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Lion of the Desert

1981, Biography/History, 2h 53m

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Lion of the desert   photos.

Bedouin hero Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn) rallies Libyan guerrillas against an Italian general's (Oliver Reed) army sent by Mussolini (Rod Steiger).

Genre: Biography, History, Drama, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Moustapha Akkad

Producer: Moustapha Akkad , Mohammad Sanousi

Writer: H.A.L. Craig

Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 1981  limited

Release Date (Streaming): Mar 27, 2017

Runtime: 2h 53m

Production Co: Falcon International Productions

Sound Mix: Surround

Cast & Crew

Anthony Quinn

Omar Mukhtar

Oliver Reed

Gen. Rodolfo Graziani

Rod Steiger

Benito Mussolini

John Gielgud

Sharif El Gariani

Irene Papas

Raf Vallone

Colonel Diodiece

Gastone Moschin

Major Tomelli

Andrew Keir

Moustapha Akkad

H.A.L. Craig

Screenwriter

Mohammad Sanousi

John Shirley

Film Editing

Maurice Jarre

Original Music

Production Design

Mario Garbuglia

Art Director

Maurice Cain

Giorgio Desideri

Hassan Ben Dardaf

Costume Design

Piero Cicoletti

Orietta Nasalli-Rocca

Paola Rolli

Maude Spector

News & Interviews for Lion of the Desert

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Critic Reviews for Lion of the Desert

Audience reviews for lion of the desert.

I've learned quite a lot about <b><i>Omar Al-Mukhtar</i></b> growing up, from school, from my parents and whenever the resistance in<b><i> Libya</i></b> got mentioned. And to finally watch all of that in a movie, and not any movie, but one that was marvelously and perfectly crafted to every last detail made me watch it countless times.. An accurate representation that shows the facts surrounding the Libyan revolt lead by<b><i>Omar Al-Mukhtar</i></b> who was spectacularly portrayed by <b><i>Anthony Quinn</i></b>.. <b><i>Oliver Reed</i></b> delivers a top notch performance too as General <b><i>Rodolfo Graziani</i></b>.. But having read <b><i>Jeff Shannon's</i></b> review on it-I'm sure a lot of you know him and have read reviews of his-I found it extremely racist and offensive.. I don't think it should matter who financed a movie as long as it's good! I also can't see how using the sentence"under a shaggy Muslim beard" to describe <b><i>Anthony Quinn</i></b> in the movie, is considered reviewing a movie at all, it's just being out of line and unprofessional!! Anyway it is one of the most underrated historical epics featuring great battlefield scenes.. A personal favorite of mine when it comes to the genre that should not be missed..

not as well paced as the directors other effort that i watched recently "the message". had a similar long run-time. anthony quinn has a more central role here. oliver reed is powerful as one of finito benito's generals. actually rod steigers small part as mussolini is great

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Lion of the Desert

Filmed as Omar Mukhtar in 1979 at a cost reportedly exceeding $30 million, Lion of the Desert is a very well-produced, frequently-stirring war film about a Libyan anti-colonial hero.

By Variety Staff

Variety Staff

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Functional script by H.A.L. Craig concentrates on the Italians’ efforts in 1929-31 to conquer Libya. Mussolini (Rod Steiger in two effective scenes as the strutting fascist leader) sends his general Graziani (Oliver Reed) to put down the Bedouins led by Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn). Quinn is a white-bearded old teacher and freedom fighter who has been battling the Italians for 20 years.

Film’s many large-scale battle scenes include two ingenious ambushes where Mukhtar succeeds in beating the better-equipped Italian forces. Producer-director Moustapha Akkad stages such action with laudable scope, but much of the battle footage is impersonal.

While never explicit, the overtones of the Bedouins’ desire for international recognition, Mukhtar’s insistence that confiscated lands must be returned (with new Italian settlements on them not to be tolerated) and other militant dialog emphasize parallels with today’s Palestinians.

Quinn is well cast as Omar Mukhtar and brings warmth and dimension to a stock national hero assignment.

• Production: Falcon International. Director Moustapha Akkad; Producer Moustapha Akkad; Screenplay H.A.L. Craig; Camera Jack Hildyard; Editor John Shirley; Music Maurice Jarre; Art Director Mario Garbuglia
• Crew: (Color) Widescreen. Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1981. Running time: 162 MIN.
• With: Anthony Quinn Oliver Reed Rod Steiger John Gielgud Irene Papas Raf Vallone

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Lion of the desert.

1980 Directed by Moustapha Akkad

He was a man of honor in a war without any.

This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWII. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives.

Anthony Quinn Rod Steiger Oliver Reed Irene Papas Raf Vallone John Gielgud Andrew Keir Gastone Moschin Stefano Patrizi Adolfo Lastretti Sky du Mont Takis Emmanuel Rodolfo Bigotti Robert Brown Eleonora Stathopoulou Luciano Bartoli Franco Fantasia Luciano Catenacci Claudio Gora Giordano Falzoni Ihab Werfali Ewen Solon Loris Bazzocchi Alec Mango Filippo De Gara George Sweeney Victor Baring Pietro Brambilla Pietro Tordi Show All… Mario Feliciani Gianfranco Barra Piero Gerlini Lino Capolicchio Lorenzo Piani Tom Felleghy Mark Colleano Angelo Ragusa Amedeo Salamon Alfonso Giganti Scott Richard Fensome

Director Director

Moustapha Akkad

Assistant Directors Asst. Directors

Miguel Gil Giorgio Venturoli

Producers Producers

Roy Stevens Moustapha Akkad Mohammad Sanousi June Bordcosh

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Geoffrey Helman

Writers Writers

H.A.L. Craig David Butler

Casting Casting

Maude Spector Paola Roli

Editor Editor

John Shirley

Cinematography Cinematography

Jack Hildyard

Camera Operator Camera Operator

James Bawden

Lighting Lighting

Alvaro Romagnoli

Production Design Production Design

Syd Cain Mario Garbuglia

Art Direction Art Direction

Giorgio Desideri Bob Bell Maurice Cain

Special Effects Special Effects

Terry Glass Dino Galiano Kit West

Stunts Stunts

Glenn Randall Jr. Roy Alon Sergio Mioni

Composer Composer

Maurice Jarre

Sound Sound

Jim Willis Norman Bolland Chris Greenham

Costume Design Costume Design

Orietta Nasalli Rocca Piero Cicoletti Hassan Ben Dardaf

Makeup Makeup

Alan Boyle Neville Smallwood Ahmed Hassan Hassan

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Adalgisa Favella

Falcon International Productions

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Arabic Italian

Releases by Date

19 dec 1980, 17 apr 1981, 08 oct 1981, 28 jul 1982, 01 jan 2022, 01 nov 2005, 24 may 2006, 02 jul 2012, releases by country.

• Theatrical TP
• Physical DVD
• Digital 16 Netflix

Netherlands

• Physical 12 DVD, Blu ray
• Theatrical M/12
• Physical 15
• Theatrical PG

173 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Michael501 📺 ★★★★

1980 In Review -December

The true story of guerilla leader Omar Mukhtar, played here by Anthony Quinn. It is 1929 and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini (Rod Steiger) orders General Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed) to crush the Bedouin guerillas in Libya. Graziani gathers together all the forces he can muster, but he still encounters stiff opposition from Mukhtar, who leads his men in a fearless desert battle against the Italians until he is finally caught and hanged.

1980 was a year that saw a couple of big budget movies failing miserably in the box office, losing lots of money. Heavens Gate was the most famous case. Raise The Titanic was another. But even bigger than those two was Lion of the…

Review by Sudhakar Kumar ★★★★½ 1

You have not one minute of right. Soon you will take everything from me and you want me to justify your thefts. No nation has the right to occupy another. We will never surrender. We win or we die. You’ll have the next generation to fight and after that, the next. As for me, I will live longer than my hangman. --- Omar Mukhtar

Lion of the Desert is an operatic film photographed, acted, and orchestrated in the grand manner of Lawrence of Arabia.

The film is strikingly accurate, right down to the details of Italian weaponry, protocol and military decorations. The acting was fine throughout, even excellent in some cases. Anthony Quinn puts in a stellar performance as Mukhtar…

Review by panos75 ★★★½

After the conquest of Libya by Italy, Quran teacher Omar al-Mukhtar becomes the leader of the Arab resistance and inflicts heavy losses on the occupying forces. Newly appointed Italian commander, General Graziani, is determined to crush the rebels and doesn't hesitate to use brute force to achieve his goal.

While Mustapha Akkad is better known as the producer of John Carpenter's "Halloween" his sophomore directorial effort shows that his filmmaking skills weren't limited to that role. "Lion of the Desert" is a competently made and reasonably gripping historical movie that can easily be characterized David Lean-lite. Of course Akkad is much rougher around the edges than the British master but he still shows an aptitude for both epic battle scenes…

Review by Chris 🍉 ★★★★★ 3

really a fascinating movie. to work within the framework and aesthetics of dominant western filmmaking (especially taking war films as a whole into perspective), from the operatic scope and melodramatic beats signaling hope and grief all the way down to the way the entire film is shot and of course the cast of international white stars rather than actual libyans, and repurpose the toolset for a film in celebration of resistance against colonialism by any and all means necessary. i'm so used to the films i watch that protest colonialism--in all its forms--to have a certain grittiness (due in part to typical budget constraints but also as a purposeful choice), an urgency, and a sense of rebellion against even the…

Review by Conchobarre ★★★½ 4

March Around the World 2021 Film 22: Libya ===========================

It was pretty ambitious of me to attempt to watch and review this 3 hour film for the challenge and now I've got 20 mins left, reminding me of how I've dealt with all my project deadlines ever. There's a whole lot to say about this film set in 1929 about Libyan independence and pride, that was intended to rival Lawrence of Arabia in more ways than one. I'm just going to get some stuff down and come back and tweak this later.

The titular 'Lion of the desert' is the charismatic and wise Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn) who leads a rebellion against the Italian forces led by Gen. Rodolfo Graziani…

Review by i_fhxd ★★★★½ 2

"انني أؤمن بحقي في الحرية، وحق بلادي في الحياة، وهذا الايمان اقوى من كل سلاح." عمر المختار- 

Review by Younis ★★★★½

"نحن لن نستسلم ننتصر او نموت ، سوف تأتي اجيال من بعدي تقاتلكم اما انا فحياتي سوف تكون اطول من حياة شانقي "

- عمر المختار 

عشت والله في ذاكرة كل عربي ومسلم رحمك الله ياعمر

Review by Asjad ★★★★★

"From God we come, and unto God we shall return"

I have had this on my radar for a while and only now just got around to it. An anti imperial masterpiece, Akkad takes the extraordinary story of Omar al-Mukhtar and his final years to weave together a film that is emblematic of the historical struggle against colonialism. Oliver Reed plays the ruthless Rodolfo Graziani who is so committed to the assignment of taking down Omar that he goes even further with his brutal methods which are hard to watch. This presents what this film really is about, the losing battle between the traditional and principled Bedouins against the advanced but remorseless modern army. As a Muslim, I really appreciated…

Review by TajLV ★★★½ 2

Part of my African Safari/Nollywood Challenge

This film was financed by Libyan dictator Muammar Gadaffi for $35 million and directed by Syrian filmmaker Moustapha Akkad is probably best remembered as one of the biggest money losers of all time. It recouped only $1 million of its budget at the box office and gained no award recognition whatsoever, despite an all-star cast and using the same composer (Maurice Jarre) and cinematographer (Jack Hildyard) that David Lean had for his hugely successful "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962).

Anthony Quinn stars as the titular "Lion," the Bedouin guerrilla leader Omar Muktar, while Oliver Reed is his pre-WWII foe, Italian General Rodolfo 'The Butcher' Graziani. We also get treated to Rod Steiger appearing as Italian…

Review by Waldo ★★★★½ 3

The late Moustapha Akkad, he famously produced Carpenter's Halloween, produced and directed this war epic, and I do mean epic! Maybe the best, most dramatic and brutal war film you still haven't seen. Based on the real Italian invasion and ludicrous "pacification" of Libya. Omar Mukhtar played by the late great Anthony Quinn is the guerrilla master that brilliantly fights Mussolini's armies. IL Duce, clearly a cheerleader for Hitler increases his "rights" on the deserts of Libya to impress him no doubt and won't stop until Omar and his troops totally surrender. This was a $35 million dollars flop back in 1980 so now you can watch it for free on Tubi and watch all that moola up on your TV screen.

Review by Sír ★★★★ 2

فيلم ( Lion of the Desert ) أسد الصحراء و شيخ المجاهدين .

" نحن لن نستسلم ...  ننتصر أو نموت ...  سيكون عليكم أن تحاربوا الجيل القادم  والأجيال التي تليه  أما أنا فإن حياتي ستكون أطول من حياة شانقي . وايضا عند اعدامه بدأ بترديد الشهادتان " .. عمر المختار رحمة  الله

أشكر الراحل مصطفى العقّاد ، و الرئيس الراحل ايضاً معمر القذافي على تعاونه في فترة تصوير الفيلم .. و انطوني كوين على دور البطولة ..

شاهد ثلاث ساعات وفيك روح الجهاد ، ناصراً لدينك و مدافعاً عن وطنك و مقاتلاً لنفسك .. قاد قادنا العجوز للفخر يوماً وهو ابن السبعين عاماً الى ان قتلوه ظلماً كعادتهم و خوفاً في قلوبهم مزروع فـ قطف احفادوهُ خوف الاحتلال و…

Review by EbertsGhost00 ★★★★

Allahu Akbar you pasta munching fascists

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Lion Of The Desert

Details: 1981, Rest of the world, 173 mins

Direction: Moustapha Akkad

With: Anthony Quinn ,  Oliver Reed and Rod Steiger

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The Lion of the Desert

• In 1929, Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini appoints General Rodolfo Graziani as colonial governor to Italian Libya with orders to stamp-out all resistance from Libyan nationalists led by rebel guerrilla leader Omar Mukhtar.
• In Fascist Italy pre-World War II, the cruel General Rodolfo Graziani is directly assigned by Benito Mussolini to fight in the colonial war in Libya to vanquish the Libyan nation. However, his troops are frequently defeated by the national leader Omar Mukhtar and his army of Bedouins. But the Butcher of Ethiopia and Libya uses a dirty war against the natives, slaughtering women, children, and aged people, to subdue Mukhtar. — Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• It is the early-1930s. 20 years after colonising Libya, Italy is still fighting a guerrilla war with an army of Bedouins lead by Omar Mukhtar. The five previous military governors were unable to bring the rebels to heel so Italian dictator Benito Mussolini puts one of his best and most brutal generals, General Rodolfo Graziani, in charge. The war develops into a deadly cat-and-mouse game between two formidable opponents. — grantss
• Omar Mukhtar is an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya, just prior to World War II. It exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives. — Ibrahim Bloushy <[email protected]>
• Between two worlds wars, a struggle for freedom took place in the African desert. This movie is the historicaly accurate story about the Libyan resistance leader, Omar Mukhtar, who led the Libyan resistance against the Italian opressors from 1911-1931. The movie takes place during the reign of Mussolini. — Zeki Sadic
• This desert epic about a Libyan hero who helped his nation fend off an Italian invasion in 1929. Anthony Quinn stars as Omar Mukhtar, who organizes Libyan forces to hold off the encroaching Italian troops under General Rodolfo Graziana (Oliver Reed), who are trying to gain a foothold on Libyan soil under direct orders from the Italian dictator Mussolini (Rod Steiger). With the persistence of Mukhtar, the Libyans, battling the tanks and guns of the Italian army with their Bedouin troops on horseback, managed to hold off y the Italians for twenty years, until Mukhtar was finally captured and executed.

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LION OF THE DESERT

• Post author: eenableadmin
• Post published: August 5, 2019
• Post category: Uncategorized

LION OF THE DESERT (aka: OMAR MUKHTAR)

(director: Moustapha Akkad ; screenwriters: H.A.L. Craig/Paul Thompson/David Butler ; cinematographer: Jack Hildyard ; editor: John Shirley ; music: Maurice Jarre ; cast: Anthony Quinn (Omar Mukhtar), Oliver Reed (Gen. Rodolfo Graziani), Irene Papas (Mabrouka), Raf Vallone (Colonel Diodiece), Rod Steiger (Benito Mussolini), John Gielgud (Sharif El Gariani), Andrew Keir (Salem), Gastone Moschin (Major Tomelli), Stefano Patrizi (Lt. Sandrini), Adolfo Lastretti (Colonel Sarsani) ; Runtime: 164; MPAA Rating: PG; producer: Moustapha Akkad ; Anchor Bay Entertainment; 1981-Libya/UK) “ It’s one of the best anti-colonial Hollywood film ever (almost on a par with the Battle of Algiers) .”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

Epic action pic based on history. It tells of Libyan Bedouin freedom fighter Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn), who fought the Italian invaders occupying his country in a David and Goliath battle, from 1911 to 1931. After fighting for twenty years, in 1931, the wily 73-year-old Omar, a Koran scholar, the title character, was captured and hanged by the ruthless egomaniacal fascist, looking for glory and a place in the history books, Gen. Rodolfo Graziani ( Oliver Reed ). The brilliant general was sent in 1929 by Benito Mussolini (Rod Steiger) to further his expansionist aims (Italy also colonized Somalia and Ethiopia ) by ending the ongoing Libyan rebellion with massive troop support, tanks and financial support to run a barbed-wire fence between Libya and Egypt in order to cut off supplies and to isolate the rebels holed-up in the mountains. The Italian atrocities included the butchering of women and children, causing displaced people to be imprisoned in concentration camps (no gas ovens here), burning the fields of farmers, poisoning wells, destroying the food supply and subjecting the Libyans to be second class citizens in their own country.

Director and producer Moustapha Akkad (“The Message”), a Hollywood filmmaker of Syrian birth and a Muslim, keeps things historically accurate, makes it a rip-snorting war story, gets to tell the truth about Islam and gets a superb performance from Anthony Quinn, perhaps his best ever, as the gentle Islamic Bedouin warrior who is a brilliant tactician resisting the occupation by using guerrilla warfare. Omar says throughout that no nation has the right to occupy another and that his people will never surrender: we will either win or die (which proved to be prophetic, since Omar’s death did not end the struggle). It’s one of the best anti-colonial Hollywood film ever (almost on a par with the Battle of Algiers) and one of the few Hollywood films where the viewer freely roots for the Arabs, because their cause is just and they fight bravely against a depraved enemy.

Unfortunately because Muammar Qaddafi ‘s regime in Libya bankrolled the film, that seemed to taint it and it was poorly distributed and flopped at the box office. That’s too bad, especially since the Libyans did nothing to alter the film. Also controversial is that Akkad takes Mukhtar’s legendary struggle against the Italian army in the desert of Libya as a model for the Arab struggle everywhere – which is arguable, as it questions Israel and their occupation of Egyptian, Jordanian and Syrian lands won in the 1967 war where the Palestinians still live under Israeli rule in those territories. For many the Palestinian situation is a different story because not every occupation is the same. Though, in recent history, America might have learned that occupying Iraq, even to free them of an unpopular dictator, is also not welcomed by all–because it seems no one wants to be under the rule of another country.

The film’s realpolitik Arab theme and the stunning visuals (filmed in Rome and Libya) should remind one of Lawrence of Arabia.

REVIEWED ON 7/18/2011 GRADE: A

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Lion of the Desert Reviews

• 2 hr 43 mins
• Drama, Action & Adventure
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Anthony Quinn plays Omar Mukhtar in this war epic of '20s Libya. Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, John Gielgud, Irene Papas. Diodiece: Raf Vallone. Salem: Andrew Keir. Tomelli: Gastone Moschin. Directed by Moustapha Akkad.

As a lengthy movie about a heroic Libyan fighting Italian fascism, it's not surprising that LION OF THE DESERT failed miserably at the box office. What is surprising is that it is a quality historical epic a la LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Starring Anthony Quinn (who costarred in the David Lean film), featuring a score by LAWRENCE composer Maurice Jarre, and filling the screen with just as much sand, LION OF THE DESERT tells the story of Omar Mukhtar (Quinn), a famed Arab hero who fought off the Italian advance of 1929-31. Leading the Italian troops is Gen. Rodolfo Graziani (Oliver Reed), who is attempting to invade Libya under the orders of Mussolini (Rod Steiger). While technically superior to most contemporary epics, LION OF THE DESERT unfortunately fails to provide the character complexity and directorial flair that made Lean's picture such a success. Directed in 1979 by Moustapha Akkad (who previously made MOHAMMAD: MESSENGER OF GOD, also with Quinn), the film was funded with a healthy chunk of Libyan leader Colonel Qaddafi's money--a reported $35 million.

Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews

Original movie reviews untainted by time!

Lion of the Desert

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Lion of the Desert 4K

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Lion of the Desert 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Lion of the Desert 4K Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

• Audio Commentary : Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad discusses the film in English.
• NEW! Restoring Lion of the Desert (1080p, 2:26): A too-brief piece that looks at the meticulous processes of restoring the film: scanning the negative, clean-up, color corrections, and more.
• The Making of Lion of the Desert (480i, 4x3, 31:35): A vintage in-depth piece that explores the historical setting for the film, the picture's cast and characters, shooting locations and set construction, filmmaking logistics, historical research, guns, stunts and special effects, and much more.
• Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 3:57).
• Re-Release Trailer (1080p, 2:20).
• TV Spot (1080p, 1:00).
• Audio Commentary : Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad discusses the film in Arabic.
• The Making of Omar Mukhtar (Arabic) (480i, 4x3, 37:33): An alternate version of the supplement above. Narrated and voiced over in Arabic.
• Original Theatrical Trailer (Arabic) (1080p, 3:07): The trailer with Arabic narration and dubs.

Lion of the Desert 4K Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

Lion of the Desert: Other Editions

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Lion of the Desert

Time out says, release details.

• Duration: 163 mins

Cast and crew

• Director: Moustapha Akkad
• Screenwriter: HAL Craig
• Anthony Quinn
• Oliver Reed
• Irene Papas
• Raf Vallone
• Rod Steiger
• John Gielgud
• Andrew Keir
• Gastone Moschin

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“Lion” sneaks up on you as it proceeds to pluck your heart strings with its little cat feet. Then, before you know it, tear ducts will be brimming and your entire being will be awash with incredible joy but also a splash of bittersweet sorrow. At least that is what happened to those around me during the course of this incredible true story about a five-year-old Indian boy named Saroo, whose life is changed in 1986 after being separated from his idolized older brother, ending up more than a thousand miles from his home and family.

It's little wonder that “Lion” has collected quite a few audience awards at festivals since premiering in Toronto in September. Truly intelligent crowd-pleasers that avoid blatant manipulation are a rarity, but director Garth Davis (TV’s “Top of the Lake”) and screenwriter Luke Davies mostly keep any sentimental overload at bay until the very end—and, by that time, it is exactly what the audience needs and the film deserves. 

Emotional triggers might arrive at several points during this decades-spanning tale of longing and loss that is also a mystery about an unknown past. For me, the killer moment was when the adult Saroo—in the form of a beefed-up Dev Patel , whose 2008 breakout film “ Slumdog Millionaire ” serves as a sort of companion piece to “Lion”—finally and somewhat guiltily confesses to his Australian adoptive mother, Sue, that he has been spending countless days doing research while seeking out his birth family via Google Earth. 

The reason for his secrecy? He did not want to hurt the two incredibly generous and supportive people who rescued him from a Dickensian existence filled with poverty, hunger and potential abuse after being taken to a big-city facility for homeless street children. Being adopted as an infant myself, I know that feeling all too well, which is why I still refer to my mother and father who raised me simply as “my parents,” with no qualifier.

But that is topped soon after by a revelation shared by Sue, a tower of maternal tenderness and immense devotion embodied by Nicole Kidman , who is excellent despite a distractingly awful curly red wig. She uses the occasion to finally explain to Saroo exactly why she and his father, John ( David Wenham , best known as Faramir in “The Lord of Rings”), decided to adopt him. Kidman, herself an adoptive mother of two, delivers her words with such nakedly honest emotion, all the Kleenex in the world won’t stop the ensuing flood. 

Not that you need to be adopted to be so touched. After all, the primal fear of suddenly becoming lost and separated from those you care about most is a universal one. The first 40 minutes or so of “Lion” preys upon such anxiety, heightened by its visually poetic boy’s-eye-view camera work by Greig Fraser , in a way that anyone can relate.

What is truly amazing is that the lion’s share of the acting during this early stage is by a untrained newcomer, Mumbai native Sunny Pawar, who won the part after thousands of children were screen-tested. The kid is a natural, equal parts waif and rascal with an expressive face that perfectly reflects his state of mind from scene to scene while often not saying word. Nothing against Patel, who has grown immensely as a performer, but without the groundwork laid by little Sunny, “Lion’s ” onscreen roar would definitely be more than a bit muted.

In fact, the key relationship is the one the young Saroo shares with his adored older brother, Guddu (an engaging Abhishek Bharate), that is established right off the bat. While their hard-working single mother watches over their sister, the pair goes off to steal coal from trains to trade for milk. One night, Saroo begs Guddu to take him on his rounds as he sneaks onto empty trains for dropped money and other lost items. But they become separated after Saroo falls asleep on a station-platform bench. When he awakes, he panics after finding himself alone and boards a locomotive that suddenly begins to move and doesn’t stop until it arrives in the bustling city of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). 

Saroo can’t speak the local language—Bengali as opposed to Hindi—and he can’t even pronounce the name of his village correctly. Eventually, he is reduced to sleeping in tunnels and stealing food from public shrines. But somehow his innate street smarts kick in, allowing Saroo to survive long enough to be happily rescued from a potentially dire fate.

The later portion of the film that unfolds after Saroo is adopted can’t compete with such a compelling opening, but by then we are fully invested in what will happen to this now grown man. As Patel takes over the role, we see a bright and confident Saroo enroll in a hospitality course in Melbourne and fall for a fellow classmate (a mostly wasted Rooney Mara in supportive girlfriend mode). The one downside is when his parents also adopt a much more traumatized and distant Indian lad to be his new brother, a stark contrast to his deep trusting bond with Guddu. All it takes is a run-in with an Indian fried-dough treat known as jalebis served at a party to eventually ignite Saroo’s hunger to reconnect with his roots. 

That search requires Patel to brood, stroke his beard and obsessively sit in front of a computer as his apartment walls increasingly look like a detective’s patchwork paper-trail of photos and other clues to a puzzle—not exactly high drama. But all is forgiven when his memory clicks in and his hard work pays off beautifully. Let’s just say if you are human, there is no way that “Lion” won’t move you. 

Susan Wloszczyna

Susan Wloszczyna spent much of her nearly thirty years at USA TODAY as a senior entertainment reporter. Now unchained from the grind of daily journalism, she is ready to view the world of movies with fresh eyes.

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Film credits.

Lion (2016)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sensuality.

129 minutes

Dev Patel as Saroo Brierley

Rooney Mara as Lucy

Nicole Kidman as Sue Brierley

David Wenham as John Brierley

Pallavi Sharda as Prama

Benjamin Rigby as Waiter

Eamon Farren as Luke

Lucy Moir as Lucy's Friend

• Garth Davis

Written (based on the novel by)

• Saroo Brierley

Writer (based on the novel by)

• Larry Buttrose
• Luke Davies

Cinematographer

• Greig Fraser
• Alexandre de Franceschi
• Volker Bertelmann
• Dustin O'Halloran

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Lion of the Desert - 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray [4K UHD]

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Product Description

Two-time Oscar® winner Anthony Quinn (Lawrence of Arabia) stars as Omar Mukhtar, the brilliant Bedouin leader who waged a 20-year guerilla war against the invading Italian tank armies led by General Rodolfo 'The Butcher' Graziani (Oliver Reed, Gladiator) and increasingly furious fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (Academy Award® winner Rod Steiger, In the Heat of the Night). Oscar® winner John Gielgud (Arthur) co-stars with a cast of thousands in this action-packed epic produced and directed by Moustapha Akkad (The Message) that remains one of the most provocative historical dramas of our time.

• Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad
• Restoring Lion of the Desert Featurette
• Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad (in English)
• The Making of Lion of the Desert
• Theatrical Trailer (in English)
• Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad (in Arabic)
• The Making of Omar Mukhtar
• Original Theatrical Trailer (in Arabic)

Product details

• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ Unknown
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.65 x 5.31 x 0.43 inches; 0.02 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Moustapha Akkad
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 53 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ July 19, 2022
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Irene Papas, Raf Vallone, Gastone Moschin
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English
• Producers ‏ : ‎ Moustapha Akkad
• Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ SHOUT! FACTORY
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09K1FKHNL
• Writers ‏ : ‎ H.A.L. Craig
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 3
• #242 in Military & War (Movies & TV)
• #3,495 in Drama Blu-ray Discs

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Ultra HD Releases Details

Lion of the desert - 4k ultra hd blu-ray.

Two-time Oscar® winner* Anthony Quinn (Lawrence Of Arabia) stars as Omar Mukhtar, the brilliant Bedouin leader who waged a 20-year guerilla war against the invading Italian tank armies led by General Rodolfo 'The Butcher' Graziani (Oliver Reed, Gladiator) and increasingly furious fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (Academy Award® winner** Rod Steiger, In The Heat Of The Night). Oscar® winner*** John Gielgud (Arthur) co-stars with a cast of thousands in this action-packed epic produced and directed by Moustapha Akkad (The Message) that remains one of the most provocative historical dramas of our time.

Bonus Features

DISC ONE (4K UHD) – LION OF THE DESERT (English Language):

• Audio Commentary With Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY) – LION OF THE DESERT (English Language):

• NEW Restoring LION OF THE DESERT Featurette
• The Making Of LION OF THE DESERT
• Theatrical Trailer (Original Trailer)
• Theatrical Trailer (Re-Release Trailer)

DISC THREE (BLU-RAY) – OMAR MUKHTAR (Arabic Language, No English Subtitles):

• Audio Commentary With Producer/Director Moustapha Akkad (In Arabic, No English Subtitles)
• The Making Of OMAR MUKHTAR (In Arabic, No English Subtitles)
• Theatrical Trailer (Original Trailer in Arabic)

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'Mufasa: The Lion King': First look of the upcoming Disney film released

The first look of the much-awaited prequel to 'the lion king', 'mufasa: the lion king', has been released. the film delves into the origins of the iconic disney character, mufasa..

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• The first look of 'Mufasa: The Lion King' has been released
• The prequel delves into the origins of Mufasa
• The film will release on December 20, 2024

The live-action film 'Mufasa: The Lion King' by Barry Jenkins has revealed its first look. The prequel to the 2019 blockbuster hit, 'The Lion King', shared the first glimpse of Mufasa on a rock on Thursday, over two years since the title poster was released. The film aims to explore the backstory of Mufasa and his relationship with his brother, Scar.

Hey everyone, here is the very first look of "MUFASA: THE LION KING" where they taken into a prequel to the 2019 Movie of The Lion King. The Movie will hit towards onto Christmas, December 2024. #TheLionKing #MufasaTheLionKing #Mufasa pic.twitter.com/qKlYu1Kl6u — Kion (@TLG_Kion_2024) April 4, 2024

The film is a notable addition to the 'The Lion King' franchise, which is one of the most iconic and well-received animated movies, grossing over $960 million. The film arrives five years after the 2019 live-action remake, which, despite mixed reviews, grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

Attendees at D23 Expo 2022 got a sneak peek of the film, showcasing Mufasa's early life as an orphaned cub in a harsh desert before his journey to Pride Rock. 'Mufasa: The Lion King' marks Jenkins' third directorial venture after 'Moonlight' and 'If Beale Street Could Talk' and is set to release on December 20. Published By: Trisha Bhattacharya Published On: Apr 4, 2024 ALSO READ | The Lion King new posters out. See who is the voice of your favourite character

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‘The Beast’ Review: Master of Puppets

Bertrand Bonello’s latest film, starring Léa Seydoux and George MacKay as lovers in three different eras, is an audacious sci-fi romance.

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By Beatrice Loayza

Bertrand Bonello’s “The Beast” is an audacious interdimensional romance, techno-thriller and Los Angeles noir rolled up in one. This shamelessly ambitious epic is about, among other things, civilizational collapse and existential retribution, yet it is held together by something delicate.

The prologue shows a green-screen shoot in which Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux) takes directions from a presence off camera and, with expert professionalism, braces herself to confront an imaginary monster. The effect is uncanny, wryly funny, weirdly sensual and very sad. Bonello sustains this unsettling tone throughout the film, although the individual parts are less consistent. This is the toll of shifting time periods, from a costume drama to a modern mockery of incel culture.

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With computer-generated imagery, any opponent — and any era — can materialize in the background. What does this mean for actors? The feeling that great forces move us like puppets runs through Bonello’s genre-bending work (in his 2017 film, “ Nocturama ,” a gang of teenage terrorists hide in a shopping mall and see themselves reflected in the consumerist sprawl).

“The Beast” follows Gabrielle and Louis (George MacKay), who are lovers, in three incarnations, through three timelines: Paris circa 1910, when the city flooded; Los Angeles in the 2010s; and Paris in 2044, a near-future in which artificial intelligence has almost overtaken the work force.

In 2044, Gabrielle is struggling to get a job. A disembodied voice at an eerily vacant employment agency tells her that her emotions make her unsuited to work, and a purification process that scrubs people of their pesky feelings is recommended. “All of them?” Gabrielle asks nervously. She is a pianist and an actor in earlier timelines, so she values her capacity to be moved and react authentically.

Gabrielle opts for a less intrusive process, envisioned as a bath in black goo and a needle prick in the ear, which involves scanning her past lives to reckon with the source of her sorrows.

Bonello was loosely inspired by “The Beast in the Jungle,” a Henry James novella about a man who is convinced his life will be defined by tragedy. The film’s early, belle epoque strand veers closest to this drama, with Gabrielle and Louis in an unconsummated affair, engaging in breathy conversations inflected with philosophy. In Los Angeles, Gabrielle is house-sitting in a glass mansion; Louis, an incel modeled after Elliot Rodger , fixates on her.

The Los Angeles section has the vibe of a surveillance-style slasher flick. Gabrielle’s laptop is infected by a virus that spawns dozens of nasty pop-ups, including one with a fortune teller. All the film’s talk about dreams and the people who exist within them add to this ambient menace.

Bonello has never been shy about showcasing his influences. Here, David Lynch is a lodestar. In Los Angeles, Gabrielle’s blond bob recalls Naomi Watts in “Mulholland Drive,” and she also sheds a tear while listening to a Roy Orbison cover. Then there’s the ending, a red-curtain climax that lands on a screeching revelation not unlike the finale of “Twin Peaks: The Return.”

The horror that hits in the final moments of “The Beast” tears open a fresh wound. What does the future hold if everything can be determined by the past? If new films are rehashes of old ones? If we’re condemned to the traumas of our previous lives? The film connects this to the emergence of artificial intelligence, which imitates but never truly creates. “Fulfillment lies in the lack of passion,” Louis tells Gabrielle. Is fulfillment what lies ahead?

The Beast Not Rated. In French and English, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 26 minutes. In theaters.

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