The Message (1977)

Surprisingly, I had never heard of this movie and probably would have never seen it had it not been listed in IMDb's 'Top 250' films of last year. I can't imagine why that is, because films like "The Ten Commandments" and "King of Kings" seem to be universally known from the Christian perspective. I also have to confess that I know very little of the religion of Islam, though we are inundated on a daily basis with the extremist elements that have emerged from that ideology. I thought this picture presented a very even handed portrayal of the origins of Islam, even though a major downside was the inability to show the character of Mohammad on screen, a consideration afforded to the adherents of the religion. As a springboard to learning more about Islam, I think this film is an effective first step, designed to lead those having an interest toward other sources of information. The casting for the film is first rate, with excellent cinematography and bold characterizations. It deserves wider recognition among cinema fans, as evidenced by the relatively low number of user ratings and film reviews on this board.

This chronicles the rise of Islam led by the prophet Mohammad. Director Moustapha Akkad got the backing of Al-Azhar in Egypt and respecting Islamic tradition, Mohammad is not portrayed in the film. Anthony Quinn plays Mohammad's uncle Hamza. Irene Papas plays Hind, an enemy of the new religion.There are issues of accuracy and religious propriety which are beyond my purview. I don't have anything to judge a large part of this movie. Quinn is the big name but he's only a supporting character. In fact, the leading character is not portrayed at all. This leads to an intriguing aspect of this movie. Without a lead, the movie is not a focused narrative. What it is is a fascinating recounting of a religious movement. There are big action scenes for the battles. The actors are experienced. I am reluctant to give this a rating since a lot of this is beyond me.

I had watched very few film on Islam but it was best among few. Mustafa and Anthony did brilliant work. Best thing about The Message is, it teach message of Islam with all modesty and respect. After watching this movie i become fan of Anthony Quin, he played his role very well. Considering the release time of movie, war scene and KAABA depiction is superb. Even though i am disappoint because there was no role of Hazrat Ali which is one the biggest character in Islamic history. Expansion of Islam was immediate after initial hurdle and it was helped by Allah. Islam is the need of time and it need more exploration in cinema which easier medium to connect masses right now.Thanks Mustafa for making such a masterpiece.

This movies shows true Islam and not the Islam media and politics show to the world. Watch the movie then you will no true Islam. True Islam teaches about peace, mercy, compassion, love for others. It teaches that it is not allowed to convert people unwillingly. It teaches that racism is forbidden. It teaches that everyone is equal to one another. That women is equal to men. It teaches that becoming rich while you see others suffering is not allowed. It teaches to share. It teaches that you can defend yourself by war, but fight only those who harm you and not innocent people. It teaches that whosoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. If you want to understand Islam better you need to learn Arabic and need to learn Arabic poetry, because the Quran is written in Arabic poetry and you can never translate it properly if you do not understand the Arabic poetry.