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Actors: Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Christopher Plummer
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Man Who Would Be King |
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This movie is based on a story by Rudyard Kipling. Danny (Sean Connery) and Peachy (Michael Caine) are two British officers in India who don't appreciate the prospect of going back to England and, after being war heroes, getting some simple mundane job to support themselves. They love adventure, and they've got one planned for themselves – to go to the remote kingdom of Kafiristan and become its kings, no less. Their idea is simple: they will join the first tribal leader they meet and help him to defeat his enemies, which shouldn't be hard with their military experience. They will eventually make this leader the greatest one in the land, and then kick him out and take his place. They sign a contract vowing not to touch women and wine until they achieve their goal, and set off.
After a long and difficult journey through the snowy mountains they finally reach Kafiristan. The kingdom had been once conquered and ruled by Alexander the Great, who was loved and admired by the locals. When Alexander had left, he had promised to return someday or to send his son to rule the land in his stead. It turns out that the people of Kafiristan are still waiting for him. In fact, they have a religion based on it: they believe Alexander is a god, and their priests are guarding his treasures until the day he returns. When Danny and Peachy come and begin their quest, winning one battle after another, the locals think that Danny is Alexander the Great's awaited son. Danny is at first reluctant to play a god, but Peachy convinces him, he says that it will help them to achieve their goal. Danny is taken to the high priest and eventually crowned the king of Kafiristan, with Alexander the Creat's treasury given over to him.
Here Danny suddenly changes his mind. Instead of taking the treasure and going back, as they had first planned, he wants to stay and rule Kafiristan and make it a great nation. Things go well at first, but then the locals find out that he is a mere mortal, not god. Danny and Peachy flee from the infuriated priests.
--Laura Southcombe, Resident Scholar
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Based on the Rudyard Kipling novel, THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING is a movie co-written and directed by John Huston in 1975. The picture earned four nominations for the Academy Awards.
Two friends travel through India and the Afghanistan mountains, survive the harsh climate and finally arrive in Kafiristan. Sean Connery is believed to be the son of Alexander the Great by the local tribes and is soon worshiped. But the local priests are not so happy with that and are waiting for revenge.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Man Who Would Be King |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Time/Era of Movie:
- 19th century
Wilderness adventure
Yes
Plotlets:
- getting wild with tribes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- infantry soldier
Age:
- 40's-50's
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair style
- short/standard curly (man)
Body type
- average (man)
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- blonde
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) bald
Body type
- muscular (man)
Unclothed?
- chest
How much in movie?
- 80%
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
- general circumstances
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- religious figure
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Hair color
- white
Hair type
- (man) bald
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Other Asian
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
Asia/Pacific
Yes
Asian country:
- India
Mountains/Cliffs
Yes
Mountains:
- climbing on trails
Misc setting
- moving train
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately messy visuals of dead
Movie makes you feel...
- concerned
- depressed/sad
How many deaths in film?
- dozens
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- seeing nude female butt
- seeing nude male butt
Kind of violence:
- land battles
- guns
- swords
Unusual forms of death
- dropped from large heights
- decapitated
- perforation--bullets
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Subtitles?
- No
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Orchestra/classical
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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