LAWRENCE OF ARABIA by ROBERT BOLTLAWRENCE OF ARABIA PART ONE As a background to the SCREEN CREDITS the following: CLOSE SHOT of the MOTOR BICYCLE. It is large, powerful andin beautiful condition, We can see that it is standing in some kind of country shed with a background of work-bench, petrol cans and so on. A few wild flowers, dandelions and such, are stuffed rather roughly in a jam jar on the work-bench. The shed is open-fronted and the motor bicycle and its background are dappled with sunlight falling through nearby leaves. A MAN comes and stands between us and the machine with his back towards us. We can only see him from the buttocks down. He is wearing heavy motor-cycling boots and slaps onto the petrol tank a pair of gauntlet gloves. CAMERA stays on this while he prepares the machine - filling the tank, adjusting choke and mixture controls, ad lib as needed. He mounts and kicks the starter and moves off frame, with a roar. PANNING SHOT. The motor-cycle leaves the farmyard into the lane. As background to FINAL CREDITS, the peaceful farmyard; noise of motor-bike receding to silence. Then sharp cut to: EXTREME CLOSE SHOT. The MOTOR-CYCLIST. Head and shoulders. On SOUND TRACK engine roaring. He is so heavily begoggled and mufflered as to be anonymous but he wears no helmet and his bright hair is ruffled in the slipstream. MOVING SHOT of the road ahead. At a distance, the road is up. It is too early in the morning for the workers to be there; a NIGHT WATCHMAN yawns over his brazier. A notice says "WARNING. Drain laying. Roadworks ahead". We throttle down and pass the roadworks, still too fast and bank for a corner. Round the corner a similar roadworks and a similar notice which we see nearer than before, the word "WARNING" looming larger. Again we throttle down and pass the roadworks, again too fast, and are accelerating immediately towards a second corner. Coming out of the corner a third roadworks ahead. The same notice repeated, this time the word "WARNING" almost filling the screen. CLOSE SHOT of the MOTOR-CYCLIST. The scarf has slipped a little and we can see his mouth, It is neither smiling nor particularly determined but it sets into a sort of still calm as the CYCLIST accelerates:Continued ‘Through the roadworks far too fast. We swerve to the left, to the right, tilt, approach a blind bridge, are out of control, spin, crash. CLOSE SHOT. A piece of the road. The goggles slither along it up to CAMERA. CUT TO CLOSE SHOT. The blind stone eyes of LAWRENCE's bust ina chapel of St. Paul's Cathedral. On SOUND TRACK, the organ. A MAN in very correct civilian clothes, holding his bowler hat, adjusts the central wreath which has fallen askew. He does this not reverently but neatly , severely, and then without a backward glance leaves the chapel (past two SOLDIERS in blues who keep vigil there) and makes his way up the aisle after the rest of the discreetly murmuring, shuffling congregation where an elderly friend, a CLERIC, awaits him. CLOSE TRACKING SHOT. BRIGHTON and his FRIEND pace slowly along the aisle, past memorials to other honoured heroes, which glimmer faintly from the walls. At these the CLERIC glances; then away. CLERIC Well nil nisi bonum. But I find some thing ... disproportionate in all this. * BRIGHTON (must defend Lawrence, though he can't disagree) He was a remarkable chap. By any counts, remarkable. CLERIC (interested) Didjyou know him well? BRIGHTON I knew him. MEDIUM LONG SHOT. The steps of St. Pauls. The fashionable CONGREGATION is leaving, watched by a crowd of more ordinary FOLK who are kept aside by afew POLICEMEN. ALLENBY is standing alone, and quite still. He is in civvies and his bearing is modest, but one or two who pass him raise their hats, as though saluting. A REPORTER approaches.