Film Review
One of the high points of British cinema in the 1970s has to be John
Huston's spectacular adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's short story
The Man Who Would Be King, a
scathing allegorical tale on imperialism that exposed the failings of
British colonialism at the height of British Raj in India.
This had been something of a pet project of Huston's since the 1940s,
when he originally envisaged making the film with Clark Gable and
Humphrey Bogart in the lead roles. Huston later considered
Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole for the film before settling for Sean
Connery and Michael Caine - a combination that could hardly be bettered.
Under Huston's astute direction,
The
Man Who Would Be King manages to be both a grand old-fashioned
adventure story, brought to life by stunning location photography and
well-choreographed action scenes, and a fascinating character study in
which the dangers of self-belief and unbridled ambition are explored
in a darkly tragicomic fashion. Connery and Caine - at the time, the two biggest names
in British cinema - are perfectly cast as the misguided Brits who
decide to set themselves up as gods and end up wishing they had stayed
back home (oddly, this always seems to happen when the British
go anywhere near Afghanistan). Both actors bring cartloads of charm, humour and
poignancy to their spot-on characterisations, and are clearly having
the time of their lives. Connery's oft-repeated ejaculation
God's Holy Trousers!
deserves to be the most memorable line in British cinema, if only
for the way in which the loveable Scottish thesp says it.
Some fine contributions from the supporting actors Christopher Plummer
and Saeed Jaffrey, together with a lush and evocative score from
Maurice Jarre, can only add to the film's appeal, although nothing can
compete with Caine's occasional cheeky swerve towards
O.T.T.ness. By all accounts, Caine and Connery had an
exceptionally good working relationship during the making of this film,
although you can detect just a hint of friendly rivalry. There is
a delicious irony in the scene when Connery, at last elevated to
godhood, asks Caine to bow to him, just for appearances' sake.
Connery even gets to marry Caine's real-life wife in the film!
Incredible to think that the only other film where these two
charismatic cinema giants shared a credit was
A Bridge Too Far (1977) - or
perhaps not so incredible when you consider the level of fee they both
commanded at the time.
© James Travers 2009
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Next John Huston film:
Annie (1982)
Film Synopsis
Rudyard Kipling is working in his office in Lahore, where he is
employed as a newspaper correspondent, when he is visited by a
dishevelled wreck of a man. Kipling recognises the man as
Peachy Carnehan, whom he first met many years before. As the
writer listens in rapt attention, Carnehan recounts the many adventures
he has had since their last meeting. A former officer in the
British army, Carnehan set out with a fellow officer, Dannt Dravot, to
the remote province of Kafiristan, where they planned to set themselves
up as kings. This insane ambition proved to be easier to realise
than they could ever have imagined. Having led one band of
villagers to victory over another, Carengan and Dravot succeed in
forming a formidable army, which quickly brings other rival villages to
heel. In one battle, Dravot is struck in the chest by an arrow
but is unharmed, since the arrow fails to penetrate his
bandolier. Seeing this as evidence of divine power, the natives
immediately venerate Dravot as a god, and inspired by his leadership,
more battles are easily won. When all the locals have been united
under his leadership, Dravot is summoned to the holy city of
Sikandergul, so that his divinity may be tested a second time...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.