Review of The Message (1976) by Hassan L — 29 Mar 2013

Critics in the 70's panned it for being "excessively reverential" toward's Islam's prophet, while films about Moses and Jesus from a Christian perspective earned rave reviews with exactly the same tone of breathless reverence bordering on campiness. No, this is actually a pretty good film, an old-timey religious Epic in the fashion of the Ten Commandments, and what's more- it tells a story most viewers don't already know.

The only obstacle in its telling is the attempt not to show Mohammed or any of his main companions directly. In fact, they are almost completely absent, leaving the entirety of Islam's founding up to Anthony Quinn's Hamza, who historically played a very small role. That is, all of the important events are represented, and in a moving way, but all the wrong people are doing them.

It's time for a remake of "The Message" with a more accurate telling, and actual portrayals of Mohammed's famous followers, but Mustapha Akkad's cautious first attempt is still a pretty good film in its own right.