Lion of the Desert
Directed by	Moustapha Akkad
Produced by	Moustapha Akkad
Written by	H.A.L. Craig
Starring	Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger
Release date	17 April 1981 (USA)
Running time	206 min
Language	English
Budget	~ US$35,000,000
IMDb profile

Lion of the Desert is a 1981 historical film depicting real events, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar fighting Mussolini's army during World War II. It was directed by Moustapha Akkad. Image File history File links Lion_of_the_Desert_film. ... Moustapha Akkad (left) directs Anthony Quinn on the set of Mohammad, Messenger of God (1976) Moustapha Akkad (Arabic: مصطفى العقاد) (July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005) was a Syrian-American film producer and director, best known for producing the series of Halloween films and directing Mohammad, Messenger of God and Lion of... Moustapha Akkad (left) directs Anthony Quinn on the set of Mohammad, Messenger of God (1976) Moustapha Akkad (Arabic: مصطفى العقاد) (July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005) was a Syrian-American film producer and director, best known for producing the series of Halloween films and directing Mohammad, Messenger of God and Lion of... Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a Mexican-American actor, painter, and writer. ... Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999) was an English actor known for his macho image on and off screen. ... Rod Steiger (April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor. ... April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a Mexican-American actor, painter, and writer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... Combatants Allies: Soviet Union United Kingdom United States and others Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Franklin Roosevelt Joseph Stalin Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000,000 Total dead: 50,000,000 Military dead: 8,000... Moustapha Akkad (left) directs Anthony Quinn on the set of Mohammad, Messenger of God (1976) Moustapha Akkad (Arabic: مصطفى العقاد) (July 1, 1930 – November 11, 2005) was a Syrian-American film producer and director, best known for producing the series of Halloween films and directing Mohammad, Messenger of God and Lion of...

Plot

The year is 1929 and dictator Benito Mussolini (Rod Steiger) is still faced with the 20-year long war waged by Bedouin patriots in Libya to combat Italian colonization and the establishment of 'The Fourth Shore' - the rebirth of a Roman Empire in Africa. Mussolini appoints General Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed) as his sixth governor to Libya, confident that the eminently accredited soldier can crush the rebellion and restore the dissipated glories of Imperial Rome. 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) led Italy from 1922 to 1943. ... Rod Steiger (April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor. ... Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic pastoralist groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and... The Fourth Shore or Italys Fourth Shore (in Italian quarta sponda) was the name created by Mussolini to refer to Libya while it was an Italian colony. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... Rodolfo Graziani, Marchese di Neghelli (August 11, 1882—January 11, 1955), was an Italian military officer who led expeditions in Africa before and during World War II and a war criminal responsible for thousands of Libyan and Ethiopian civilian deaths. ... Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 – May 2, 1999) was an English actor known for his macho image on and off screen. ...

Inspirational in the resistance towards the oppressors is the leadership of one man - Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn). A teacher by profession, guerilla by obligation, Mukhtar has committed himself to a war that cannot be won in his own lifetime. Arrogant imperialist and ideological visionary - the conflict is between two implacable enemies. Graziani controls North Africa with the might of the Italian Army. Tanks and airplanes are used in the desert for the first time. Despite their bravery, the Bedouin suffered heavy losses, their primitive weaponry no match for mechanised warfare; despite all this, they continued the fight, and managed to keep the Italians from achieving complete victory for twenty years. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001) was a Mexican-American actor, painter, and writer. ...

Although Omar Mukhtar and his fellow warriors used primitive weaponry, General Rodolfo Graziani admitted and witnessed the greatness and skill of Omar in waging guerilla warfare. Furthermore, in one of the scenes Omar showed the real man inside when he refused to kill a young officer who is weaponless and instead gave him Italy's flag to return with. Omar assured that according to Islam they don't kill captivated soldiers and only fight for their homeland, to fight only out of necessity/obligation, and that they are taught to hate war itself. For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ...

Trivia

The movie was partially funded by Muammar al-Qaddafi, and he demanded that the movie include a historically inaccurate scene that would have made the Libyan Sanusi family look bad. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qaddafi 1 — pronounced Gaddafi — (Arabic: معمر القذافي ) (born c. ...

External links

• Lion of the Desert at the Internet Movie Database