Lion of the Desert (1981)

Touches You

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Admirable film.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The movie is based on a true history when Italy ruled Libya. Omar Mukhtar, a true symbol of a dedicated leader. who never compromised with the occupiers. He is fighting against super power dictators unequally to save his land, to save his nationality. This movie shows us the cruelty of dictators as well as inspires us to fight against dictators. I personally very much liked Omar Mukhtar for his outstanding personality and the role he played through out the movie. I hate all kind of occupiers. And this movie gave me the lesson to hate occupiers strongly. I also supports small ethnicity and nations to be exists around the world. Long live the leaders like Omar Mukhtar!

Well it is about the last years of Omar mukhtar Libyan freedom fighter and his encounter with one of most ruthless General Garzini who is sent to Libya by Mussolini to capture Omar Mukhtar dead or alive.And then as the movie goes on Garzini uses his cruel ways to capture Omar mukhtar but as Omar mukhtar out smarts him in his every ways but in the end he captures him by creating a wall of steel wires between Egypt and Lybia so cutting supplies of Omar mukhtar from Egypt leaving them desperate so that's how he captures him and then hangs him in the end.So this is a great war movie ever made I mean moustapha Akkad really did something with this movie he beautifully directed it I don't know what is the ultimate reason for it bombing at the box office.

This is truly a true piece of history, and a true piece of beautiful imagery, this movie is very good both it's setting and it's plot. Omar Mukhtar was a very brave old man, Anthony Quinn depicted him very nicely. Goldofo was very ruthless in fact. The Italian dictator tortured the resistance, and Omar was a very brave nice Muslim, and he truly is an unknown hero. What kind of hero is better than a hero who fights against the oppressing invaders of his country? True depiction of th beautiful religion of Islam, I respect Muslims. These kinds kind of historical movies should be more often made, Beautiful movie and this movie is one of a kind. It deserves worldwide attention, and even after 30 years of its making, people are still watching it. This movie is remarkable, amazing, and beautiful. I had to cry at the end even though I am a man and even hours after it because it showed the real sad and oppressing story of the Italians. Omar Mukhtar was a great man.

Prelude to WWII. Omar Mukhtar, a brilliant Bedouin leader, wages war against oppressive Italian Fascist forces (led by the bloodthirsty General Graziani) in his native Lybia.Director Moustapha Akkad (The Message) clearly learnt a few lessons from "Lawrence of Arabia", mainly how best to use the charismatic Anthony Quinn. As Mukhtar, Quinn gives a nuanced portrayal of compassion and wisdom. Whenever he features in a scene, it becomes impossible to tear one's eyes off the screen. Thankfully, Oliver Reed proves a magnificently cruel and seething counterpoint as General Graziani. Irene Papas provides strong supporting work and Rod Steiger turns in a delightful cameo as Benito Musslini.Moustapha Akkad uses a solid structure and keeps it riveting throughout, extracting fine performances from all his actors and technical collaborators. Where "The Message" was impressive but cold (due to its invisible hero and reverence), "Lion in the Desert" has an emotional core and throws up scene after impressive scene. The desert battle scenes are incredibly messy and savage and have a sense of multiple individual action amid chaos, rather than elaborate choreography. This perfectly suits the theme of Bedouin guerrilla. Production values are considerable and Maurice Jarre provides one of his most underrated scores.Some viewers will find qualms with the fact that, despite the coda that proclaims that Lybia managed to liberate itself, the country was then for long under the oppressive rule of Kadaffi. In truth, this little addition might have something to do with the fact that Kadaffi assisted in funding the film. If you can overlook this (not to difficult), you can appreciate the true focus: Mukhtar. This remains a beautiful film about a people's resistance."Lion in the Desert" is an important film, if only because it offers a very accessible (to Western audiences) Arab perspective. It is also impressively well made: an accomplished chapter in the era of great epics that flourished with David Lean's masterpieces and ended with Richard Attenbourgh's Gandhi.See this!