Lion's Still Roar...

Class assignment today was to make an analysis of the movie 'Lion Of The Desert'; the story of the freedom fighter 'Omar Al Mukhtar' during the Italian invasion of Libya. I wish they still made movies like these; well made movies with historical accuracy. Mohammad Akkad (Director) was truly an exceptional talent. His work on 'The Message' was also quite notable. The movie was incorporated into our syllabus prior to the events in Libya; impeccable timing.

It was very nostalgic in a media res sense. Hearing the words: 'Tripoli! Benghazi!' gave me goosebumps as I remembered that these were the same names of the cities being fought for today. Although the reasons different, it tells me that these same places are still strategically important. It also tells me that the spirit of Omar Al Mukhtar is still fresh in the hearts of Libyans. Seeing Anthony Quinn play Omar really made me feel like I was looking at Al Mukhtar himself. Seeing the scene with the 'Peace negotiations' sent more goosebumps as it showed that these were also very much like how the world works today; nothing has changed.

Technology changes, and maybe human appearance changes but human behavior does not. People feel so disconnected with themselves and believe that the world is a better place because of all the technology and medicine. I would agree that maybe the world is a 'funner' place to live in, but people are the same no matter what they're form of transport, communication, and living look like. Maybe we should take a look at a lot of the African countries and see how progressive we've become. We see the same in the Arab world, and this is why Lion's will continue to roar through the ages.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic and angry; its probably the affect of the movie. Its just amazing what people can do to each other; well intentions and otherwise.