An Overlooked Masterful Epic

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2009)

The Man Who Would Be King is one of the finest epics ever made. John Huston was no stranger to stories which explored the darker aspects of the human psyche, and borrowed Kipling's short-story to weave a tale about greed, arrogance and above all friendship.
Michael Caine and Sean Connery, during the best period of their careers, play two former British soldiers who make their living as con-men throughout Her Majesty's mighty empire, hatching daring plans and getting out of scraps with panache. One day they decide to travel and conquer Kafiristan, a land visited only by Alexander the Great. Their plan is bold: to cross the mountains, survive the winters and the raiders; defeat the local tribes with modern weaponry and then unite all tribes under a single nation.
It all looks pretty sound until Daniel (Connery in one of his best performances) starts believing the local legends that me may be Alxander the Great's son; power goes to his head and, like in a Greek play, he brings about his own demise.
The movie is equally funny, adventurous, sad and epic. There's never a dull moment in it, thanks to the great script full of amusing dialogues and thanks to the great performances by Caine and Connery. Endlessly watchable and unforgettable, The Man Who Would Be King is the movie anyone should watch when their looking for a way to have a good time.