Lion of the Desert

Starring:Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, Irene Papas, John Gielgud, Raf Vallone, Gastone Moschin, Andrew Keir, Sky Dumont, Robert Brown, Takis Emmanuel, Stefano Patrizi, Franco Fantasia, George Sweeney, Luciano Catenacci, Eleonora Stathopoulou, Victor Baring, Mario Feliciani, Claudio Cassinelli, Tom Felleghy
Director: Moustapha Akkad
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Product Description

Between two worlds wars, a struggle for freedom took place in the African desert. This movie is the historicaly accurate story about the Libyan resistance leader, Omar Mukhtar, who led the Libyan resistance against the Italian opressors from 1911-1931. The movie takes place during the reign of Mussolini.

System Requirements:

Running Time 186 Mins.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

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 cliché-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. The DVD "special edition" presents the film in its complete 162-minute version. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Lion of the Desert.......2007-05-06

Italy was among the first to use armored vehicles in the desert which is depicted excitingly in this telling of Omar Mukhtar's Arab revolt against them in Libya. Set in the latter stages of the revolt that lasted form Italy's invasion in 1911 to oust the Turks until Mukhtar's defeat in 1931.
Great action scenes with some well done performances by the late Oliver Reed.

Wow! Three of the Greatest Actors Ever in the Same Movie!.......2007-04-12

As far as war movies go, this is one of the best. The action shots and battle scenes were for the most part excellent and not short on theatrical blood and gore...but there again, many of these scenes seem silly and exploitive somehow with the realization that the truth is infinitely more horrible. In the long run, this what I think the director was trying to convey to the viewer.

I read a review of this film shortly after it came out twenty five or so years ago. The reviewer said he saw this film with his son and he said that his son asked him towards the beginning during one of the battle scenes if the whole movie was like this? The reviewer agreed that it was...WRONG. The story was so much more than what on the surface appears to be a gratuitous shoot 'em up. There was a great amount of dialog that presented the background of the Italian-Libyan situation of the 1920s without ever becoming boring, and in fact left myself wanting to know even more about this corner of history.

The acting by one and all was excellent...really top notch. I never tire of Oliver Reed and wish he had made many, many more films. His portrayal of General Graziani was crisp. Reed's character had a commanding presence of that of a professional soldier that had served Italy from the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, to World War I and then as supreme Italian commander in North Africa during World War II. His character was certainly one of ambition and military professionalism. Without getting into the actual historical/political aspects, I will point out that Graziani was responsible for many military innovations in not only desert but also guerrilla warfare. Graziani, did, after get his Ho Chi Minh or Osama Bin Laden, and this has been largely ignored by history because of the Italian affiliation with Fascism, Hitler, and becoming in time an enemy commander to the United States, Britain and the other allies.

Anthony Quinn's portrayal of Omar Mukhtar was astounding. He even looked like him and kudos to the director for including actual photographs of the major personages in this sad true life play. Gentle, intelligent, devoted to his God, merciful as his God claims to be...Quinn brought all of that out in his character and one can only hope that Mukhtar was exactly such a man.

Rod Steiger-another actor, who like Oliver Reed, is unfortunately not well known by the general public. His portrayal of Mussolini was excellent in spite of the ever pervasive myopia film makers have concerning Hitler and Mussolini-cardboard men painted with theirs and our propaganda. Still, the film injected some humanity in the portrayal of 'Il Duce' by having Steiger point out that he, like Mukhtar, was a teacher. Other than that, you could imagine Mussolini's character stiffly posturing on a balcony and spouting off about the glories of a New Roman Empire. But, that wasn't Steiger's fault and he just naturally acted in a manner of supreme authority while at the same time coming across as being pragmatic, thoughtful, and having a connection to Roman history while at the same time making history.

The Italians in general were rather plastic and stiffly portrayed, but acting as professional military officers and representatives of the Fascist state, these portrayals were probably not too far off the mark. The film was careful to not show the Italians as mechanistic monsters and through at least four supporting actors showed that they were human beings capable of compassion. The portrayal of the Bedouin fighters and people was much more human and realistic, and the sympathy of the film definitely tilted in their favor. All in all, the film did try to show both sides of the story.

Perhaps the most heart wrenching parts dealt with the sacrifices of men's lives in trying to defend their families and the hardships and deaths brought upon the civilian populace. Particularly sad was the plight of the Bedouin in the concentration camps, and especially the sexual exploitation of women prisoners at the hands of the Italian soldiers.

I found one of the most stirring parts of the film to be the trial of Omar Mukhtar. The Italian defense lawyer (an Italian Army officer) did his best to point out that an acquittal was the most just thing to do as Mukhtar should have been considered to be a POW since he was taken under arms. This portion was strangely reminiscent of the Breaker Morant trial.

What I found particularly interesting was the array of authentic uniforms of the Italian Army and even the inclusion of Black Italian Colonial soldiers (probably Ethiopians?). Even better was the fact that the film makers recreated armored vehicles of the time rather than merely using surplus military hardware and trying to pass them off as the real deal as they disappointingly did in otherwise great war films such as Patton and The Battle of the Bulge.

The battle scenes were indeed good 'shootemups', though dummies dressed as Italian soldiers were painfully obvious in some shots. Also, I think one armored vehicle taking to the air and crashing in a heap during a battle scene was more than enough.

All in all a great film that at least informs us of something of history that most of us in the West would not otherwise be aware of. It is refreshing to see a film maker doing his very best to show the human aspects of an enemy that he certainly is not sympathetic to on cultural and religious grounds and is a testament to his own sense of humanity.

Great movie about Italy's colony.......2007-03-16

This movie may have had reviews but I liked it fine. I thought the camera handling was good, the costumes and vehicles excellently portrayed and the action fine. The story? Pretty good. I bit long but it keeps your interest. Certainly there is no depth to some of the characters but is it really necessary to get into Mussolini's head?

I also loved the use of archival movie footage in this film. Some directors overdo this technique but I thought it was very well done in this movie.

I was glad to get my hands on this gem. I'm sure I'll be watching it several times.

War Film.......2007-02-13

This picture is fairly detailed has plenty of resemblance to what the U.S. is going through in Irag. Anthony Quinn is excellent in his leading role. The movie rolls along quite well.

a historical epic george w. bush should have watched.......2007-01-08

As I write this review in january 2007, America is mired in a civil war in Iraq. The recently executed dictator Saddam Hussein is considered a hero in the Arab world on the level of Omar Muhktar. Had Mr. Bush watched this movie and learned from it, he would have seen the folly of invading Iraq with very few troops and the true nature of Jihad.

The acting in this movie is superb. Anthony Quinn does a execellent of portraying this anti-fascist freedom fighter. Oliver Reed does a equally good job of portraying Gen. Graziani, who used genocidal tactics that were later used in Ethiopia when he was the governor( Italy invaded that country in 1935) and by Nazi Germany. Rod Steiger's performance captures the essence of the brute and hard dren style of Benito Mussolini.

Omar Muhktar's prediction that he will live longer than his hangmen has turned out to be prophetic. Today he is Libya's national hero while the hangmen are virtually written out of history. His captor Gen. Graziani died as a war criminal who very few people in Italy remember or mention.

National Geographic: Really Wild Animals - Swinging Safari

Average customer rating:

fun and educational
Boring for my 2-year-old

National Geographic: Really Wild Animals - Swinging Safari
Starring: Dudley Moore
Manufacturer: Nat'l Geographic Vid
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Nature & Wildlife | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

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Release Date: 2005-08-02

Description

Come along on a wild African safari and experience the amazing ways that animals like cheetahs, crocodiles, rhinos and elephants survive. Experience life in a lion pride, what it's like to be a chimp, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

fun and educational.......2006-09-29

My 3-yr old son loves this DVD for its catchy songs and lively footage. He watched it every day for the first couple of weeks, and still requests it regularly a year later, so the whole family has got most of the songs memorized. I like that the DVD shows some footage from the wet season in Africa, not just the dusty dry season that you usually see. And they talk about predators and prey in a kid-friendly way, exciting but not scary. We also like the "Hanging with the Primates" show that comes as a special feature, and the interactive quiz and animal sounds features. It's a very polished, engaging DVD that our whole family enjoys.

Boring for my 2-year-old.......2006-07-05

My 2-year-old animal junkie son got bored about 20 minutes into this and started asking for "Elmo's World." Some of the footage is pretty old, and it doesn't have the same polish as the Baby Einstein dvds he's used to.

Average customer rating:

Lion Man
Starring: Kathleen Burke , Jon Hall , Ted Adams , Richard Carlyle , and Finis Barton
Director: John P. McCarthy (II)
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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Lion of the Desert
Wow! Three of the Greatest Actors Ever in the Same Movie!
Great movie about Italy's colony
War Film
a historical epic george w. bush should have watched

Lion of the Desert
Starring: Anthony Quinn , Oliver Reed , Rod Steiger , Irene Papas , and John Gielgud
Director: Moustapha Akkad
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
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Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

Lion of the Desert.......2007-05-06

Wow! Three of the Greatest Actors Ever in the Same Movie!.......2007-04-12

Great movie about Italy's colony.......2007-03-16

War Film.......2007-02-13

This picture is fairly detailed has plenty of resemblance to what the U.S. is going through in Irag. Anthony Quinn is excellent in his leading role. The movie rolls along quite well.

a historical epic george w. bush should have watched.......2007-01-08

National Geographic - Roar: Lions of the Kalahari

Average customer rating:

Lions of the COOLahari is more like it!

National Geographic - Roar: Lions of the Kalahari
Director: Tim Liversedge
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Lions of the COOLahari is more like it!.......2005-09-22

I love lions as my favorite animal. This show was wonderful! There were lots of cool fights between males, the females did a great job hunting, the cubs were darling, and on top of it all, not one lion lost his/her life! Anybody who loves lions and big cats should see this. End of story. Oh, and I saw it in the Mugar Omni Theatre at the museum of science.

Average customer rating:

Lion of the Desert
Wow! Three of the Greatest Actors Ever in the Same Movie!
Great movie about Italy's colony
War Film
a historical epic george w. bush should have watched

Lion of the Desert [Region 2]
Starring: Anthony Quinn , Oliver Reed , Rod Steiger , Irene Papas , and John Gielgud
Director: Moustapha Akkad
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

Lion of the Desert.......2007-05-06

Wow! Three of the Greatest Actors Ever in the Same Movie!.......2007-04-12

Great movie about Italy's colony.......2007-03-16

War Film.......2007-02-13

This picture is fairly detailed has plenty of resemblance to what the U.S. is going through in Irag. Anthony Quinn is excellent in his leading role. The movie rolls along quite well.

a historical epic george w. bush should have watched.......2007-01-08

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