An overlooked classic that belongs on everyone's must-see list!

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2004)

This is one of those movies about which they say, "they just don't make them like that anymore." Director John Huston, a legendary master who had had this film in his head for over 20 years when he finally made it, delivers a multi-layered masterpiece- it is a brilliant character study, a social commentary, a political allegory, a tragic comedy (or a comic tragedy, depending on your perspective), an exploration of the ironies of fate, and a thrilling adventure story. But Huston saw it as tale of the human spirit, and that is what comes through as we follow the misadventures of Danny and Peachy. In another film, a lesser film, these characters and their actions would be judged, especially in today's culturally sensitive world. Not so here, as Huston's gift for getting to the marrow combines with the top-grade acting skills of Sean Connery and Michael Caine to get us past the morally ambiguous details of the story and fill us with admiration for the heroism of these two deplorable rogues. Best of all, it is a rousing adventure yarn that truly makes you think- at moments when you least expect it. It is one of those rare films that imparts complex wisdom through simplicity. And although it is a 30-year old film of a 50-year old idea based on a 100-year old story, it is not dated- the underlying observations about imperialism are eerily relevant to our world today.