The Message | | Cast : | Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas | | Director : | Moustapha Akkad | | Studio : | Anchor Bay Entertainment | | Format : | Color, Widescreen | | Released Date : | January 01, 1976 | | DVD Released Date : | September 01, 1998 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 22, 2005 | | Summary | A rare and underrated movie about the beginning of Islam | Content
 | I can't believe this movie is not given the recognition it deserves. Being one of the only movies in its category it is actually very impressive with brilliant roles by the likes of Anthony Quinn.
One of the reasons maybe because it is only a brief insight (the very beginning) of the vast history of Islam. Its a great film for non-muslims and muslims alike (ie, christians will possibly identify with the persecution of the early believers, etc).
The movie although being a story about the message of Islam doesn't actually show it in detail, due to the fact that the prophet (his family and his close companions) are all regarded with great respect and it would be a kind of blasphemy to even try to portray them on film.
A great way to get around this is actually buying a biography of the prophet (the one by the western writer Dr Martin Lings is highly recommended) - will move you emotionally at times as you actually get an amazing insight into the lives and the sheer presence of the prophet and his close companions.
Hopefully after viewing the film and reading the biography of the prophet you should get a better insight into the vast world of Islam. The more knowledge you seek the more you will be enlightened and rewarded.
One things for sure you will never truly understand Islam until you read the Quran (the source of light for THE WHOLE OF MANKIND) - highly recommended translation is again by a western writer Mr Pickthall. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 13, 2005 | | Summary | Perfect Depiction | Content
| "Assalamu aleykum"
The movie was perfectly set in order. The reason they do not show the prophet's face, is out of respect. Muhammad is a Prophet, not a character out of a movie. It is the same respect that Christian's, in other such like movies, do not show the face of GOD. This movie, shows you the trials and tribulations of muslims. Islam is a religion of peace. And those that have read the Holy Koran (Q'uran) know all about that. I myself have recently converted. This is a wonderful movie, for anyone, wishing to convert, or anyone who just wants to know a little bit more about Islam and Muslims.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 01, 2005 | | Summary | Excellent with some qualifications... | Content
| This is such a difficult film to review. It reminds me of Lawrence of Arabia (though not as epic) or The Old Testament with Charlton Heston (though not quite so grandiose and exaggerated). As such, there is a certain level of nostalgia to be found in the style of the film. It is dated on many levels. This does not, however, take away from its story.
It is a grand epic and does a nice job of presenting the story of the foundation of the Islamic faith beginning from the year 610 CE when Muhammad was 40 years old and was first called. It is quite interesting to watch in story form the persecutions suffered at the hands of the Meccans in the earliest years of the faith, something often overlooked in discussions of Islam.
Also, it helped to unfold the problems Muhammad's preaching caused in the city of Mecca and the reasons it was so upsetting on so many levels (religious, political and economic), something easy to miss in purely academic studies. We get to see more clearly the mix of prophet, statesman and military leader.
The film is something of a politically correct or stripped down, greatest hits version of early Islamic history, glossing over or completely ignoring certain aspects of Muhammad's life certain to be questioned by non-Muslims (or even Muslims) who may view the film. Many of the sayings quoted through the film sound like snippets from the Perennial Philosophy and say nothing remarkable about the distinctiveness of Islam. They could have been said by Jesus or the Buddha or Socrates.
Muhammad himself is never shown nor is his voice ever heard. While it is understood that this is may be out of respect, the viewer fails to engage with what it must have been like to hear him speak, to hear the passionate oratory and power of the early revelations. Many of the sayings and commands I would envision Muhammad speaking are put in the mouths of his followers. We never meet Khadija nor do we meet the rest of his wives. The domestic element of his life is absent.
Aside from the dated cinematography, the often wooden dialogue and the glosses of certain aspects of history, this is a great introductory film that goes a long way toward understanding the appeal of Islam for its followers. It's not a thriller and in many places is like viewing a documentary, but it is worth watching if you genuinely wish to learn a bit more about Islam. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 18, 2005 | | Summary | nice but dated | Content
| Wanting to educate myself about Islam and having read the rave reviews about this film on this site, I decided to order it and I watched it with great interest. However, besides being intrigued and impressed, I was also disappointed.
The movie has a great dramatic flair and has some very beautiful scenes visually and musically. This however hides some shortcomings in the plot and characters. There is a short introductory part about how the movement in question came about, inspired by the example and ideas of a poet-prophet, apparently guided by a supreme and only deity. The movement seems to react to a corrupt and immoral society, fighting against all odds for justice and righteousness. The main part of the movie is about their fight. They heroically succeed. So far, so good.
Then why is this message not really convincingly conveyed by this movie, leading to my disappointment with it? There are several reasons.
Firstly, the goodies and the baddies are too one-dimensionally portrayed, making them not true to life and damaging their credibility. They are either too good to be true or so thoroughly bad, that it lacks credibility for a viewer embedded in a post-modern world used to self-reflection and self-criticism.
Secondly, the main character, the poet-prophet in question, is never heard or seen, except by allusion, in a way which has an unintended spooky or comical effect on the viewer, further damaging the credibility of the story, unfortunately.
Thirdly, the onset of the drama is not sufficiently worked out to really cause one to identify and sympathise with the protagonists. One is mainly made to sympathise with them, because they are shown to suffer unnecessarily violent persecution and one is supposed to be convinced of their goodness by the overly theatrically staged phrases of common wisdom they utter to each other. Their inner motivations however are not sufficiently placed against or supported by any real insight into their historical background and context. This makes the plot regrettably shallow. Likewise, the idol worshipers and greedy or dishonest merchants who are the antagonists are not fully rounded persons, but merely amusingly nasty figures. The idols also are supposed to be made unlikeable by making them look as ridiculous as possible, but this merely makes them look funny.
I would have liked to see more about the personal history and inner struggle of the prophet and more about the conflict between the parties, showing good and bad people on both sides, to be really touched by the story and message, which I assume is the original intention of the maker. I suppose this is for me the main lack of this film. Maybe in future a more convincing and balanced film could be made about this crucial episode of human history. That would require a script writer and director who can look at this story not only with passion, but also with a critical and scholarly eye, keeping in mind the mentality of the modern audience.
For believers this film might be inspiring and heartening through its emotional thrust and dramatic combination of scenery and music, but for others I'm afraid it will be no more than a nice period piece and costume drama that could just as well have been titled "The invisible holy man versus the hysterical evil woman".
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| Rating | | | Date | March 07, 2005 | | Summary | Great movie | Content
| A wonderful and Islamicly respectful depiction of the life of the prophet. For those wondering why the prophet and his strongest companions were not shown it is because the director took the advice of the scholars. it is almost rude to the islamic faith to try and attach a face to such people as the prophet PBUH or Abu Bakr or Omar. These are the greatest men of the religion and portraying them the director (rightfully so) thought that it would cheapen the effect. |
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