“SPECTACULAR” – David Denby, New York Times Magazine

“TWO THUMBS UP!” – Siskel & Ebert

Two-time Oscar® winner* Anthony Quinn (Lawrence Of Arabia) stars as Omar Mukhtar, the brilliant Bedouin leader who waged a 20-year guerilla war against the invading Italian tank armies led by General Rodolfo ‘The Butcher’ Graziani (Oliver Reed, Gladiator) and increasingly furious fascist dictator Benito Mussolini (Academy Award® winner** Rod Steiger, In The Heat Of The Night). Oscar® winner*** John Gielgud (Arthur) co-stars with a cast of thousands in this action-packed epic produced and directed by Moustapha Akkad (The Message) that remains one of the most provocative historical dramas of our time.

*1952: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Viva Zapata!; 1956: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Lust For Life

**1967: Best Actor in a Leading Role, In The Heat Of The Night

***1981: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Arthur

Why We Love It

“Shout! Factory’s new 4K restoration is a work of art. The Blu-ray is solid, but the UHD is flat-out super. The 5.1 and 2.0 audio tracks are great and the supplements are satisfying. The Arabic language version is icing on the cake. Very highly recommended for one of the better releases of 2022.” — Martin Liebman, Blu-ray.com

“The most important thing here is the film itself, and this 4K Ultra HD version of Lion of the Desert is a revelation compared to all previous home video releases. Finally getting the correct aspect ratio (2.35:1) after all these years was significant enough, but the gorgeous color grade breathes new life into the film like nothing else could. I wouldn’t presume to speak for Moustapha Akkad or Jack Hildyard, but I suspect that they’d be delighted with this release. If you haven’t seen Lion of the Desert, this UHD is hands-down the best way to do so in the comfort of your own home.” — Stephen Bjork, The Digital Bits