Sad Irony Fill This Film!
Hollywood has always wanted to have a big named star play Muhammad. But Islamic law would not allow that to happen as it would be blasphemy to show the image of Muhammad. However, fellow Muslim Moustapha Akkad found a way to make a film without insulting the masses. "The Message" was an epic film that took 6 years to prepare for and a year to shoot. Led by Oscar winner Anthony Quinn, the film is very faithful and accurate in its historical value. However, there are some shortcomings. One problem is the film's length. Three hours is way, way too long. The film could have been chopped off by about an hour and it still would have been able have an effective story to tell. Another problem is the dialogue. In the film, "The Message", Muhammad is referred, but is not seen. That makes it a little confusing when the characters are referring to Muhammad. Despite the shortcomings, "The Message" gets its point across without insulting the Islamic religion. This is a film that should be recommended to people of all faiths and will answer lots of buring questions regarding this controversial faith. Ironically, Moustapha Akkad was killed by a terrorist bombing while attending a wedding in Jordan in 2005. It appears that some members of the Islamic faith have not followed Muhammad’s “Message" not to kill fellow Muslims. It shows that Islam still has many obstacles to climb in getting Muhammad’s “Message" to its followers.