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Lion of the Desert

Play trailer Poster for Lion of the Desert PG 1981 2h 53m Biography History Drama Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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75% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Bedouin hero Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn) rallies Libyan guerrillas against an Italian general's (Oliver Reed) army sent by Mussolini (Rod Steiger).
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Lion of the Desert

Critics Reviews

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Vincent Canby New York Times 08/30/2004
Lion of the Desert is a canny film, though it's probably a film from which one will take just what one took into it. No expense has been spared. Go to Full Review Michael Ventura L.A. Weekly 12/29/2021
This is a serious movie, done not greatly but seriously and well. It helps you read between the headlines. Go to Full Review Bernard Drew Gannett News Service 10/04/2019
Visually it is awesome, due in no small part to Jack Hildyard's cinematography, but a desert spectacular is by nature limited. Lion of the Desert grows tedious long before its 2 3/4-hour running time has run its course. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 07/18/2011
A
It's one of the best anti-colonial Hollywood film ever (almost on a par with the Battle of Algiers). Go to Full Review Louis Proyect rec.arts.movies.reviews 11/18/2006
An anti-colonial work that resonates with the struggle in Iraq today. Go to Full Review Caffeinated Clint Film Threat 03/18/2006
A grand epic adventure that'll stand as a highpoint in the producing career of Moustapha Akkad Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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V M. @IndianWarrior Nov 22 Very very well made movie very accurately shows the atrocities committed by the Italians and the general who definitely in the same league as his boss Mussolini and Hitler not only lived to his 70’s but even has a mausoleum built in the 21st century…. Go figure….. See more Dodo D Oct 7 Must-see movie, it’s educational for all walks of life. See more John H 02/07/2024 Very good epic movie about the Lybian resistance to Italian occupations. Very good story and acting by Anthony Quinn. Good action buy a bit long but he resisted occupation for 20+ years! See more @MilloTPue 07/18/2020 Between 2.5 and 3 stars. The movie is so-so, but it is original to talk about a conflict very few have spoken, and the great actings from Anthony Quinn and Oliver Reed have a weigh in the balance. See more 05/14/2020 Great I love it 👏👏👏👏 See more 08/22/2019 It is a must see. Though a box office failure it reports a functional accpunt of the resistance in Libya. Quadaffi did little good in his life ,but funding this epic of a regional hero was an apex of Quadaffi's existence. The west does little to recognize the resistence in North Africa pre WWII and during the war. Excellent film. Historical signifigance. See more Read all reviews
Lion of the Desert

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Cast & Crew

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Moustapha Akkad

Director

Anthony Quinn

Omar Mukhtar

Oliver Reed

Gen. Rodolfo Graziani

Rod Steiger

Benito Mussolini

John Gielgud

Sharif El Gariani

Irene Papas

Mabrouka

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Lion of the Desert

Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) Lion of the Desert (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Bedouin hero Omar Mukhtar (Anthony Quinn) rallies Libyan guerrillas against an Italian general's (Oliver Reed) army sent by Mussolini (Rod Steiger).
Director
Moustapha Akkad
Producer
Moustapha Akkad, Mohammad Sanousi
Screenwriter
H.A.L. Craig
Production Co
Falcon International Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Biography, History, Drama, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 17, 1981, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 27, 2017
Runtime
2h 53m
Sound Mix
Surround
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