Bilal: A New Breed of Hero

Fourteen hundred years ago, the Arabian Peninsula. Bilal is abducted as a child along with his sister and sold into slavery. He grows up in his master's house; the work is heavy, he has no rights, and objecting has a price. His voice is beautiful. Over the years he begins to stand with others like himself and defies his master. He is tortured for it. In the end he wins his freedom and becomes the voice of the community. Ayman Jamal directs. It is a production from the United Arab Emirates and the film is computer animated. The voice cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ian McShane and China Anne McClain; the film was made in English. The figure the narrative rests on is historical: Bilal ibn Rabah was freed from slavery and is remembered as the first to give the call to prayer in the history of Islam. The film chooses not to build a religious narrative; no prophet is shown and the subject proceeds directly through slavery and equality. It was one of the largest animation projects made in the region up to then, and the technical crew was drawn from abroad. The quality of the animation varies scene to scene; the crowd sequences are good, the facial work weak. It took far less at the box office than it cost. Who it is for: viewers who like animation grounded in history and are curious about stories rarely told. Who it is not for: the narrative is didactic, the characters shallow, and the battle scenes heavy for young viewers.