The message 1976 film review

The Message (1976)
Film review
produced by Moustafa Akkad, Harold Buck and Mohammed Sanousi
Directed by Moustafa Akkad

The Message is an epic film that was made in two versions. The first version was in Arabic and that was released in 1976.  The version I would like to review is the English version, with different actors, released in 1977.   Both versions depict the story of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and the birth of Islam and both were  directed by a Syrian American film-maker and director, Moustapha Akkad. Like many other movies with Islamic themes, this movie met with protests by some Muslims, notably in Washington D.C. in March 1977.  This protest, by members of a Black Muslim organisation, led to a hostage crisis when 12 members of the organisation stormed three buildings where they took 149 hostages and demanded that the movie be destroyed. The protesters were perhaps unaware of the facts that the movie makers had taken the advice of clerics from Al-Azhar University and the Islamic Congress of Lebanon before making it and that the director was a practising Muslim.

Most of the actors in the English version were non Muslims but they portrayed the characters in the movie extremely well. The most famous actor in the movie is Anthony Quinn who played the role of the prophet's uncle, Hamza. Most of them spoke clear and  fluent English although they did not utter some Arabic terms like Allah and Solat. Anthony Quinn and the actor who played Bilal did a very good job in convincing others how good the early Muslims were. Other actors who did a wonderful job was the actress who played Sumayya, the mother of a youth called Yassir. Her name is Rosalie Crutchley. When I saw Bilal tortured, I felt a lot of pity for him, although I knew it was just acting. When Sumayya was tortured by Abu Jahal, the actress's cry for mercy saddened me deeply, although this is just a movie. Moustapha Akkad and his crew managed to make the movie’s setting credible,  as if it was set in Makkah and Madinah although in reality it was shot in Morocco and Libya. The background looked so real, with the idols put around the Kaaba and the way the houses were built to show what life was like back then.

Since the director got the advice from the clerics of Al-Azhar, the prophet was never shown in the film because in Islam it is forbidden to show the prophet’s likeness in any form. The camera just focused on one part of the screen, as if the prophet was there, but in reality he was never shown. There is a scene where the azan can be heard and it brings tears of joy to some of the characters, that Islam has finally become successful.

Sumayya decided to follow Prophet Muhammad because her son's ability to persuade her to follow Islam attracted her to convert to Islam. It was common at that time for the people to bury baby girls because girls would bring shame to the family. Another common practice that existed during the time of the prophet was idol worshipping and the rich oppressing the poor. The message that the prophet wanted to carry was perceived to be dangerous to Abu Sufian and the leaders in Makkah because he wanted people to leave the habit of worshipping idols. The main reason why Sumayya converted was because she herself was almost buried along her two sisters when her father decided not to do it anymore. Therefore she converted because of Islam's emphasis on gender equality. Abu Sufian and his men laughed at this idea.

Among the scenes that affected me the most was when Sumayya was tortured. It affected me because I couldn't bear listening to her screams of agony and thinking what she had to endure when she converted. I was amazed by her ability to not change her faith even under torture. Because of this she became the first martyr of Islam. The second scene was when Bilal was whipped by his master. His ability to endure a number of lashes under the hot sun impressed me. The part where Bilal called the azan made me realize that even when the early followers of Islam had to go through immense challenges to spread the religion, in the end they succeeded.

The scene in Abyssinia where some Muslims had gone to seek sanctuary under the Christian Emperor of Abyssinia is also interesting and moving. It reminds us of the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity, and how tolerance was practised by the Emperor in the early days of Islam. Abu Sufian and his men went to Abyssinia to persuade the king Negus so that he can bring them back to Makkah. The Muslims managed to refute allegations by Abu Sufian regarding Christiniaty and how Islam emphasized on equality.

This movie should be watched by people who want to know more about the birth of Islam. They will be moved and enlightened and hopefully their understanding of the religion will become better.