Last July I ordered the British Lawrence of Arabia Bluray, which was released on 9.10. It finally arrived yesterday. The quality is brilliant, hugely satisfying. The color, clarity and detail are as good as I could ever imagine them. The reds are to die for. The hair, the tunics, the fake beards, the landscapes, Peter O’Toole‘s eyeliner and the sand grains are magnificent, world-class, top of the mountain. One of the very best Blurays ever.

Kudos to Grover Crisp, his Sony team, original 1989 restoration guru Robert Harris and everyone else who contributed.

At times the Lawrence Bluray detail looks even more vivid and dazzling than the DCP I saw at the Academy last June, and that’s saying something. The U.S. version comes out on November 13th.

Beef #1: The balcony scene between Peter O’Toole and Jack Hawkins isn’t included as an extra. Why not? I called Sony Home Video p.r. chief Fritz Friedman and LOA digital restorer Grover Crisp — neither was available. Beef #2: The movie is featured on Disc #2. which is always the disc that contains the extras, and the extras are featured on Disc #1. It’s as if somebody with a drinking problem or Clarabelle the Clown oversaw the final mastering.