The movie with Peter O'Toole as Lawrence. Borrowed it from the library a while back, and I was thinking about it earlier, one scene in particular. Lawrence and a group from Prince Feisal's tribe are going to attack a Turkish outpost and wind up invited to spend the night and dine with Auda abu Tayi.
They've just finished eating and are discussing what Lawrece's group are planning, and maneuvering to get Auda to help, Lawrence says that Auda serves the Turks, who pay him to leave them alone, because 'the servant takes money'. From there, as I recall, Auda is enraged. He jumps to his feet and, half-crouched with one fist clenched says "I am Auda abu Tayi!" Turns to his closest tribesmen, "Does Auda serve?" They all cry no and he turns to the rest of the men outside, yells "Does Auda abu Tayi serve?" and all cry no. Then he turns to Lawrence and says:
"I bear twenty-three great wounds on my body, all got in battle. Seventy-five men have I slain with my own hands, all in battle. I kill my enemies, burn their tents and scatter their flocks and herds. The Turks pay me a golden ransom every month and yet I am poor. For I am a river to my people", this last to great cheering from his tribe.
It's a beautiful scene, to my mind possibly the best in the movie. Auda is absolutely enraged at the idea that he might serve anyone short of God; he is the tribes' head, and to him there is no one above him but God.
If you've never seen the movie, you should.
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