THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (1975)
Updated: Dec 13, 2022
An Incredible Story of Adventure, Friendship, and Power
Grade: A+
** Spoiler Alert! **
Many stories have been told throughout the years of lands in the grip of turmoil and despair that are saved by an outside messianic figure. In most stories like this, the hero has a good heart and wants to merely rid the world of evil. But the main characters in The Man Who Would Be King, based on a story by famed author Rudyard Kipling, are not like that. They set out to a new land for the express purpose of becoming its rulers, and their lack of actual respect for the people and their customs ultimately becomes their downfall. Directed by John Huston, the man who helmed such classics as The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The African Queen (1951), The Man Who Would Be King is a truly epic film that successfully makes its audience to care for the two protagonists, despite their selfish motives.
Told largely in flashback, The Man Who Would Be King begins and ends in the office of the original writer, Rudyard Kipling (Christopher Plummer), in India in 1885. One dark night, he is approached by a haggard man who reveals himself to be Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine), who came to Kipling long ago along with his friend, Danny Dravot (Sean Connery) to get the author to legalize a contract centered on a journey the two friends were planning to make: to travel to the distant country of Kafiristan (now the Nuristan province of Afghanistan). Dravot and Carnehan are former sergeants of the British Army and, being bored with their lives and disillusioned with the bureaucrats and rulers of British India, they wish to become kings of Kafiristan. After braving a raging river, Afghan bandits and oppressive snowy mountains, they arrive in Kafiristan and proceed to help a tribal leader overthrow his enemies. Once this is done, they ally the two tribes together, and repeat this process until they have the allegiance of nearly every village in the country. Eventually, Dravot becomes king and he and Frenchy plan to make off with the treasure of Alexander the Great, who lived for a time in Kafiristan long ago. But when Dravot changes his mind and decides to stay king, his new orders do not sit too well with the elders, and his rule eventually unravels.
The Man Who Would Be King has so many elements that are done right. It has grand adventure, gorgeous cinematography, incredible acting, and a great story. The film was shot largely on location in Morocco and sports some breathtaking images of mountains and desert. Connery and Caine work off each other incredibly; their camaraderie seems all too real as they go from petty criminals who scheme to blackmail a rajah to rulers of a country. They come into a disagreement when Dravot decides to stay king, but they ultimately remain friends.
The main theme that elevates the film from being a mere adventure is the central premise, which is essentially two men from a powerful nation taking advantage of a lesser developed country. Before they even reach their destination, they placate their traveling companions on a desert caravan by disguising themselves as a mad priest and his servant and telling the onlookers that all their wishes will come true. Upon arriving in Kafiristan, they gain the respect of one of the villages by using their rifles against their enemies. Soon the other tribes are convinced that Dravot is a god when an arrow that strikes him in battle does not even draw blood (it hits the leather ammo belt under his coat). Specifically, they believe he is the son of Alexander the Great, and Carnehan convinces Dravot to play along with this idea.
These decisions obviously make Dravot and Carnehan flawed characters, but the movie does not portray them as heartless outsiders, either. They do their best to honor and respect the locals after they arrive, reminding each other that the customs of Kafiristan differ from their own when they are repulsed by what they see. When Dravot becomes king, he exercises his authority for the benefit of his new subjects.
But despite Dravot’s reverence by the people, he is still only human. And when he decides to take a wife so Kafiristan can have future kings, the elders are uneasy, since according to their traditions it is improper for gods to have children with mortals. From the moment Dravot vehemently orders them to bring him his wife, there is a buildup of suspense; we know this can only end in one way. When Carnehan’s story ends and the scene shifts back to Kipling’s office, the audience is left just as stunned as Kipling by the outcome. The final shot in the film is an incredibly powerful and tragic image that audiences will not easily forget.
The Man Who Would Be King is remarkably short for a film of its kind; while other epics like Gone with the Wind (1939) or Lawrence of Arabia (1962) are three or four hours long, Man Who Would Be King clocks in at two hours and eight minutes. But this runtime is still sufficient to convey the sheer power of such a grand and tragic tale. The Man Who Would Be King is an excellent example of filmmaking, acting and storytelling, and it is not to be missed.
Director: John Huston
Producer: John Foreman
Screenplay: John Huston, Gladys Hill (Based on the novella by Rudyard Kipling)
Cast: Sean Connery (Daniel Dravot), Michael Caine (Peachy Carnehan), Christopher Plummer (Rudyard Kipling), Saeed Jaffrey (Billy Fish), Shakira Caine (Roxanne), Doghmi Larbi (Ootah), Jack May (District Commissioner)
Rated: PG
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