The Message (1976)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Moustapha Akkad

Writers:

H.A.L. Craig (writer)
Tewfik El-Hakim (writer)

Release Date:

8 July 1977 (France)

Genre:

Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

In four decades only four... "The Robe" "The Ten Commandments" "Ben-Hur" and now... For the first time...the vast, spectacular drama that changed the world!

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

First Person Camera | Muslim | Slave | Desert | Freed Slave

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Hamza
Irene Papas	...	Hind
Michael Ansara	...	Abu Sofyan
Johnny Sekka	...	Bilal
Michael Forest	...	Khalid
Damien Thomas	...	Zaid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ahmed Abdelhalim	...	Uriqat
Habib Ageli	...	Hudayfa
Mohammad Al-Gaddary	...	Money Lender
Nicolas Amer	...	Suheil
Bruno Barnabe	...	Umaya
Mohamed Basri	...	Merchant
John Bennett	...	Salool
Martin Benson	...	Abu-Jahal
Robert Brown	...	Otba
Donald Burton	...	Amr
Earl Cameron	...	Annajashi
George Camiller	...	Waleed
Ronald Chenery	...	Mosaab
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Somaya
Hassan Essakali
Salem Gedara	...	Wahshi
Michael Godfrey	...	Barra
Garrick Hagon	...	Ammar
Gerard Hely	...	Sinan
John Humphry	...	Ubada
Elaine Ives-Cameron	...	Arwa
Neville Jason	...	Jaafar
Richard Johnson	...	Narrator
Hassan Joundi	...	Kisra
Ronald Leigh-Hunt	...	Heraclius
Peter Madden	...	Toothless Man
André Morell	...	Abu-Talib
Wolfe Morris	...	Bu-Lahab
Ewen Solon	...	Yasser
Leonard Trolley	...	Silk Merchant

Also Known As:

Mohammad: Messenger of God (USA)
Mohammed, Messenger of God

Runtime:

177 min

Country:

Lebanon | Libya | Kuwait | Morocco | UK

Language:

English | Arabic

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Germany) | Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:12 | Argentina:Atp | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Libya

Company:

Filmco International Productions

Trivia:

Production stopped when the financeers withdrew their support, leaving cast and crew stranded for two weeks in Morocco (in a hotel with broken air conditioning; they slept under wet towels). Financing was eventually supplied by none other than Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi.

Quotes:

Bilal: There is no compulsion in religion. A man may take many years, or only need minutes. It is God who decides the time.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of an Epic: Mohammad Messenger of God (1976) (TV)

THE motion picture about the history of Islam

If you are a muslim, you must see this, if you are interested in Islam, you must see this, and all others should still see this. It's an experience of a lifetime! It shows the true meaning of Islam, its roots, its basic beliefs, and so much more... When I first saw this film, it left me in tears and speechless for quite some time after. When I watch it today, it still does! I don't believe anyone can watch this film and not become moved or even shaken by what he/she sees and hears! If the movie has one shortcoming, it's that the main character, prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), is never actually seen or heard, as it would have been a deadly sin to have an 'imposter' playing Him in the movie. Although this takes some getting used to and creates some lengths (i.e. dialogs which are rather more monologues with pauses), the rest of the movie compensates in full! Watching this movie will probably not make you go out to become a muslim (although I have read that most of the cast/crew involved did so), but certainly put some thought and understanding into you. One of the must see movies or all time!!!