Witold rybczynski6/12/2023 “At least a fourth of mankind habitually takes the load off its feet by crouching in a deep squat, both at rest and at work,” he observed. Hewes identified no fewer than a hundred common sitting positions. In a classic study of human posture around the world, the anthropologist Gordon W. The world is divided into people who sit on the floor and those who sit on chairs. The various postures cinematically underline a central point: the relaxed Bedouins are at home in this place-the desert-while the stiff English colonel is an interloper. The prince, attired in a dark robe and a white ghutrah, reclines on a pile of sheepskins, while his colleague Sherif Ali leans casually against a tent pole. Lawrence, a lieutenant and less formally dressed, appears slightly more comfortable, with his legs folded to one side. Brighton, in his tailored uniform, polished Sam Browne belt, and riding boots, looks distinctly ill at ease with his legs awkwardly stretched out in front of him. There is no furniture the men sit on the carpet. The royal tent is spartan yet luxurious, patterned woven cloths hang from the low ceiling, a large brass samovar gleams in the candlelight, the ground is covered with a rich carpet. Lawrence and his superior, Colonel Brighton, visit the desert encampment of Prince Faisal, a leader of the Arab Revolt. There is a pivotal early scene in David Lean’s film Lawrence of Arabia in which T. E.
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