The Man Who Would Be King

The Man Who Would Be King (1975), directed by John Huston

There are good movies released nearly every week. There are a few great movies released each year, and then there are a precious few movies which are viable candidates for "greatest movie of all time." These are films with a compelling narrative, brilliant acting, and unique visions. The usual suspects among the "Greatest Films" include works of great seriousness, such as Citizen Kane, Vertigo, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, or classic comedies like The Gold Rush and The General. I don't know of any adventure films generally considered among the greates ever, but I believe that The Man Who Would Be King is just as viable a candidate for this honor as any of the other films I menioned here.

Based on a tale by Rudyard Kipling, it begins in India. Kipling (Christopher Plummer), a reporter, makes a number of encounters with freeloaders Peachy Carnehan and Daniel Dravot (Michael Caine and Sean Connery). Like him, they are freemasons, and use their lodge brotherhood to obtain things (mostly advice) from him. They travel to Kafiristan, a legendary region in the Himalayas never visited by Europeans since Alexander the Great, where they intend to set themselves up as kings. After an arduous journey there, they are very successful: Danny is even considered a god and heir to Alexander. This sets a rift between the comrades, but they are reunited as Danny is found out to be a mortal. They go down fighting together. Danny is killed, Peachy escapes to tell the fantastic story to Kipling.

And a fantastic story it is. Though by late 20th century standards Peachy and Danny are horrible people (racist, imperialist, shamelessly self-interested), yet they are irresistably charismatic. We want them to succeed in their quixotic quest. Despite all their flaws, they are men of their word and absolutely devoted to each other. Though Danny's stint as a god ends in disaster, nothing could make us feel better than the pair standing by each other in the end.

John Huston considered the Kipling as a possible movie for years. The Peachy and Danny pairs he contemplated included Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, and Paul Newman and Marlon Brando. Perhaps it is fortunate that he waited as long as he did: Caine and Connery are ideal. Both are callow enough to be believable, but charismatic enough to be irresistible. They have a great chemistry together. One can believe that they are lifelong friends.

With films such as The African Queen, Huston became known for exotic location shoots. Such is certainly the case here. The valley of Kafiristan is extraordinarily foreign (it was filmed in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco). There are cities built on steep hills with the exotic sounds of drumming, wailing of instruments, and ululating natives. The holy city of Sikandergul, where Danny's coronation as god occurs, is a marvel, full of winding passages, treasure chambers, idols, and ancient priests. Huston and his able technical crew create the lost mountain kingdom of one's dreams.

I believe this is the finest adventure movie ever made, edging out such classics as The Adventures of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn version), The Thief of Bagdad (either the Douglas Fairbanks or Sabu version), and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Like all those films, it has a sweep and majesty, with visuals that amaze the eye and stir the imagination. And even more those other classics, this one has a moving human story that adds power to the film as a whole.

There are some films, perhaps, which are "greater" than this one, but none that I enjoy more.

Four stars