Lion of the Desert poster

Lion of the Desert

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

7.3(208)19812h 53m4

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.

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Status
Released
Budget
$35M
Box office
$1.5M
Language
Arabic
  • guerrilla warfare
  • libya
  • africa
  • resistance
  • world war ii
  • independence movement
  • based on true story
  • benito mussolini
  • historical drama
  • 1920s
  • 1930s
  • anti-colonialism

Top billed cast

Behind the camera

Produced in

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, United States of America, United Kingdom

Where to watch

All options

Availability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.

Gallery

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Videos

Release dates

  • United StatesUS

    • PremiereUSA Film Festival27 Mar 1981
    • Theatrical (limited)PGNew York City, New York17 Apr 1981
    • PhysicalBlu-ray2 Jul 2012
  • United KingdomGB

    • Theatrical27 Aug 1981
  • United Arab EmiratesAE

    • PhysicalBlu-ray2 Jul 2012
  • AustraliaAU

    • Theatrical16 Oct 1981
  • ColombiaCO

    • Theatrical18 Nov 1981
  • DenmarkDK

    • Theatrical26 Dec 1981
  • EgyptEG

    • PhysicalDVD21 Apr 2021
  • FinlandFI

    • Theatrical25 Sept 1981
  • FranceFR

    • TheatricalTP28 Jul 1982
    • PhysicalDVD1 Nov 2005
    • Digital / OTT16Netflix1 Jan 2022
  • GermanyDE

    • Theatrical16West Germany29 Oct 1981
  • IrelandIE

    • Theatrical9 Oct 1981
  • ItalyIT

    • TVSky11 Jun 2009
    • Theatrical (limited)16 Sept 2024

Frequently asked questions

Lion of the Desert was released on 17 April 1981.

Audience reviews

2
  • W

    Wuchak

    5/25/2019

    5/10

    ***“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 Quinn plays the titular protagonist and leader of the freedom-fighting Libyans. Did you ever wonder why “Lion of the…

  • C

    CinemaSerf

    6/7/2023

    7/10

    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 colonial powers in North Africa - and deploys General Graziani (Oliver Reed) to cement their invasion of modern day Liby…

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