The son of God goes forth to war.

Rating: 10/10 (28 March 2008)

I love this movie. I don't think I'd put it as my favorite, but it definitely is in the top 10. Everything was superb. Director John Huston, actors Sean Connery, Michael Caine, and Christopher Plummer, the supporting cast, the story, everything.
The story is that Peachy (Caine) has returned to India to tell Rudyard Kipling (Plummer) about his adventure with Danny (Connery). Kipling had earlier met Peachy when Peachy tried to return his watch after stealing it (All three men are Freemasons, so Peachy's theft was taboo). Peachy and Danny have hatched a plot to blackmail a local Rajah, which Kipling turns in to save them from punishment. Later, Peachy and Danny, who are ex-soldiers, ask Kipling to witness a contract between them that they will venture to become kings of Kafiristan (a then mysterious province in current day Afghanistan) rather than stay in India or return to Britian. Before leaving, Kipling gives Danny his watch charm (the masonic square and compasses) for good luck. The rest of the story, is told by Peachy as he recounts the journey he and Danny took to get to Kafiristan and their subsequent attempt to become rulers of that land.
The cast certainly is strong. Some of the supporting cast are unknowns, such as Karroom Ben Bouih as the High Priest (his only film role at the age of 103), or Doghmi Larbi as Ootah, and the relatively unknown Shakira Caine (Mrs. Michael Caine) as Roxanne. Saeed Jaffrey who plays Gurkha Billy Fish is relatively unknown to the United States, but has a very strong acting resume (the first Asian to receive an OBE for services to drama). This is added to by a rich stable of stand-ins who look as close to the real thing as one can get. This adds to the already powerful performances by Connery and Caine.
Director John Huston certainly did a fantastic job on this film. It may not be as well known as "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Treasure of Sierra Madre," but it delivers as powerful of a performance as either of those two films. Huston shows in this that he never lost a step as a director or a story teller (he co-wrote the screenplay).
What I really enjoy about this movie is that it has quite a few masonic overtones. Kipling was a Freemason and certainly put masonic content into all his stories (in this film it is a major plot point). However, this story is enjoyable and poignant regardless of whether you are a Mason.