"The Man Who Would King (1975): The story behind... " Topic

…the film & the conflicts behind the establishment of the British Empire, 1830-1901

"The film The Man Who Would be King is director John Huston's interpretation of British Imperial policy and the idealized exploits of the adventurers and soldiers of Queen Victoria's Empire in the late 19th century inspired by the original short novel. In particular the movie concerns the exploits of two former British army officers' adventures in Kafiristan, a remote part of the wild and open mountain ranges of Afghanistan.

Based on the novel of the same name by famed Imperial era author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), The Man Who Would Be King is an historical inspired if ultimately idealize portrait of the imperial age and spirit. The real life adventures of James Brooke, the White Rajah of Brunei, mentioned very briefly in the original story, is most certainly an inspiration for Kipling's original 1888 novel.

The story begins as the reminisces of Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnehan, two former soldiers in the British Army who are planning an expedition to the remote region of Kafiristan, in the Hindu Kush mountain region of Afghanistan. Both Carnehan (Michael Caine) and Dravot (Sean Connery) are rather unapologetic believers in the "white man's burden" whose experiences in the other Imperialist wars of the period have shaped their opinions of the British Empire and its subjects.

With a small stockpile of Martini-Henry rifles and ammunition, the two adventurers (and filibusters) set out from the Khyber Pass, on the border of the British Raj (modern-day Pakistan), planning to install Dravot as King of Kafiristan, a region inhabited by mostly non-Muslims…"

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What a great movie!
So many good memories!.

Do you enjoye it?

Amicalement
Armand

One of my all time favorites!

I remember it being a wonderful movie. Definite gaming scenario gold mine, of course!

Rob

Having seen the film I later read the original story, which is significantly different in many respects – as is often the case with Hollywood. In this case, I much prefer the film.

terrific film

Agreed, a fine film.

Agree, fond memories

Glad about the good memories boys!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Loved it!

Read "Flashman and the Mountain of Light" for a fictional take on Doctor Harlan.
I think it's one of the better Flashman books.

Terrific movie for all concerned. Another great one for Huston, who directed many of my favorite films.

Excellent, excellent film. Intelligent script, terrific performances by the two leads, crisp direction, superb cinematography, outstanding moody soundtrack, plus: a Gurkha! (Portrayed by a non-Gurkha, but still…) Location filming was done in Morocco.

I have to say the short story was a disappointment after the movie, but it's not without merit in its own right. The paperback novelization of the movie by Michael Hardwick isn't a bad read, and a nice souvenir.

Funny, I also saw the movie first, when I was ten years-old, and read the long short-story/novella soon after. I love the movie but I have to disagree with you guys, I liked the original story even better. In fact, it's one of my all-time favorites, along with Kipling's "The Drums of the Fore and Aft".

For any fellow TMPers here in Southern California, "The Man Who Would be King" is going to play on a double-bill with one of my other all-time favorites: "The Wind & The Lion" this Friday at the Aero Theatre on Montana in Santa Monica, starting at 7:30pm. Unfortunately for me my son has a jazz concert at school that night, or else I'd be dragging my entire family. It is kind of an ultimate Colonial gamer's double-bill.

That would be a great double bill!

Two movies in which Sean Connery goes native.

"Josiah the Great" by Ben Macintyre is a great biography of Harlan, the real-life 'Man who would be King"

Sean Connery's Best!

I wonder if Captain Tristram Speedy of Abyssinia fame was another source of inspiration for TMWWBK.

Definitely one of my favorite movies!
JB