What makes a great film? Terrific cast, well-written storyline, on-spot directing. This film has it all. From the first shot, you can see the effort from both filmmakers and actors. Also, the hugeness of casting makes you take a minute to question “How a movie like this can be shooted?” at the end of the movie. It is really hard to find and see that level of dedication from these great actors Micheal Caine and Sean Connery with an amazing harmony.
The film tells two British ex-soldiers who became full-time ramblers in the area of British colonized India. The adventure starts where they planned to got to Kafiristan after getting frustrated from lack of opportunities and monkey-businesses in the more regulized India. They made an impudent plan to reach the mountains of Kafiristan with 20 rifles and ammunition over India to be the emperors. The plan was they will offer their services to a chief, help him to conquer his neighbours in the area. Then, planning to overthrow the ruler and loot him and return in triumph laden with riches.
Kafiristan present-day name Nuristan.
After passing in through the blizzards and cold, fighting through bandits as they finally reached the Kafirstan in search of wealth and power. Luckily they met Gurkaho aka Billy Fish who can speak both fluent English and local language. They agreed with the ruler to offering their services thanks to Gurka. After, they begin to create a force with surrounded by modern weapons and war-tactics. Times passes, they knuckle down to go in a fight where miraculous thing happened when an arrow pierces Dravot’s jacket. Luckıly he stayed unharmed thanks to his leather bandolier.
The real story begins afterward where both sides believed that he is a God. He takes the throne and victory follows victory until there is no one left to fight. One day Dravot gets a message from a messenger which he tells he has to meet with the high priest of the region ımmedıatly. He goes there to meet but he understands that it was a set up to make him bleed and determine if he is really a god or a man. Set-up fails as soon as they saw the sacred necklace which is a symbol of Alexandre the Great who promised to send his son.
Hailing Dravot asking as well as a god, they show him the royal treasury, which is full of unimaginable amounts of gold and jewels that are now all his. Carnehan suggests that they leave with as much loot as they can carry as soon as the snows have melted on the mountain passes. However, it was January and they need to wait 4 months to travel back home.
Since the 4 months where he stayed as a King makes roads, bridges, deciding the local cases like a judge where he feels the euphoria of victory and power.
WHAT MAKES A KING
He dreams about creating a country with a flag, nations build under it where he overrules make countries own destiny without spending a single dime.
You realize things getting serious when Dravot gets angry to Carnehan laughter in the judgment case on a man breach the confidence to get more cow from villagers. Where he really feels responsible for the community instead of humbugging.
“What are you laughing at? Without cattle, there ain’t no meat no hives no hooves no horns; without milk, there ain’t no butter no cheese and children’s balls go empty!”
You also question how to be a king? So a regular man got what it takes to be a king or its the matter of environment and position where he finds himself as a king and rules the country. It also gives reference to me to Trading Places(1983) where you change the top Harvard graduate CEO manager with a beggarman and it works as the same/
So it tells it is just a matter of environment to decide who would be a good king or manager.
the destiny versus luck
- In the last conversations after Carnehan decided to leave he told Dravot that he should come with him.
“Danny we’ve had this rare streak of luck. Let’s quit winners for once, cutting around while running is good.”
He responds, “You call it luck, I call destiny!”
Which you give him a point where he believes from the start of their journey that he believes that he will be king so blindly and life just created scenarios and miracles that put the puzzle together like its a destiny.
time to quit
It also implies the winners high after hitting a jackpot or winning a long streak of the gamble. Which they often believe it will go on forever and the destiny is waiting. In the business field, some startups do this as well. One big hit product followed by failed enterprises. Hitting once may make you believe you got a touch of Midas where everything you touch will turn old but it won’t. If you are building the structure you always have to make your base strong to prevent building to fall down… But of course, no imposture goes forever. As Abrahan Lincoln said;
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
Abraham Lincoln
Notes about the director from IMDB.
“John Huston’s direction is among the best of his career, and in terms of his ability to use both sprawling vistas and tight, almost claustrophobic photography, owes a nod to his earlier work, including The African Queen, Night of the Iguana and the Treasure of the Sierra Madre. As examples, witness the zenith of Peachy and Daniel’s hazardous trek through the mountains played out in full panoramic detail, only to be followed 90 minutes later by the tight shot of Kipling’s face, the revulsion fairly etched into every crease as we reach the climax.”
+++ Here is a great song by Libertines…
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