Lion of the Desert

"He was a man of honor in a war without any."

May 16 1981 PG 2h 53m
Biography, Drama, History

This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWII. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives.

Plot

In Fascist Italy pre-World War II, the cruel General Rodolfo Graziani is directly assigned by Benito Mussolini to fight in the colonial war in Libya to vanquish the Arab nation. However, his troops are frequently defeated by the national leader Omar Mukhtar and his army of Bedouins. But the Butcher of Ethiopia and Libya uses a dirty war against the natives, slaughtering women, children, and aged people, to subdue Mukhtar.

Written by

H.A.L. Craig, David Butler, Paul Thompson

Directed by

Moustapha Akkad

Cast

Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Production Companies

Falcon International Productions

Languages

English

Awards

N/A

Trailers
Lion of the Desert - Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
18,845
Average Rating
8.2 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA