Genre: Adventure / Biography / Drama / History / War Director(s): Moustapha Akkad Release Date: 09 March 1977 Movie rating: 8.3

This 1976 film, also known as “Mohammad, Messenger of God” tells the tale of the birth and subsequent rise of Islam. It stars Anthony Quinn and Irene Papas (in the English language version; an Arabic version – filmed simultaneously - featured an all Arabic cast), and was directed by Al Akkad. It starts off with the beginnings of Islam in Mecca, the prosecutions of Muslims and their subsequent exodus to Medina, ending with their triumphant return to Medina. Out of respect towards the beliefs of Islam, neither Mohammad nor the closest members of his family and the first caliphs are depicted in the film. Because of this, the director had to come up with a number of creative ways to circumvent the appearance of the de facto main protagonist. Two of the people with the most screen time are Mohammad’s uncle Hamza (Anthony Quinn) and his adopted son Zayd (Damien Thomas). Before the filming even began, the director consulted a number of Islamic clerics in order to ensure that the depiction of events surrounding the birth of Islam remains respectful. He got support from a number of Islamic countries’ governments, but some of them were still offended by the contents of the film. This put the movie production in a sort of a diplomatic limbo, with funds being withdrawn and filming locations canceled, but ultimately it was filmed over the course of a year in Morocco and Libya. Reconstruction of the historical cities of Mecca and Medina took up nearly half of the production. Due to its subject, the film was a source of controversy upon its release, with many Islamic groups calling for its boycott and cancelation.

To post a message, you need to login. If you don't have a MagWeb login, you can register here.