The Message (1976)

• Year: 1976
• Released: 31 Jan 1977
• Country: Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait, Morocco, United Kingdom, Egypt
• Adwords: Nominated for 1 Oscar. 1 nomination total
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074896/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_message
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Arabic
• MPA Rating: PG
• Genre: Biography, Drama, History
• Runtime: 177 min
• Writer: H.A.L. Craig, Tewfik El-Hakim, A.B. Jawdat El-Sahhar
• Director: Moustapha Akkad
• Cast: Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara
• Keywords: religion, epic, historical fiction, angel, muslim,

8.1/10

The Message Storyline

The message that transformed a pagan Arab society to a civilized society is the main theme of the movie. The hardships that Mohammed, Peace Be Upon Him, like his predecessor Prophets faced along with his followers, followed by an exile, formation of a state based on values is the main plot of the movie. This is an excellent and a true depiction of the Islamic era set in the 6th century AD. To all interested in understanding a great way of life -Islam.

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The Message Movie Reviews

A masterpiece of religious cinema

Anthony Quinn is no doubt one of the greatest actors of the 20th century…The strange thing is that he fits to the muslim roles with such a perfection that, with his contribution “The Message” and “The Lion of the Dessert” both have been masterpieces which are still watched by many people. Though the theme of this movie is the birth of Islam, I think it should have a variety of audience from many religions and cultures. I think the things that are emphasized, the struggle for the cause you believe, the sacrifices you have made for the beloved, are all universal values that have been emphasized with a rather outstanding casting and directing…I think everyone should watch this movie no matter what his/her religion, thought, culture is… Thanks Moustapha Akkad, Thanks Anthony Quinn, Thanks Irene Papas….You have made an excellent movie…..

Islam starts

Moustapha Akkad’s movie “The Message” (alternately called “Mohammad, Messenger of God”) tells the story of the founding of Islam. In compliance with Islamic tradition, Mohammed himself is not depicted, since the religion forbids depictions of him. So, the movie focuses mainly on Mohammed’s uncle Hamza ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (Anthony Quinn). Most of the movie is very energizing, despite a few slow scenes. Without a doubt, Mohammed (just like Jesus) was basically a revolutionary, showing how the people in control of Mecca were oppressing the majority of the population. And so, he founded a religion that is now the faith of about one fifth of the world population. One can argue that there was nothing bad about having multiple gods as Mecca did before Mohammed founded Islam, but Mohammed and his followers certainly believed in what they were doing, and the movie makes a very good point of that. Also starring Irene Papas, Michael Ansara (Barbara Eden’s former husband), Johnny Sekka and Michael Forest.

Akkad (who was best known as the producer of the “Halloween” franchise) later cast Quinn and Papas in “Lion of the Desert”, about Libyan national hero Omar Mukhtar, who fought against the Italian occupation. Akkad got killed in a terrorist attack in Jordan in 2005.

Labors Under A Handicap Of No Messenger

Apparently when Mohammed founded Islam he never factored in the great use that motion pictures could be made for spreading the faith. The Message is about the early days of Islam, but as a film it labors under the insurmountable handicap of us not seeing the messenger.

By all accounts the messenger was one charismatic fellow. He would have to have been to have accomplished what he did. He was not only a great religious teacher, but apparently quite the military strategist. It was by arms as well as faith that Islam triumphed in the Arabian peninsula and was spreading elsewhere when the Prophet died in 632.

What we have in The Message is a cast playing to a vacuum. Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara and the rest of the players talk to the camera as if Mohammed was like Philip Marlowe in Lady of the Lake, that famous noir film shot in the first person. We never hear Mohammed, we see him on two occasions in long-shot and he’s not recognizable. Still even laboring under that handicap, when it opened in 1976 there were still protests.

This is by no means a new technique. The figure of Jesus in both The Big Fisherman and Ben-Hur is seen from the rear and is not heard at all. But in those films Jesus was not the central character. In King of Kings and The Greatest Story Ever Told both Jeffrey Hunter and Max Von Sydow read lines from the New Testament as part of the dialog because the messenger is of course an integral part of the story.

In fact recently I saw Peter and Paul and I was quite impressed with Anthony Hopkins acting out the sermons recorded in the New Testament of Paul. It was the best part of the film, it couldn’t have been made without it.

But Islam has the restriction about hearing or seeing a depiction of the Prophet which robs the film of what it needs most, a charismatic player doing the role of Mohammed and reading some of the poetical/lyrical quality of his sayings.

The film has a lot of good qualities, but as they used to say in that old MacDonald’s commercial: Where’s the Beef.