Review of The Wind and the Lion (1975) by Stuart K — 05 Sep 2012
Written and directed by John Milius, then hot off Dillinger (1973), he'd bagged himself a deal at MGM, and Milius wanted to do an adventure film in the vein of Rudyard Kipling and the Boy's Own adventures, and he took inspiration from a real kidnapping that happened in Morocco.
It's a good grand adventure, quite gung-ho as well, but it's the sort of film that doesn't get made now. In Morocco in 1904, American aristocrat Eden Pedecaris (Candice Bergen) and her children, William (Simon Harrison) and Jennifer (Polly Gottesman) are kidnapped by Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli (Sean Connery), the leader of a band of insurrectionists, looking to overthrow and humiliate Sultan Abdelaziz (Marc Zuber) and his uncle, the Bashaw of Tangier (Vladek Sheyba), in response to Morocco being divided up between England, France and Germany.
In America, President Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Keith) uses the kidnap story to ensure a re-election, despite protests from his Secretary of State, John Hay (John Huston). Meanwhile, it turns out that Eden Pedecaris is quite a match for Raisuli, who didn't expect a woman with tenacity.
It's a good adventure, with some good acting and good action, with lovely cinematography by Billy Williams, a sweeping score by Jerry Goldsmith and good locations in Spain, (which also doubles for Washington).
Connery might not be a first choice for a Moroccan bandit, but he has a charm which makes it pay off, despite having a Scottish accent. But, it would be good to see Milius make more films, as he has a good eye for visuals and spectacle.
This review of The Wind and the Lion (1975) was written by Stuart K on 05 Sep 2012.
The Wind and the Lion has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
