The Man Who Would Be King Story Review

Probably one of the most well known and popular films of all time, The Man Who Would Be King is a story about a man who is a military officer in India. In the story, he is revered by the Kafiristan natives and believed to be the king of the land. In the film, the character is played by Sean Connery.

Film adaptation

Adapted from the 1888 Rudyard Kipling short story, The Man Who Would Be King is an adventure film featuring two rogue ex-soldiers who plan a daring rescue mission in Kafiristan, a fictional, faraway Asian country. But when their scheme fails, they become anxious to leave the place.

The film is directed by John Huston, who wrote the screenplay for The Jungle Book. It’s a surprisingly witty, well-made film, and features some fine acting. But, despite its success, it didn’t do well at the box office. Despite its merits, The Man Who Would Be King does have a few misjudgements, and a few questionable portrayals of Kafiristan’s culture.

Huston’s film opens with an exotic Indian market sequence. Kipling’s poem “The Ballad of Boh Da Thone” is featured in the opening credits. The story is largely faithful to Kipling’s original tale.

The Man Who Would Be King is more of a witty adventure film than a classic war film. The film doesn’t take an imperialist superiority stance, but instead questions the validity of the notion of superiority.

Story

During the nineteenth century, the Rudyard Kipling “The Man Who Would Be King” story was published in India. The story tells of a pair of adventurers, Peachey Carnehan and Daniel Dravot, who travel to Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. It is a region of Afghanistan where no white man has set foot since Alexander the Great.

Kipling’s story combines a romantic adventure with a realistic frame story. This narrator is a newspaper editor living in India. He reflects on the people he has encountered in his line of work.

The story is narrated by a shrewd and sophisticated narrator who weaves together exotic and familiar. He refers to the characters as loafers, or “intermediates”, as they are suspended between the ruled and those who rule.

The novel is inspired by American adventurer Josiah Harlan’s trip through Central Asia 150 years ago. In his journal, Harlan wrote that he was the heir to Alexander the Great, a statement that caused him to declare himself as a king.