A great script based on a remarkable story (novel) very well directed and acted. A turning point for the Spanish film industry. The atmosphere of the period has been truly captured by the Production Designer and the Costume Designer with the help of very real carachterizations. The acting is superb headed by Viggo Mortensen totally believable as a soldier of fortune of the period. The Producers have managed to get the necessary finance for a film in Spanish with all the risks to get accepted in the anglosaxon markets where most other pictures look for their revenues. Good and entertaining pictures can be made in Spain with Spanish cast and crews. Congratulations to its producers an to the whole technical unit.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Lion of the Desert
(1980)
A great epic!
14 November 2005
I believe that one needs to be made of a special material to direct/produce such an epic. Moustapha believed in what he was doing when shooting the movie. He went to out of his way to make sure that everything he filmed was as real as possible. The battle scenes were planned with all detail but also the small scenes with Tony Quinn, Irene Papas or any other actor. It is a real pity that death has taken him before he could produce/direct "Salahadin", his long wanted project that would have shown the world another face of Islam. He tried with Omar Muhktar but I am sure that he would have done much better with Salahadin. Moustapha Akkad and his work as a film maker will be remembered.
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