THE LION OF THE DESERT

US, 1980, 163 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Irene Papas, Raf Vallone, Rod Steiger, John Gielgud, Andrew Kier, Gastone Moschin.
Directed by Moustapha Akkad.

The Lion of the Desert is an above average old-fashioned action spectacle - of the David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia, school. Writer-director Moustapha Akkad wrote and directed the very long epic Mohammed, The Messenger of God. This was a slow-moving, even tedious film, hampered by the camera! shaving to be the central character because he could not be photographed. The central character is well in evidence here and played expertly and sympathetically by Anthony Quinn. He portrays the Libyan Resistance hero Omar Mukhtar. who confronted the Italians for over twenty years, eventually to be defeated and to move into the realm of myth.

The film is a tribute to Libyan resistance against Italian colonisation, especially in its cruel years under Mussolini. Oliver Reed embodies General Graziani, although Rod Steiger rants and raves in his brief appearances as Mussolini. He was Mussolini in Carlo Lizzani's Mussolini: The Last Act. There is an international supporting cast. The colour photography by Jack Hildyard is beautiful, Maurice Jarre has a rousing score (though not in the tuneful standard of his films for Lean), and there is excellent stunt work. The film captures the atmosphere of Libya, has a great deal to say on colonial oppression and its presuppositions and is continually interesting and visually breathtaking.

1. Audience response to action spectacles? Interest in history, the recreation of particular periods, the sweep of events and characters? The interpretation of the events? Seeing them in the light of later political and racial questions?

2. The kind of response asked by this film: historical background and under standing of the issues, the emotional response to an oppressed people fighting for liberty, insight into the clashes in Libya? Enjoyment of the action? The triumph of the Libyans?

3. The length and the impact of the film? The documentary inserts? The explanations at the opening and the end? How authentic did the film seem? The atmosphere of African colonies in the early 20th. century? The Arabs and the European oppression? The Italian expansionism of the early 20th. century? The Fascist empire? Comparatively recent history?

4. The contribution of the colour photography, the use of Panavision? Libya and Italy? The impact of the desert? The contrast with Fascist Rome and the grand buildings of the past? The impact of the visuals? The contrast with the intimate detail of character and the grand sweep of events? The special effects, strategy, battles? The atmosphere of the score? and its inclusion of Arab music?

5. The impact of war: Italian strategy versus Arab strategy? The shrewdness of the Bedouin using the desert? General Graziani's ruthless use of Roman tradition? The reality of the battles fought? Cruelty and death?

6. Audience knowledge of the history of Libya? Italian empire expansionism, the occupation of Libya, the Italian farmers, the Bedouin and the Resistance? The manner of Italian administration? The strength of the Libyan resistance over several decades? The right of the Libyans to resist the Italians?

7. Mussolini and the Italian heritage? Fascism and ambition? Cruelty? The humiliation of the Bedouin? The initial commissioning of Graziani? His return to Rome to ask permission of Mussolini for the barbed wire? Mussolini Is administration of Libya? How authentic the glimpse of Mussolini?

8. The background of Fascist rule: the grandiose ambitions, presuppositions about Italian supremacy, Mussolini's monuments, buildings, the decor of his room, the socialites and the glimpse of the Fascist women gaping at the Bedouin, the diplomatic parties, relationships with collaborators, central administration from Rome? The cruelty of the administration? even to decimation of the population of towns?

9. The contrast with the Bedouin? The glorifying of the Bedouin and the heroes? The introduction to Omar Mukhtar and his reading of the Koran, giving lessons to the children? His age, experience, wisdom, religion? Loyalty to Libya? The devotion of the people? The intrusion of the Fascists, the treatment by the soldiers, their saving Omar Mukhtar's life? The loyalty of his followers? The imprisonment of the Bedouin, the concentration camps, the humiliation and yet their supporting the guerrillas?

10. Anthony Quinn and his interpretation of Mukhtar? Benign. wise, age and experience? Teacher in the village, leading the raids, shrewdness? The return from battle and the meeting of the widow and his looking after Ali? His allies and their fighting with him? The negotiations especially with General Diodiece? The battle sequences? His friend saving his life? His survival? The final battle and the outwitting of General Graziani? The capture and the resistance to the end? His imprisonment, his prayer and General Diodiece helping him? The court sequence and the appeal by the Italian Advocate? The final confrontation with Graziani? The pathos of his hanging? An ideal Muslim leader, a wise and religious leader? His strength to confront the Italians for twenty years? The symbolism of the Lion of the Desert?

11. The Bedouin leaders and their support of Mukhtar? Heroism? Life in the villages? Irene Papas symbolising the Bedouin women? Her children and husband, the death of her son in prison after saving Mukhtar's life, the widow and her support of her, the women and children? The raids, the burning of the crops, the filling in of the wells, the herding of the Bedouin into concentration camps, giving food to the guerrillas, the taking of hostages and the widow being hanged, the pain and grief of the oppression? The film's getting audience sympathy for the Bedouin? The contrast with the people of Libya and those of Italy and oppression?

12. General Graziani and his ambitions? The mandate by Mussolini? His manner and reputation? Contacts, cruelty? Orders for decimation? The barbed wire through the desert? His strategy and luring the Bedouin only for him to be tricked and outmanoeuvred? The final confrontation in the hills? His achieving his goals in Libya? The final comments about his post-war imprisonment?

13. Tomelli and his Fascist loyalty, cruelty, participation in ambushes, execution of Bedouin? The siege and his being killed? The succeeding officers and their cruelty, destroying crops and wells, the decimation sequences in the village, the herding of the Bedouin into camps? The sieges and ambushes - the Bedouin killing the Italians? The young man who saw Mukhtar and was made the Fascist hero? His being executed in warfare by his own men? The young Italian soldier who could not shoot Mukhtar?

14. The continuous picture of the Italian troops, their skill in warfare, cruelty, humanity? Carrying out orders?

15. The significance of General Diodiece? His ability to make peace by a handshake? Graziani's disdain of him? Using him for the parley and to gain time? The significance of the negotiations and their impossibility? His presence in the prison and helping Omar Mukhtar with his prayer? His presence at the hanging, his grief? His walking finally with the group of mourning Libyans?

16. The collaborator Arabs? Especially Sharif el Gariani - John Gielgud's portraying him? Mukhtar's reaction towards collaboration?

17. The continued interest of the plot? The development of character? Confrontation of Mukhtar and Graziani? The pace for action and conflict? The blend of the human portraits as well as the political and military sequences? The film's asking its audience to re-assess the situations of the past? Insight for the Arab world of the late 20th century?