Al-Risalah (1976)

Original title

Al-risâlah

Directed by

Moustapha Akkad

Genre

sword-and-sandal film, historical film

Country

Libya

Runtime

3h 27m

Rated

TP

Rating

8.6 of 10 from 45 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This film tells the story of the early history of Islam and the life of the prophet Muhammad, who is never shown on screen. It follows the struggles of his followers as they spread the faith in the 7th century.

epicsolemnreverentslow-pacedhistoricalseriousdramaticinspiring

What happens

The Message (Arabic: الرِّسَالَة, romanized: Ar-Risālah) originally known as Mohammed, Messenger of God (Arabic: مُحَمَّد رَسُول‌ الله, romanized: Muḥammad Rasūl Allāh) is a 1976 epic film directed and produced by Moustapha Akkad that chronicles the life and times of Muhammad, who is never directly depicted. Released in separately filmed Arabic and English-language versions, The Message serves as an introduction to the early history of Islam. The international ensemble cast includes Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara, Johnny Sekka, Michael Forest, André Morell, Garrick Hagon, Damien Thomas, and Martin Benson. It was an international co-production between Libya, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria and the UK. The film was nominated for Best Original Score in the 50th Academy Awards, composed by Maurice Jarre, but lost the award to Star Wars composed by John Williams. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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• Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
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• The Story of Joseph and His Brethren (1960)
• Seven Slaves Against the World (1964)
• The Ten Commandments (1956)
• The Passion of the Christ (2004)
• Quo Vadis (1951)