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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Salesrank: 24957
Released: November 1, 2005 |
| Our Price: $6.68 |
| Used Price: $6.66 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Studio: Starz/sphe Release Date: 11/01/2005 Run time: 220 minutes Rating: Pg
Description of The Message (30th Anniversary Edition):
Producer-director Moustapha Akkad made a true labor of love out of The Message, which seeks nothing less than to tell the story of the origins of Islam. Originally released in the U.S. as Mohammad, Messenger of God, the film has the appeal of most biblical epics: persecuted true believers, a revolutionary prophet scorned by the powers-that-be, and the miraculous triumph of faith. It also has the cheesiness of many biblical epics, with nose-flaring performances and awkward dialogue, but the whole mish-mash is generally entertaining (and informative for those unversed in the "origin stories" of Islam). Akkad had one major hurdle; he couldn't portray the person or voice of Mohammad himself, as such things are traditionally forbidden in Islam. To say the least, this presents an interesting narrative challenge. Akkad tackles it by having characters address the camera-as-Mohammad, or having disciples step out of Mohammad's tent to repeat what the prophet has just said. It's a weird device, but the surprising thing is how often you forget about it. Akkad is aided by some topnotch technicians, including cameraman Jack Hildyard (The Bridge on the River Kwai) and composer Maurice Jarre (whose score was Oscar-nominated); Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, and Michael Ansara lead the cast.
Also included in the two-disc set is the Arabic-language version of the film, which was shot at the same time with different actors. (It comes without English subtitles.) It runs about 20 minutes longer than the English version; Akkad explains, in a helpful 44-minute making-of documentary, that Arab styles of storytelling (including pacing) and acting are quite different than in the West. Akkad would also make Lion of the Desert and executive-produce the Halloween pictures. He died in the November 2005 terrorist bombings in Jordan. --Robert Horton
The Message (30th Anniversary Edition) Reviews:
excellent 
2009-11-18 - i highly recommend to every one to watch this movie. the music of this movie is amazing.
Which message? 
2009-11-07 - I first saw this late night on TV when it was called "Mohammed: Messenger of God". I was impressed that the start of the film shows that it's been given the seal of approval of authorities in Egypt.
I was impressed by the fact that no actor actually plays 'the prophet'. People talk to the camera - as if the camera itself is him.
I was drawn to Islam by its simple and direct message. However I was disappointed by the highly selective dealings with his life. His child-bride Aisha is not shown at all.
Some of the battles are shown, as he fights to regain entry to Mecca. The subsequent murder of political opposition, and the massacre of hundreds of Banu Qurayza prisoners in cold-blood are excluded from this narrative.
If you want a film that completely ignores controversy about the founder of Islam, this is an ideal film.
If you want to understand the truth/origin of Islam
2009-07-19 - I am a Muslim and this movie will tell you exactly about the origin and the beginning of Islam in a very interesting, impartial and accurate way.
What you see in this movie is 100% true. And it'll help you understand Islam.
A Big Reason for me becoming religious
2009-07-17 - "The Message", or as it's called in Arabic "Ar-Risalah," is one of the all-time classic movies about religion and faith, and it's my all-time favorite. As a Muslim growing up in America, I had very little knowledge about my own faith until this movie came along. This movie taught me to be proud of my heritage and reinvigorated my life, thank God. Partly as a result of this movie, I became a religious Muslim on November 1, 1995. The beautiful part of the movie is that it taught peace and spirituality as well as self-defense, not the violent terroristic murder practiced by the extremists nowadays. This movie shows Islam the way it's supposed to be, and the Arabic version, even though English is my first language, is better than the English version because the Arabic-speaking actors played their parts with passion and seemed to care more about their roles, probably because Islam is their faith, and they have a point to make about their faith with this movie. The desert scenes were well-done, despite the weather challenges, and everything was done according to the approval of Al-Azhar University in Cairo and the Shi'a gathering body in Lebanon, which makes the film stay within the boundaries of the faith, which is good for relieving any worries of the more conservative Muslims. All-in-all, a great movie, especially for non-Muslims who want to learn about Islam.
Classy Islamic Propaganda 
2009-05-27 - Its too bad the noble sentiments expressed in this homage to early Islam are not practised universally by its more radical followers today. At its inception Islam was enlightend and forgiving. What happaned to that outlook? Over time the ideas of Mohammad became entrenched and corrupted, much as with Christianity.
The Middle East never expereinced anything like the Scientific Revolution of the West which inspired the Reniassance. Free, independent thought are not conducive to state operated theocratic governments. This is what Islam is. The religion is both government and state. There is no seperation between the two. History has shown that religious regimes tend to be conservetive in their development.
Islam was great in the 6th - 10th centuries. In the 21st century with its failure to evolve, and with its innate fear of change, it is a dead weight around the neck of nearly every Middle Eastern country.
This film is a great achievement, and although a homage to early Islam one can see why the religion had such appeal to those dusty Arabs of the dessert. The battle scenes are first-rate and show how intense and intimate these small skirmishes were in early Islam. Anyone interested in Middle Ages warfare should find these scenes worthwhile. I would say its one of the highlights of the entire film which can be a bit slow at times.
The extra feature showing the behind scenes efforts is quite extensive and illustates how carefully the director wanted to film this project. The fact that he had two movies - one in English, the other in Arabic, is quite unique.
Perhaps followers today can learn something from watching this older film and perhaps attempt to regain something of the enlightenment that seems lacking in their faith today.
