Lion of the Desert (Ws Rmst)
by Moustapha Akkad
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, John Gielgud, Oliver Reed, Rod SteigerDirector: Moustapha Akkad
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC, Widescreen
Running Time: 206 minutes
Release Date: 1998-06-23
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
VHS Movie Reviews of Lion of the Desert (Ws Rmst)
Movie Review: Approach it with an open mind....
Summary: 5 Stars
If you want to know what Jihad meant in the Arabic world, when the world still had values, this movie, by the brilliant filmmaker Akkad paints a spectacular mural of that world; approach it with an open mind.
Omar Mukhtar's story, one of several masterpieces Akkad created during his life, was a great choice by him. Mukhtar the old man, who led the resistance against the Italian occupation for 22 years, is a living legend in the Arabic world. Thanks to Gratiziani's obsession with media, all confrontations with the small number of Libyan fighters, as well as the concentration camps that Gratisiani established in Libya, were thoroughly documented.
When Akkad produced and directed this movie in 1981, there was no misunderstanding about what Jihad was, and the association of terrorism with Islam did not exist. Jihad in every nation, not necessarily Arabic nations, is about struggle in life. The movie simply portrayed documented traits of Mukhtar. Mukhtar demonstrates the true meaning of Jihad by showing wisdom, patience and honor. Mukhtar's fight was a self defense act directed against an invading army not civilians.
Mukhtar's fighters' struggled against the Italian Army, just like Native Americans struggled against invaders. Any nation's right of independence is a right that doesn't need justification.
The Libyans tying their legs when fighting until death instead of running away, is a heroic act not a suicidal one. Like Mukhtar said: "to choose death when defending your land, your freedom, is to choose life for ever".
It's about time we separate religion from people, political games from faith; pedophiliac priests are not an indictment against all of Catholicism, fascist governments are not always a true representation of a nation's people, Fanatical religious Israeli settlers do not define Judaism, radical zealots beheading unarmed civilians does not pertain to Islam. We need to understand the good vs. the bad, terrorism vs. Jihad, life vs. death, Moustapha Akkad vs. Osama bin Laden.
Moustapha Akkad, an educated, open minded Syrian man, who chose to live his life using his wealth to educate people, and enrich the entertainment industry by making movies such as Lion of the Desert. Bin Laden chose to live his life fighting civilians and teaching how to defeat armies by killing civilians (in the name of religion), which brought widespread opprobrium to Islam. Was it a coincidence, that Akkad was killed in a terrorist attack in Jordan in 2005? Akkad, the man of peace and love went there to meet his daughter for a family wedding, but they both died when the wedding hall was bombed.
What can I say about Anthony Quinn? Does a man who portrayed Zorba in "Zorba the Greek"
need any praise from Medusa? Lion of the Dessert, which Quinn blessed with his acting genius helped make the movie a complete masterpiece. Even the best story is uninspiring if not properly told.
I hope this movie will be an eye opener. It is a thought provoking movie directed by a man of peace, who worked with a large number of fabulous artists all over the world to tell the story of Libya's struggle against the Italian invasion. A struggle that was coincident with suffering of the Italian people under Mussolini's dictatorship.
Summary of Lion of the Desert (Ws Rmst)
Destined to remain a dubious footnote in books of movie trivia, this occasionally impressive epic from 1981 was financed with a budget of $35 million by Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who previously attempted the role of movie producer with the critically roasted Mohammad: Messenger of God. This effort didn't fare much better (it grossed approximately $1 million worldwide), and although some of its wartime action sequences are intelligently filmed, it's not likely to gain much more of a reputation on home video. Under a shaggy Muslim beard, Anthony Quinn stars as Omar Mukhtar, the Arab hero and guerilla fighter who defended Libya against Benito Mussolini and Italy's attempted conquests during World War II. As straightforward biography, the movie's got an admirable epic sweep, but a clich?-ridden script and uniformly bad performances (from a cast that includes John Gielgud, Oliver Reed, and Rod Steiger) make this little more than a curiosity for those wanting to learn more about Libyan history. --Jeff ShannonArt House & International VHS Video
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