The Man Who Would Be King is a 1975 epic historical adventure film directed by legendary filmmaker John Huston. Adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s 1888 novella, the movie stars Sean Connery and Michael Caine as two rogue ex-soldiers who leave late 19th-century British India in search of fortune, ultimately seizing control of the remote, unmapped territory of Kafiristan. The film is celebrated as one of the last great classic Hollywood epics, brilliantly blending swashbuckling comedy with a tragic critique of imperialism.
The story is framed through a meeting in India with author Rudyard Kipling (played by Christopher Plummer), who listens to a harrowing tale told by a disheveled survivor, Peachy Carnehan. Former British Army sergeants Daniel “Danny” Dravot (Sean Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Michael Caine) realize India is too small for their ambitions. They sign a contract promising to conquer Kafiristan, a hostile land in modern-day Afghanistan where no white man has stepped foot since Alexander the Great.
Armed with rifles and military expertise, they cross the brutal Hindu Kush mountains. They ally with a local tribe, train an army with the help of a local translator named Billy Fish (Saeed Jaffrey), and take over the land. During a skirmish, Dravot is struck by an arrow but survives unharmed because it hits his bandolier. The superstitious natives mistake him for a god and the literal son of Alexander the Great. Dravot is crowned king and gains access to a massive ancient treasure chamber.
Power corrupts Dravot, who begins to believe his own divine hype, breaking his pact with Peachy to remain single. He demands to marry a beautiful local woman, Roxanne (played by Shakira Caine, Michael Caine’s real-life wife). Terrified of marrying a god, Roxanne bites him during the ceremony, drawing blood. Seeing his mortality, the angry crowd turns on them, leading to a tragic, iconic finale.
John Huston spent nearly 20 years trying to get this movie made. He originally wanted to film it in the 1950s starring Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, but Bogart died before it could happen. Later pairings considered included Burt Lancaster/Kirk Douglas and Paul Newman/Robert Redford. To replicate the rugged topography of the Khyber Pass and Afghanistan, the production was shot heavily on location in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, utilizing thousands of local extras.
Connery and Caine were close friends in real life, which translated into phenomenal, improvised buddy chemistry on screen. The film was nominated for four Oscars at the 48th Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay. Both Connery and Caine have considered the movie their favorite of all they had worked on.
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