The Story: One of the tropes in movie-making is "the good entrance." Actors used to quibble over it with their directors as a point of status and ego in the studio system. A good entrance focused the audience's attention...on them. On stage, an entrance garnered applause. On film, it brought an inherent message of the importance of the character (and, hence, the actor) to the many elements battling for eyes.
This scene from Lawrence of Arabia is one of the greatest of entrances in film, designed to focus—really focus—our attention on the figure entering the frame. And director Lean uses a particular aspect peculiar to the desert to do it—the heat-image of a mirage—to announce the sighting of a solitary figure in all the vastness of space.
The video below—courtesy of CinemaTyler (who is a particularly adroit cinema essayist) explains it in far better detail than I can, but the idea and the details were there (mostly) in the script (I did a little editing as dialogue interactions between Ali and Lawrence were shifted around in filming).
It's an amazing scene—quite simple, really—but enhanced by the canny performances of the actors.
The Set-Up: Stationed in Cairo, British Army Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) has been sent by the Arab Bureau (over strong objections) to assess the prospects of Arab forces under the the lead of King Faisal in their uprising against the Turks. He is about to meet one of his key allies (Omar Sharif).
Action.
82 CLOSE SHOT. A brilliant circle of blue sky framed in black.
The faces of LAWRENCE and TAFAS appear on the edge of the circle.
A bucket hurtles towards CAMERA, and with a loud splash, breaks the reflection of the still water at the bottom of a well.
83 MED. SHOT. The top of the well is situated on the edge of the mud flat.
As TAFAS begins to haul up the bucket he glances carefully round the horizon.
LAWRENCE, noticing this, does the same -
but they see nothing.
TAFAS regains the bucket, pours some water into LAWRENCE's tin cup,
then raises the bucket it to his own lips.
They both drink.
TAFAS Good?
LAWRENCE (with a half-smile) It's all right.
(TAFAS-the idea is new to him, but he looks into the bucket, catches on, and with the patronizing indulgence proper between two civilized gentlemen for the weakness of the primitive)
TAFAS This is a Harith well.
TAFAS (with hypocritical regret) The Harith are a dirty people.
(He drinks greedily)
84 CLOSE SHOT. LAWRENCE begins to whistle to himself. ("The Man Who Broke the Bank") as he drifts off into a little daydream.
The sound of the bucket is heard bumping up the side of the well - then it stops.
There is a moment's silence followed by a heavy splash. LAWRENCE looks up.
85 CLOSE UP. TAFAS is standing stock still looking out over the mud flat.
86 CLOSE UP. LAWRENCE turns to see what he is looking at.
87 LONG SHOT. A little dust cloud is approaching at a distance of about half a mile, floating above the mirage.
88 MED. SHOT. LAWRENCE rises, and slowly goes over to TAFAS.
They stand staring out over the flat.
LAWRENCE Turks?
TAFAS does not answer.
89 LONG SHOT. A black blob wavers out of the center of the dust cloud. It could be a MAN running, a MAN on horse, a MAN on a camel, almost anything.
91. LONG SHOT. The blob is now recognizable as a horse, or a camel, but elongated, as if on stilts by the mirage.
TAFAS Bedu.
90 CLOSE SHOT. LAWRENCE AND TAFAS
The approaching figure out on the mud flat is now clearly seen as an ARAB, mounted on a camel.
LAWRENCE Who is he?
92. CLOSE UP. LAWRENCE AND TAFAS. A moment's pause.
Without looking at LAWRENCE, TAFAS hurries off.
93. MED. SHOT. As TAFAS leaves LAWRENCE and goes over to his camel
CLOSE UP. TAFAS unhitches his gun from the side of the camel and keeping close into animal, stands still, waiting...
LONG SHOT. The approaching stranger is now quite near...he wears a black hooded cloak with a black cloth drawn across his face.
LAWRENCE Tafas!
CLOSE SHOT. Tafas is standing in the foreground of picture, while LAWRENCE waits, puzzled and apprehensive by the well. TAFAS masks his face with his headcloth.
TAFAS cocks his pistol.
QUICK CLOSE SHOT. TAFAS, masked. His eyes frightened. Deaf to LAWRENCE.
QUICK MED. SHOT. At a distance of some 125 yards the STRANGER is tapping his camel into a kneeling position. As he reaches the ground he draws his rifle from the saddle holster.
CLOSE SHOT: With a sudden move, TAFAS steps out from his side of the camel, raises his pistol and fires.
MED. SHOT. The STRANGER drops to the ground behind his camel. There is another shot. TAFAS remains as still as a statue in the foreground of picture.
CLOSE UP, LAWRENCE frozen in place, numbed by the unexpected explosion of violence.
LONG SHOT. The three men remain completely still. Then, TAFAS' gun falls to the ground with a clatter, and very slowly he sags at the knees and crumples into a heap beside it. LAWRENCE runs over to the body.
CLOSE SHOT. LAWRENCE stands looking down at the dead man,
and then raises his eyes to the mud flat.
LONG SHOT. The STRANGER rises to his feet, reloads his rifle, and mounts his camel.
CLOSE UP. LAWRENCE goes down on his haunches by TAFAS, keeping his eyes on ALI.
MED. SHOT. LAWRENCE stand with his back to the camera in the foreground of picture.
In the background the STRANGER rides slowly towards him and finally comes to a halt on the other side of the dead man.
After a glance to make sure TAFAS is dead he thrusts his rifle back into the saddle holster, unwinds his headcloth, and leaps gracefully to the ground. He is a handsome of young man of about LAWRENCE's age; an impressive figure in both bearing and costume.
ALI He is dead.
LAWRENCE Yes. Why?
ALI This my well.
LAWRENCE I have drunk from it.
ALI (politely) You are welcome.
They look at one another. Neither of them frightened, but in mutual incomprehension.
LAWRENCE He was my friend.
-
ALI (looks at TAFAS) That?
-
ALI looks at Lawrence.
LAWRENCE Yes, that.
-
ALI raises his fine eyebrows, but politely refrains from comment.
He picks up the pistol.
He examines it.
ALI This pistol yours?
-
LAWRENCE No, his.
SO, ALI stuffs it complacently into his own waistband
...and approaches the well followed by his camel.
He picks up the tin mug which is lying on the wall of the trough.
ALI His?
LAWRENCE Mine.
ALI (as one who confers a compliment)Then I will use it.
He scoops a little water from the trough,
ALI Your friend...
ALI ...was a Hazimi of the Beni Salem.
LAWRENCE I know.
ALI I am Ali ibn el Kharish.
LAWRENCE (this is real news, evidently and makes LAWRENCE's mood more thoughtful) I have heard of you.
ALI So...
ALI ...what was a Hazimi doing here?
LAWRENCE He was taking me to help
Prince Feisal.
-
ALI You've been sent from Cairo.
-
LAWRENCE Yes.
ALI I have been in Cairo for my schooling.
I can both read and write.
ALI My Lord Feisal already
has an Englishman.
ALI What is your name?
LAWRENCE (indignation rising spontaneously) My name is for my friends.
LAWRENCE None of my friends is a murderer.
ALI (after a little pause, quietly) You are angry, English.
ALI He was nothing.
ALI The well is everything.
ALI The Hazimi may not drink
at our wells.
ALI(shrugs)
He knew that.
ALI Salaam.
ALI raises his head in salute and turns his camel back to the mud flat.
ALI Hut! Hut-hut!
LAWRENCE (calling after him) Sherif Ali!
LAWRENCE So long as the Arabs fight
tribe against tribe...so long will they be
a little people...
LAWRENCE ...a silly people.
LAWRENCE Greedy, barbarous and cruel,
LAWRENCE ...as you are.
ALI Come.
I will take you to Feisal.
LAWRENCE I do not want your company, sherif.
ALI Wadi Safra is another day from here.
You will not find it,
and, not finding it, you will die.
TAFAS does not answer.
89 LONG SHOT. A black blob wavers out of the center of the dust cloud. It could be a MAN running, a MAN on horse, a MAN on a camel, almost anything.
91. LONG SHOT. The blob is now recognizable as a horse, or a camel, but elongated, as if on stilts by the mirage.
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