

[bironic]

:D Hiii, you are the best. Sorry for editing my responses a million times.

That was a good decision not to include that scene, then. P.S. I've requisitioned a copy from our library system so I can watch it again (because Amazon only has it for approx $99), and a friend has already asked to join because she was intrigued by your vid.

[bironic]

Yup, watched the movie again last night for the first time since ~2005 -- thanks for the extra motivation to do so. I had forgotten... well, a lot of it, but specifically that the vid title comes from a line in the scene you used for the promo graphic and closing clip. Nice touch.

[franzeska]

Hee! Yeah, I had totally forgotten the movie too. I remember the bath scene being kind of gay. Knowing what I now know about Lawrence and rewatching it, it's a lot less pleasant.

[franzeska]

Also, yes, when my lazy butt got around to trying to do my assignment, I realized that this movie is not that easy to get anymore! (Long live piracy.)

[bironic]

Pretty sure Lawrence would approve. :)

[franzeska]

LOL. When I'm not in the edit suite dealing with a deadline, I'll have to dig out my blurry copy and put it somewhere. I feel like it's time for fandom to rediscover this movie.