Maomé - O Mensageiro de Alá

Director Mustapha Akkad thought the Islam is misrepresented and there is a right way to present it. He thought the most effective way to present was a creating a movie.

So he moved on to USA with just a Holy Quran to guide him.

Besides the great movie he make, he make it with two different cast for a different language. That is one of the specialities of the project.

The movie is teaching Islam with the best way to present it. The story is saying that Christianity and Islam is not that different, the movie just teaches the truth. Before Internet this was the best way to present the Islam with the right way. There was sadly more Islamafobi than today, there was misunderstanding to Islam. This movie can't fix all that but it was quite amazing project. All the box office earnings were donated by the way.

This wasn't the only reason why he made this movie. He made an amazing movie that inspires so many people. The story of our Prophet Muhammed (S. A. V.) that we all should know. Not the whole life story of course but at least the major events.

Cinematography is quite amazing, I wasn't aware of that because there was no wide-screen version of the movie until 4K Blu-Ray. The 4K makes the visual quality so much better. Also sound quality is improved but it could be better.

The Academy Award nominated Original Scores by Maurice Jarre is just beyond perfect. I don't know how to describe it, It's so inspirational. Composer Maurice Jarre said "I lived in the middle of the desert for three months to get inspiration." He's so brilliant composer, he made one of the most iconic Original Scores of all time.

The Art Direction & Set Decoration is also perfect. Makes you feel that you're living that scene. Costume Design and Makeup is also quite good. These are brings more reality to a Historical movie.

Anthony Quinn is no doubt one of the greatest actors of the 20th century...The strange thing is that he fits to the muslim roles with such a perfection that, with his contribution "The Message" and "The Lion of the Dessert" both have been masterpieces which are still watched by many people. Though the theme of this movie is the birth of Islam, I think it should have a variety of audience from many religions and cultures. I think the things that are emphasized, the struggle for the cause you believe, the sacrifices you have made for the beloved, are all universal values that have been emphasized with a rather outstanding casting and directing...I think everyone should watch this movie no matter what his/her religion, thought, culture is... Thanks Moustapha Akkad, Thanks Anthony Quinn, Thanks Irene Papas....You have made an excellent movie.....

I don't think this movie has been shown in the United States for about twenty years, it was shown in theaters, then on the limited cable systems of the time, and then poof, haven't heard much about it. I'd be curious if it is continued to be played in other parts of the world. As I recall, it was difficult to follow, though Quinn is almost always entertaining to watch. It seemed a minor epic, though taking on a tough topic.

The sad part about this movie is that some Islamic extremists engaged in some terror attacks in protest of the film -- protesting that one should never show the likeness of Mohammed, Islam's tenets deeming it blasphemous. They never bothered to find out that the film didn't show him at all.

I am Orthodox Christian, but I must acknowledge this masterpiece. Allegedly, the movie is historically precise, and if it really is, then there's no essential difference between Christianity and Islam. Trouble does not lie in opposition of two religions, it lies in the existence of greedy, blood-thirsty politicians who incite religious fanaticism and abuse basically peaceful religions to accomplish their political and economic goals. Anyway, if you're not Muslim, you just have to put your prejudice aside (if you have any) and you'll enjoy this excellent piece of cinematography.

10/10

I saw this film when I was working and living in Brussels in 1979. Most of my friends were North African, ergo Muslim. When this film came out, we all went to the Bourse Cinema. The film itself was very enlightening, and the fact that Mohammed himself was never 'in the picture' (so to speak) I found contributing to the profoundness of the film. What really struck me was that when in the film religious (holy) verses (like psalms) were sung or played, the whole audience would reverently sing along. Very moving.

Of course, it was 25 years ago, and I cannot remember a lot of it, but it was my first encounter with Islam and made a major impact.