Lion of the Desert

Resistance leader Omar Mukhtar opposes Italian colonization before World War II. The brutal guerrilla war against Italian General Rodolfo Graziani and the Fascist forces of Benito Mussolini highlights the struggle for Libyan independence and the harsh tactics utilised by the colonisers.

Cast

Anthony Quinn

as Omar al-Mukhtar

Oliver Reed

as General Rodolfo Graziani

Irene Papas

as Mabrouka

Raf Vallone

as Colonel Diodiece

Rod Steiger

as Benito Mussolini

John Gielgud

as Sharif El Gariani

Andrew Keir

as Salem

Gastone Moschin

as Major Tomelli

Stefano Patrizi

as Lieutenant Sandrini

Adolfo Lastretti

as Colonel Sarsani

Reviews

Wuchak

***“Braveheart” in the Libyan desert with Quinn, Reed and Steiger*** After twenty years of failing to remove Bedouin rebels during the Italian colonization (aka invasion) of Libya, Mussolini (Rod Steiger) sends formidable General Graziani (Oliver Reed) in 1931 to take care of the problem. Anthony...

CinemaSerf

This is a curious hybrid of a film - it brings together some elements of "Gandhi" (1982) , "Khartoum" (1966) and even "Spartacus" (1960) to illustrate a theatre of war for Fascist colonialism of which I was largely unfamiliar. Rod Steiger (Mussolini) has decided that Italy must get in on the act of ...

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