Customer Reviews

The Message (30th Anniversary Edition)

5 star:		(140)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Years ago after my first visit to Egypt, the University of Minnesota sponsored a film festival of Egyptian made films and this was one among them. Although it features film stars with whom many of us will already be familiar, Irene Pappas, Anthony Quinn and Michael Ansara, it was directed by a Moslem director, Moustapha Akkad, and has the stamp of approval of the Al Azhar Mosque and University (the oldest University in the world and an institution much respected in the Islamic world for its Koran scholarship).

While it carries a religious message for Islamic people--in fact I saw parts of it again on Saudi TV as part of the Ramadan season's celebration while I was working in Tabouk--it also explains in a sympathetic way for Western viewers many of the basic tenets of Islam. It is as moving a story in its own way as the stories of the New Testament are for Christians, and it portrays the essence of what Moslems believe about Mohamed and their faith. The simplicity and straight forwardness of the tale as it portrays the sacrifices of plain people for their convictions and the ultimate triumph of good over evil will appeal to anyone with a sense of fair mindedness regardless of ones religious convictions. The light in which it places Christians cannot fail to impress. Mohamed's more vulnerable followers are told to seek asylum with the King of Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia), because as a Christian king he was their "brother" and bound by the "book" to protect them from their oppressors, which indeed he does! Nor are the Jews spoken ill of in the tale.

The actual cinematography is a little dated, and the story can be a little postured, but no more than any other film of the 1960-1970s. How many can sit through a John Wayne western without a little smile, whether of nostalgia or of amusement, and yet the color, pageantry and triumph of the good guys in the face of blatant evil is still a treat. The film is a beautiful work, and the story is moving, informative and well worth viewing. Glad I finally found it on DVD.

I am not a Muslim, however, this movie presents a very historical and true picture of the struggles of Islam and the development of this religion. This is a movie you will enjoy watching regardless of your religious preference. I found myself having a much greater understanding of Muslims and a very deep respect for their faith after viewing this film. I highly recommend it for anyone and all ages. I am very surprised this movie was not a box office smash. One of the best I have ever seen......it answers a lot of questions and presents some great opportunities for interfaith understanding. As an American this film was a special "eye opener" for me.

I am not a Moslem so I can not speak about the authenticity or faithfulness of this film. My understanding is that Moslems like it. It looks like the reviews do that. I am a middle school teacher and I use this movie to teach my students about Islam. It is very popular with them. I find it interesting that the kids are cheering for Mohammad and his followers by the end of the film. Thinking of Moslems as "the good guys" is something our media and culture has not traditionally done, so I really appreciate the ways this film challenges societal predjudices.
I think an honest review would admit that the acting is somewhat cheesy in spots. It also raises some questions that a non-Moslem might not know answers to. For instance, why isn't Ali shown? In a teaching situation, though, that is good. You have the kids do some research and try to find answers. All and all I would highly recommend this film to any teachers out there who are looking for an highly engaging way to introduce their students to Islam.

One of the finest movies on Islam ever made. It is a movie made for those looking for an objective portrayal of the worlds fastest growing faith, Islam. The movie should help dispel and refute the lies and fraud that the popular news media portrays on Islam.... It is truly a great movie. Being a Moslem by birth, I am happy to see a very historical, true and accurate picture of the struggles of Islam and the development of this religion. This is a movie I enjoyed watching and I think that anyone would enjoy watching regardless of his or her religious preference. I found myself having a much greater understanding of my own heritage and a very deep respect for Christianity and Jewish faiths after watching this movie. The fact that Islam, Christianity and Judaism were good friends of one another during the time of our prophet is greatly overlooked by all the three religions. I think that it is a pity that the three religions that share so much in common, worship the same God, spent so much time fighting one another. I highly recommend it for anyone and all ages. I am very surprised this movie was not a box office smash. Again, it is one of the best I have ever seen...it answers a lot of questions and presents some great opportunities for interfaith understanding.

"The Message" tells the story of the birth of Islam, from the Prophet Muhammad's first revelation from God to his death. The film follows the Prophet's story (though never showing the Prophet himself, as Islamic tradition ordains) as he starts with a handful of believers, and over the coarse of 23 years, establishes a mighty force that shook the world. The story is most excellent. The script was well written and approved for its accuracy in telling the story of the Prophet. The actors are wonderful in portraying the people who were in involved the Prophet's life. Anthony Quinn is simply magnificent as Hamza, the Prophet's uncle. The cinematography of the film is breathtaking. The Oscar-nominated music for the film by Maurice Jarre is phenomenal. The director, Moustapha Akkad, could not have done a better job. This film is without a doubt a perfect 10.

Now, about the special features: The film comes in two discs, the first is the English version of the film and the second is the Arabic version of the film. The two versions of the film were shot together by two separate casts. Akkad originally made the film so he would have an instrument to teach his children the history of their faith, as well as the general public at large. And since he had established his life in California, he initially wanted to make the film in English. He then realized he wanted to pay homage to the religion by presenting it in the language that the events happened in, so he made a valiant effort to bring together actors from the Arab world to play the parts in the film. The film is handsomely presented in anamorphic widescreen. The sound is presented in its original Stereo 2.0 surround sound mix. Both the video and audio have been remastered for this release. The DVD also includes an enlightening commentary track by Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad on both versions of the film (English commentary for the English version of the film and Arabic commentary for the Arabic version of the film). Also, there is a Making of an Epic: Mohammad - Messenger of God (the working title for the film) that runs for approximately 44 minutes.

I highly recommend this movie for anyone who wants to learn about the history of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, or just wants to watch a great epic movie.

Bismillah ar-rahman ir-rahim. This movie is a MUST SEE for all muslims and anyone interested in Islam. As a recent convert to Islam I found this movie to be truly moving and an educational experience. It should be required viewing for any college course on Western & Comparative Religion. It truly captures the feeling of 7th century Arabia and the hedonism of the Meccans at the time of the Prophet (PBUH). Moustapha Akkad does a wonderful job directing the film and deserves kudos for getting approval from the religious authorities of Al-Azar and the Shiat on the script (as explained in the thorough documentary on the making of the film). Maurice Jarre (who composed the score for Lawrence of Arabia) does a wonderful job setting the tone for this movie with his wonderful score. The only aspect of this film I found disconcerting was when the characters would address the camera directly when speaking to the Prophet (PBUH), essentially putting the audience in the Prophet's shoes. I agree with the filmmakers that the Prophet (PBUH) should not be shown and they did a good job of making his presence felt even though he is neither seen nor heard throughout the movie. Anthony Quinn does a great job as Hamza, the Prophet's (PBUH) uncle and Irene Pappas is convincing as the wicked, coniving Hind. When Bilal gives the first call to prayer it sent shivers down my spine. This movie is truly a gem and should be more easily available in stores especially in the post 9/11 environment. It would be great to see the DVD reissued in the USA with both the English and Arabic versions of the film (with two separate casts). WATCH THIS MOVIE! YOU WON'T REGRET IT! Salaam.

It's 3 hours long, but never boring.

Of course it's script was "Approved" by various Islamic Scholars, and whatnot, and had the unusual conceit of never showing the Prophet, or giving his character voice [ Except thru a narrator ( The great voice of Richard Johnson ), or by characters relaying his message, and orders, as required by the script ].

This was supposedly in accordance with Muslim beliefs, and meant that his seven wives, his daughters, and his sons-in-law could not be depicted.

This left Mohammed's uncle, played by Quinn, as the central character from the perspective of the newly forming religion.

The characters speak to the Camera when talking, and reacting, to The Prophet, and the Point of view of The Prophet is seen from the cameras view of what is in front of it, especially when he moves around.

This film was made to give voice to a Moderate Islamic perspective of a religion that its practitioners felt was misunderstood, or unjustly characterized by the West.

It fits squarely in the tradition of all the Biblical films familiar to western audiences in the 50's, 60's, and 70's.

The more unsavory facts of the life of Mohammed, the founding of his religion, and the contents of the Koran, of course, are nowhere to be found, but I don't hold that against the filmmakers of the time.

To say that they would not be able to get away with that in the current climate is a waste of time, just as saying that making a reverent film equivalent, in quality, and unfamiliar perspective, to The Last Temptation of Christ would result in protests, and Fatwahs, of the vehemence of the reaction to the recent Danish Cartoons.

The Script does its job in an intelligent, and thoughtful, manner.

The acting, by its 3 famous leads is uniformly excellent, as are the performances of an international cast of Europeans, Arabs, Westerners, and African-Americans, in other important speaking roles.

The most unusual of this last was seeing early Christianity portrayed by Black actors as the King, Advisors, and courtiers of a Kingdom bordering the Arab territories.

The Cinematography is breathtaking, and the several full-scale battles are as well executed as any comparable ones of the time.

The Score was well deserving of its Oscar nomination.

The scenes shown under the closing credits are a reminder that Islam, radical, and moderate, is a religion that has spread around the world, and makes you sit up and take notice of this fact if you haven't already.

The film took 6 years to prepare, and a year to film, and the effort shows in its quality.

This is a film sadly long forgotten, but that should be seen now by anyone who wants to get a little knowledge of Islam unaffected by their own, or any Media's, prejudices.

You will come away from this educational film with an understanding you may not have had before, and may be inclined to look for more information so as to be better informed about the Conflict with Radical Islam that the West has found itself in since at least a year after the release of this film.

I've just finished watching this movie (the Arabic version) and I really loved it. As an Egyptian, I always heard about this movie but never had the chance to see it. I finally got the DVD and was not disappointed. What reminded me of the movie was the terrible news I heard about its director, Mr. Mustapha Al Akkad, who was killed in a terrorist bombing in Jordon. Ironically, he was killed by one of the ignorants trying the hijack the same religion he spent his life trying to defend and show its true teachings. I was also sad because, before his death, he was preparing for a new huge epic movie about the legend Saladdin, the defeater of the crusaders. Al akkad directed another great epic movie in the past called Lion of the Dessert, which I highly recommend as well.

This movie is so accurate that at one point I started thinking that it's more of a documentary than a regular movie. For western viewers, the movie could work as a quick crash course on Islam and its beginnings. The information provided in the movie, based on my readings in Islamic history books, is 100% authentic.

Some people might not enjoy the movie because the main character, prophet Muhammad (PBUH), does not appear in it. for Muslims, the depiction of any prophet is prohibited. That's another reason why I appreciated the movie more, because the movie makers were sensitive to the Muslim world and respectful to its culture. After all, it is a movie about Muslims.

I definitely recommend it to western viewers who want to educate themselves about this religion. Worst case scenario, even if you don't like the movie, you will still learn a lot about Islam and its early struggles, and will definitely grow more respect for this amazing religion. But I'm sure most people will like the movie, because it's really well made. So it's a win win situation.

I will watch the English version tomorrow, and I'm sure it's just as beautiful. I am a big fan of Anthony Quinn, and all his beautiful movies...

The first time I watched this epic film, I loved it! Not only did Akkad (director) do a fascinating job in not displaying the Prophet Mohammad (which is strictly off-limits in Islam) and still show what happened in Mohammad's time, but he showed every highlight of the Prophet's prophethood. The acting is at top-notch, and Anthony Quinn's performance was spectacular. There should be more movies done like this on other prophets. I'd recommend this movie to anyone who loves drama and medievil history. This epic is abslutely wonderful!

Final note: If you want the best out of this movie, watch it on DVD! I personally have and it was a lot better than watching it on video.

The reaction of Muslims to cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper were hardly surprising since I recalled how when "The Message" was released in 1976 the publicity that talk about how Muhammad was not depicting on screen in the film. What I learned in finally watching the film is that this also meant that the voice of the prophet could not be heard as well, and that his immediate family (wives, daughters, sons-in-law) are also covered by this prohibition. This means there are moments in the film where actors address the camera directly, which represents Muhammad's point of view and pause as they listen to dialogue that is not being spoken. Anthony Quinn plays Hamza, an uncle of Muhammad, and becomes one of several key figures, including Bilal ibn Ribah (Johnny Sekka), who explain and accept Muhammad's teachings.

The key thing about this film is that the title tells you what it is really about, which is to say "The Message" rather than the messenger. There are biographical elements of Muhammad's life presented, usually as exposition by other characters when talking about the prophet, but what matters more are the beliefs espoused by the faithful. This is not to say that there are not fascinating historical details, such as how it was decided that the faithful would be called to prayer by a human voice rather than a horn or drum, and the story of Muhammad being saved from death by a web spun by a spider, because clearly there are some key events depicted in the film. But mostly it is the declarations of faith that will stand out in the minds of the audience. The fact that there will be relatively few viewers who will not learn something about Islam from watching this film that speaks to exactly why it should be seen.

The University of Al-Azhar in Cairo and the High Islamic Congress of the Shiat in Lebanon endorsed the accuracy of the film, and while it was banned in many Middle Eastern countries, it was because objections were raised to the making of a commercial film about Muhammad, and not because of doctrinal concerns. The film is directed by Moustapha Akkad, who made an Arabic version, "al-Ris?lah," with different actors on the same sets on which he filmed "The Message." He only other film as a director was 1981's "Lion of the Desert," which reunited him with Anthony Quinn, but I suspect most people will remember his name as being the executive producer of the "Halloween" films. However, Akkad deserves more credit as a producer for getting the film made than he does for what he brings to it behind the camera as the director.

The educational value of this film far outweighs it cinematic merits. At 177 minutes it runs a bit long because of the number of battle sequences in which the audience has no real appreciation for what is going on. What matters are the victories and how they advanced the cause of Islam, and not the tactics on those battlefields. Besides, during these battles there are long stretches without dialogue and troops matching around in the desert, which do feature Maurice Jarre's Oscar nominated score. The best parts of this film are when these figures from history are talking about the beliefs and tenets of Islam, and the worst are the melodramatic parts, which usually involve Irene Pappas as Hind, whose emotionalism runs against the tenor of the rest of the cast, exemplified by not only Quinn but Michael Ansara as Abu Sofyan, the leading merchant of Mecca. Keeping clear who these characters are might be difficult, but understanding what they believe will be easier and much more important.

I would be shocked if there was another movie made devoted to either the life of Muhammad or the rise of Islam, so "The Message" is going to be the only dramatization of those subjects available to teachers to show their students. If I could cut a third of this film its educational value could be doubled, but even with its flaws this film is going to teach them more about Islam that any textbook chapter or documentary of talking heads and ancient artwork. As for "The Message" constituting an effort at conversion, I do not see that to be the case. What I expect is that students, seeing a choice between the three hundred and sixty tribal gods kept in the Kaaba by the merchants of Mecca who set themselves up as the overlords of Arabia, and the monotheism declared by Muhammad that also established the equality of slave and master in the eye of God, will agree with the faithful in this film as to which path to choose. There should be some fascinating classroom discussions after watching this film, and being reissued this year on DVD as a 30th-anniversary edition should increase the chances of that happening.