The Man Who Would Be King
THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (PG)
D: John Huston
Allied Artists (John Foreman)
UK 1975
129 mins
Drama/Adventure
W: John Huston & Gladys Hill [based on
the story by Rudyard Kipling]
DP: Oswald Morris
Ed: Russell Lloyd
Mus: Maurice Jarre
PD: Alexander Trauner
Cos: Edith Head
Sean Connery (Daniel Dravot), Michael Caine (Peachy Carnehan),
Christopher Plummer (Rudyard Kipling), Saeed Jaffrey (Billy Fish)
John Huston spent decades trying to get his adaptation of
Rudyard Kipling's story off the ground, but it still probably came out a few years too early. Being a allegory for the British Empire and colonialism, the political subject was still a hotbed
when the film was released in 1975. To say that the film has grown with time, is an understatement.
Sean Connery and Michael Caine play officers who supplement
their income through various scams before they desert the British army to venture into unchartered land where it is fabled that man hasn't stepped since the days of Alexander the Great. They
discover a tribe of people who mistake Connery for a God, though things don't work out as planned.
Both Caine and Connery are both suited to their roles, but the
standout performance here is Christopher Plummer, in a small role as the writer Rudyard Kipling.
It may have missed its target in 1975, but has since grown
into a modest classic from a great director.
8/10
