This adaptation of the famous short story by Rudyard Kipling tells the story of Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnahan, two ex-soldiers in India when it was under British rule. They decide that the country is too small for them, so they head off to Kafiristan in order to become Kings in their own right. Kipling is seen as a character that was there at the beginning, and at the end of this glorious tale.



"The Man Who Would Be King" was a bit of an anachronism when it was released in 1975. The swashbuckling adventure stories of Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power were considered outdated by that point and rather old hat. They'd been replaced by more realistic epics (such as "Lawrence of Arabia") and straight-up action flicks with more brutal violence on display ("The French Connection" and "Dirty Harry"). That may be why it isn't as fondly remembered as either its contemporaries or its influences. No matter however. Everything that made the adventure films of the 30s and 40s so enjoyable to watch is on full display here. Two irascible yet likable characters, a sense of humor, and a general sense of excitement permeate this film like none other at the time.

In addition to an exciting story and screenplay, the technical aspects of this production are superb as well. The direction by John Huston is, as always, simply superb. He keeps everything engrossing and moving at a lightning quick pace. After seeing this and his earlier masterpieces, he's becoming one of my favorite directors. Plus, the casting of Sean Connery and Michael Caine in the lead roles couldn't have been any more perfect. Both men have loads of screen appeal and were movie stars for a reason, but they were fantastic actors as well. "The Man Who Would Be King" remains one of the most purely entertaining bits of cinematic escapism ever made. IMDB comment



El Hombre que quería ser rey
A finales del siglo XIX dos militares británicos, miembros de una logia masónica, Daniel Dravot y Peachy Carnehan (Sean Connery y Michael Caine) se dedican en la India a realizar actividades de legalidad más que dudosa. Cuando oyen hablar del Kafiristán, un legendario reino situado más allá de las montañas del Himalaya, deciden probar fortuna. Tras un viaje en el que están cerca de perecer, consiguen llegar a su destino. Allí consiguen unir a pequeñas aldeas para formar un ejército con la idea de autoproclamarse reyes del Kafiristán. Sin embargo, los nativos consideran a Dravot un dios al sobrevivir al ataque de una flecha. Los dos británicos aprovechan entonces esta nueva situación para ir más allá en sus ambiciosas pretensiones.



L'Homme qui voulut être roi
A la fin du XIXème siècle, Rudyard Kipling, un jeune journaliste installé en Inde, fait la connaissance de Daniel Dravot et de Peachy Carnehan, deux anciens sergents de l'armée britannique à la recherche de la fortune et de la gloire. Après un long et périlleux voyage via l'Afghanistan, ces derniers pénètrent dans une contrée sauvage, le Kafristan, où des villageois sont en guerre contre une ville rivale. Tous deux s'engagent dans la bataille. Au cours des combats, Dravot reçoit une flèche en pleine poitrine, mais continue à lutter. En réalité, la flèche s'est plantée dans la catouchière. Mais aux yeux du peuple, il passe pour un être surnaturel, le dieu Sikander, fils d'Alexandre le Grand. Après ce miracle supposé, Dravot est proclamé roi du Kafristan et bénéficie de la puissance absolue. Mais le pouvoir peut corrompre même le meilleur des hommes.



O homem que queria ser rei
Narrado em flashback por um velho aparentemente perturbado (Caine) a Rudyard Kipling (Plummer), na redação de seu jornal, o filme conta a história de dois rudes ex-soldados britânicos, expulsos do exército, que no século XIX se dirigem à Índia, então sob domínio da Grã-Bretanha, em busca de aventuras e riqueza e acabam se tornando reis do povo da longínqua e inexplorada região do Cafiristão, onde nenhum homem branco havia posto os pés desde Alexandre, o Grande e depois perdem tudo, inclusive, um deles, a vida.





28