Rent The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

A Great Adventure tale - The Man Who Would Be King review by GI

A fantastic, exciting adventure film from veteran director John Huston and starring real life friends Sean Connery and Michael Caine. It doesn't get any better than that. Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling and set in the 1880's this tells the tale of Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnahan, two ne'er do well former British soldiers who have remained in India after leaving the army to seek adventure and riches. They come up with a dangerous plan to travel north into the unmapped area of Kafiristan in search of treasure. After a tortuous journey they rally the local tribesmen into a rebel army and march on the holy palace where due to a bizarre incident Daniel is mistaken for the descendant of Alexander The Great and worshipped as a God. It's not long before this goes to his head and their deception starts to unravel. Caine and Connery are magnificent and the film is a rollicking good yarn aided by Christopher Plummer as Kipling. It's a super film and arguably one of the greatest of adventure films.

One star for the scenery - The Man Who Would Be King review by TE

Painful to watch in 2020, with its relentless parade of casual racism. At least this makes it true to Kipling's original story.

It's a shame that John Huston chose to direct such a childish tale of misplaced derring-do.

Michael Caine's performance was rightly panned by the critics when the film came out. His shrill Cockney mannerisms grate from the start. The depths are plumbed when he and Connery adopt the red tunics and white pith helmets that featured in 'Zulu', some 10 years earlier.

There are some striking backgrounds (the film was shot in Morocco) but that is the only good thing about this dreadful turkey.

Double Act. - The Man Who Would Be King review by Steve

Rudyard Kipling's satire on the epic folly of empire makes for a rousing, red blooded adventure story and a splendid star vehicle for Sean Connery and Michael Caine. They are a pair of demobbed soldiers in India who blunder into the wild mountains of Afghanistan intent on becoming mercenary warlords while looting a fortune.

Of course, they are destroyed by their hubris and their greed. Kipling's story is an allegory for the British expansion into the Indian continent, and the egomaniacal hypocrisy of their mission. But it seems likely that writer/director John Huston was more interested in making a ripping yarn about the agents of free enterprise exploiting uncharted lands.

And he presents the indigenous people as foolish archetypes, or witless savages. The film mainly centres on the two stars, who deliver boisterous, flamboyant performances. And they are very funny. The ironic script is literate and poetic and the recreation of late nineteenth century India is delightfully vivacious.

There is a spectacular adventure tale to be found here, if you can set aside what now could be considered offensive. It's a thrilling pageant of virtuoso film making. Connery and Caine run amok. Yet it is also carelessly cruel. And Huston clearly relishes his duo of bogus empire builders. Most viewers will probably find themselves on either end of this spectrum.