The Man Who Would Be King (film)
The Man Who Would Be King is a 1975 film adapted from the Rudyard Kipling story of the same title. It was adapted and directed by John Huston and starred Sean Connery as Daniel Dravot, Michael Caine as Peachey Carnehan, Saeed Jaffrey as Billy Fish , and Christopher Plummer as Kipling (giving a name to the story's anonymous narrator).
The Kipling story tells the tale of two British ex-soldiers who set off from 19th century British India in search of adventure, and end up as kings of Kafiristan. The story is believed to have been inspired by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan during the period of the Great Game between Imperial Russia and the British Empire.
Shot on location in Morocco, Huston had planned to make the film since the 1950's: originally with Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, then Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, and then Robert Redford and Paul Newman — Newman suggested Connery and Caine. Like much of his writing, Kipling's original story is overtly imperialist; in Huston's telling, both East and West have their faults and virtues. In a retrospective review, the New York Times remarked "Gloriously old-fashioned in its approach – right down to the characters' politically incorrect attitudes toward anyone who isn't one hundred per cent British – The Man Who Would Be King is pure entertainment in the grand tradition of Gunga Din."
Michael Caine has maintained that if any film of his is remembered after his death, it would be The Man Who Would Be King because it is the sort of film that everyone says, even when the film came out, "No-one makes pictures like this any more."
Although the film was shot in North Africa, the ethnic clothing and dancers in the background are clearly not middle-eastern, but of Central Asian origin. Maurice Jarre scored the film and invited classical Indian musicians to participate in the recording sessions with a traditional European symphony, blending the musical styles for the melodies, based around the hymn "The Moreen", (although the lyrics are those of Reginald Heber's "The Son of God Goes Forth to War"), which figures in the plot. Sean Connery and Michael Caine are heard singing on the LP and CD of the film music.
Plot
While
at the offices of the Northern Star newspaper, Kipling is approached by a ragged,
seemingly crazed derelict, who reveals himself to be his old acquaintance Peachy
Carnehan. Peachy tells Kipling the story of how he and his companion Danny Dravot
traveled to remote Kafiristan in modern-day Afghanistan, became gods, and ultimately
lost everything.
Sean Connery (Danny) and Michael Caine (Peachy).After
meeting Kipling at his newspaper office a few years earlier and signing a contract
pledging mutual loyalty, they set off on an epic overland journey North beyond
the Khyber Pass, beyond any explored regions into the unknown land of Khafiristan
(Literally, "Land of Strangers"). Here, they chance upon a Ghurka who
uses the English name Billy Fish, given him by his regiment as being more pronounceable,
the only survivor of a mapping expedition years before. Billy speaks perfect English,
as well as the local tongue, and it is he, acting as translator of the language
and interpretor of the customs and manners, who is able to smoothe the path of
Peachy and Danny as they begin their rise to royalty, first offering their services
as military advisors, trainers and battle leaders. Carnehan and Dravot muster
an army from the natives of a Kafiristan village. In their first battle, the natives
decide that Daniel is a god after he is shot with an arrow in the chest but continues
fighting. In fact, the arrow has struck a bandolier beneath his clothing and become
lodged in it, but the natives don't know this. When they arrive in the holy city
of Sikandergul, the natives recognize the Masonic medal given to Danny by Kipling
as a symbol of Alexander the Great (the story perpetuates the myth of masonic
antiquity, naming Alexander as being a "builder" and the tribesmen reveal
heirlooms from Alexander displaying masonic symbols) in a cargo cult context and
declare the men to be gods.
Danny has delusions of grandeur. Acknowledged as Sikander come again by the Holy men of the City, Danny sets himself up as high king of Khafiristan, and begins to enforce laws and judgements, while making plans to civilize the land into a modern country, aided by Billy Fish, who has fallen into the role of translator and privy counselor. As the months turn, Peachy wants to sneak out of the city with chests of gold and jewels before the winter passes are closed. Danny is against it, trying to point out how ruling the land takes precedence over treasure now he is king. He goes as far as to suggest that Peachy should bow to him like the others. Disgusted, Peachy decides to leave with as much treasure as he can carry, with his old friend's blessing. Danny, however, decides to take a wife from among the natives, to cement the royal line, much against Peachy's advice; he chooses Roxanna (played by Michael Caine's wife Shakira), and Peachy waits until after the wedding- "For old time's sake"- before leaving. Roxanna fears no woman can live if they consort with a god, and so tries to escape from Daniel, biting him in the process. The bite draws blood, and when the natives see it they realise Daniel is human after all, and pursue him and Peachy through the streets of his erstwhile kingdom. Trapped, Billy tries to buy time by holding back the mob single handedly, but the pair are captured and revealed as mortal men. Danny is killed when forced to walk to the middle of a rope bridge over a deep gorge; the ropes supporting it are cut as he as he bravely sings the hymn "The Son of God Goes Forth to War" as he falls to his death Peachy finishes the verse. Peachy is horribly crucified between two palm trees, but is cut down and released the next day. At the end of the film, as Peachy finishes his story, he presents Kipling with Danny's decaying head or what's left of it, still wearing its Kafiri crown.
Triva
The movie has Carnehan first
meeting Kipling after Carnehan steals Kipling's watch—-which he returns after
he realizes it has masonic symbols upon it; Carnehan tries to blame an Indian
for stealing the watch—-but Kipling is not fooled.
Billy Fish is accurately
depicted as a Ghurkha Rifleman, from the uniform to the Khukri knife. Billy's
attempt to buy Peachy time to escape by fearlessly charging an armed mob (and
killing several before being overcome by weight of numbers) is typical of his
warrior strain. His battle-cry, "AIHO GHURKHALI!" ("The Gurkhas
are Here!" - and everything that implies) is in fact the ancient war-cry
is still in use.
The movie is largely faithful to the original story, except
at the end which has the half-insane Carnehan leaving Dravot's head on Kipling's
desk. In the original story Carnehan takes Dravot's head with him; two days later
the unnamed narrator has Carnehan taken to an insane asylum where Carnehan dies
of exposure to sunstroke. No belongings are found with Carnehan. There are also
variations in the use of masonic detail - for more information on this see the
entry for Daniel Dravot.
Neal Morse recorded a song called The Man Who Would
Be King as part of the 'A Whole Nother Trip' section of his eponymous solo album.
In 1988, Sean Connery succeeded Michael Caine as the winner of the Academy
Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Cast
Sean Connery - Daniel Dravot
Michael Caine - Peachy Carnehan
Christopher Plummer - Rudyard Kipling
Saeed Jaffrey - Billy Fish
Doghmi Larbi - Ootah
Jack May - District
Commissioner
Karroom Ben Bouih - Kafu Selim
Mohammad Shamsi - Babu
Albert Moses - Ghulam
Paul Antrim - Mulvaney
Graham Acres - Officer
The Blue Dancers of Goulamine - Dancers
Shakira Caine - Roxanne
rest
of cast listed alphabetically:
Nadia Atbib - Dancer
Yvonne Ocampo -
Dancer
Gurmuks Singh - Sikh Soldier
Kimat Singh - Sikh Soldier
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