The Man Who Would Be King

Colour, 35 mm
USA, 1975, 129 min
Section: Tribute to John Huston (1906-1987)

Synopsis

Kafiristan lies in the far-flung, north-western corner of Afghanistan. Two former British soldiers, Danny and Peachy, set out for the mountainous province where no one has set foot since Alexander the Great to take advantage of the warriors of the backward tribes and conquer the country. The genius of this film, John Huston’s lifelong project, lies in the fascinating combination of a grand spectacle of adventurism and the author’s personal confessions. The message of this “buddy movie” about the brief odyssey of a pair of charming scoundrels is that playing God might not pay off, but it’s a lot more exciting than a life of mediocrity out of harm’s way. Huston’s model for the film was his favourite story by Rudyard Kipling, to which he added a sardonic edge with the help of his collaborator of many years, screenwriter Gladys Hill. Creditable performances by Michael Caine and Sean Connery in the lead roles create, among other things, an exceptionally witty parody of British colonial imperialism.