The Man Who Would Be King

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The Man Who Would Be King

PG

1975

2h 9m

Adventure

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, this adventure film follows the exploits of Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dravot, English military officers stationed in India. Tired of life as soldiers, the two travel to the isolated land of Kafiristan, where they are ultimately embraced by the people and revered as rulers. After a series of misunderstandings, the natives come to believe that Dravot is a god, but he and Carnehan can't keep up their deception forever.

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Helen Frizell

Sydney Morning Herald

02/25/2025

Very good, indeed, it is mysterious, sometimes chilling, and always attention-holding.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

10/25/2023

The director's love of the material is palpable; it makes one smile.

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Geoff Brown

Sight & Sound

01/28/2020

The result, as one might expect, is lively, totally assured, and certainly one of Huston's more bracing movies, though inevitably the story emerges much expanded, with different emphases.

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Steve Warren

The Barb (Atlanta)

05/09/2023

There is no point to The Man Who Would Be King-- it's just for fun, like the movie epics they used to make.

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David Dugas

United Press International

08/03/2022

Huston finally has realized his ambition with the pretty much perfect teaming of Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Christopher Plummer is excellent as Kipling himself and it's a bloody good show.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

04/16/2021

3.5/4

Director John Huston had wanted to adapt Rudyard Kipling's story for decades, but the adage "better late than never" certainly applies here, given the splendid results.

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Robert H

@RT67230581 Jul 25

Connery and Caine at their very best.

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Matthew D

@OceanSage Jun 1

Classic John Huston epic! John Huston’s epic adventure-comedy The Man Who Would Be King (1975) is an all timer with a grand scale and intimate dramatic performances. John Huston seems to clearly influencing Dreamworks for their delightful adventure-comedy musical The Road to El-Dorado beat for beat. The Man Who Would Be King is a splendidly entertaining picture with scores of extras and massive sets. The camels, goats, and mules are outnumbered by all the Moroccan actors in the vast deserts there as Huston filmed a believable odyssey through Afghanistan. I think John Huston strikingly adapts Rudyard Kipling’s original story, while conveying his parable theme of greed destroying men without morals. Sean Connery is very funny as this stout Scottish conman Daniel Dravot, especially alongside the ever hilarious and engaging Englishman Michael Caine as Peachy Carnehan. Their chemistry has perfect comedic timing and a natural charm.

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Ellen S

@ECSchwartz Mar 19

This is my favorite movie of all time. The acting is terrific--Caine and Connery are alternately endearing and infuriating complex characters. The dialogue is wonderful. It hews closely to the Kipling original; it also expands and fleshes out elements of what is really just a short story. Settings are exotic, fantastic. The music both expresses the action and the emotions, while evoking the exotic aspects of this wonderful adventure story.

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Jim P

@RT08384096 Mar 9

Caine and Connery together in a fine adventure yarn. Great entertainment! Watch out for the girl "Roxanne"; Caine's wife in real life!

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Seth C

@SPChamberlain Mar 2

A perfect Greek Tragedy

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Chris H

@RT60525826 Feb 2

A great watch. A mad adventure, with a clever premise and historical intrigue; the performances are terrific and the landscapes are stunning. The "frame story" structure gives both the beginning and end of the film added resonance.

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Daniel Dravot

Michael Caine

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Synopsis

Based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, this adventure film follows the exploits of Peachy Carnehan and Danny Dravot, English military officers stationed in India. Tired of life as soldiers, the two travel to the isolated land of Kafiristan, where they are ultimately embraced by the people and revered as rulers. After a series of misunderstandings, the natives come to believe that Dravot is a god, but he and Carnehan can't keep up their deception forever.

Director: John Huston
Producer: John Foreman
Screenwriter: John Huston, Gladys Hill
Distributor: Allied Artists Pictures
Production Co: Allied Artists, Devon/Persky-Bright, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 1975, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Runtime: 2h 9m

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