That image, frozen in 1962, is why we keep watching. It is the perfect marriage of history, madness, and art. And it will never be equaled.

In 1988, director Steven Spielberg (who cites this film as his primary inspiration) funded the first major restoration. In 2012, for the 50th anniversary, Sony and director Robert A. Harris spent two years digitally cleaning thousands of frames. The current version restores the "70mm roadshow" experience—including the overture, intermission, and entr’acte.

To understand the magnitude of the release, one must look at the competition. 1962 also gave us To Kill a Mockingbird and The Manchurian Candidate . But Lean’s film dwarfed everything in scale.

A complete unknown in the West. As Sherif Ali, his entrance (a 90-second long shot of a speck on the horizon riding closer) remains the greatest character introduction in film history. Sharif’s magnetism turned a supporting role into a legend.

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