The only film to co-star British cinematic icons (and long-time friends) Michael Caine and Sean Connery, The Man Who Would Be King is a late-career highlight from American director John Huston and also a notably old fashioned epic to have been made by a major Hollywood studio in the mid-1970s. While on the surface it is a romping adventure following two British officers in India who venture North into Afghanistan in search of wealth and power among the primitive locals, the film is a scathing indictment of British Colonialism. At the time of the film’s release, comparisons could also be made about US foreign policy, particularly in Vietnam, but that is not to say Huston & Co don’t know how to have fun. Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, who is portrayed within the film by Christopher Plummer, The Man Who Would Be King proved that they could still make them like they used to and ranks as one of the best in both its lead actors’ filmographies. To this day, Sean Connery regards it as his favourite of his own films. And coming from James Bond, that’s some claim.
The Man Who Would Be King
