The Wind and the Lion (1975)

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

THE WIND AND THE LION is an Arabian epic directed by John Milius and made very much in the LAWRENCE OF ARABIA mould - in other words, it's all about stark desert landscapes, honour and loyalty, the East meets West vibe. It's a film that benefits from some great photography that makes the sight of Arab horsemen riding through wide vistas quite stunning, and although Sean Connery is an odd choice for hero, he surprisingly works very well (his salt and pepper beard might be responsible for that).I found the main characters of the mother and her kids to be a bit limited in scope, but their smaller story is bolstered by some interesting political stuff involving a flag-waving Theodore Roosevelt attempting to make his mark on the world. Some stalwart supporting actors add to the experience, as does the well-directed action, but it's Milius alone who makes this special (and who paves the way for his truly epic vistas in CONAN THE BARBARIAN).

I do not care for the pretentious reviews that seem to befall this great, fun-filled movie. This movie is now 40 years old...and STILL holds a certain charm, a certain value. Nothing in time has diminished its appeal. All of the cast played to their strengths. The story is NOT a political-statement...it is a MOVIE. Nothing more, nothing less. The camera work is great, the action-scenes stand the test of time. Brian Keith and Connery set a stage which can match any two-some in any movie. And I LIKE Candace in her part. The military depictions show a side of the life which is rarely seen today - men who simply believed in what they did, and enjoyed a good fight. You will not see that in movies today....its a 'macho-thing' our culture is trying to expunge. Bah! The ending shot of the Raisuli riding thru the fighting to grab the gun from the boy....is as fine a movie action-shot was ever made. Magnificent.

I'm not entirely sure what this movie was aiming to be, I enjoyed it when I was younger, but watching it now it is very uneven and has no real flow to it. Plot In A Paragraph: Morocco 1904. Raisuli, Sheriff of the Berbers (Sean Connery, who appears to be having a great deal of fun) kidnapped an American Widow, named Mrs Pedecaris (A gorgeous looking Candice Bergen) and her two children. He offers to ransom then in exchange for rifles, money and sovereignty. American President Theodore Roosevelt (A Brilliant Brian Kieth) looks to improve his election chances, issued an ultimatum "Mrs Pedecaris alive or Raisili dead" and sent in the marines. Three good performances from Connery, Bergmen and Keith are not enough to paper over the cracks in this muddled movie. The movie is violent at times and camp at others, neither sit well with it. This movie blends historic facts into a fictional adventure story (The real Perdicaris incident involved the kidnapping of a middle-aged man and his stepson.) Im guessing the sex was changed to have a romance develop between Connery and Bergman.Connery looks fantastic (giving a great performance in a clichèd role) but sounded awful. Watching Conery talk about Allah spouting things like "I am but a servant of his will" in his usual Scottish accent is awful, and something I never wish to see again.Connery is as watchable as ever, but these are not two of his better hours. Thankfully he followed this with the brilliant "The Man Who Would Be King"The Wind & The Lion opened the same weekend as blockbuster Jaws, but still managed to gross $9 million at the domestic box office, on a budget of $4 million.

At the beginning of the 20th century, an American woman (Candice Bergen) is abducted in Morocco by Berbers. The attempts to free her range from diplomatic pressure to military intervention.Some have called this the ultimate guy's film, and coming from writer-director John Milius that may not be an unfair way to characterize it. Milius is, after all, the living embodiment of all things manly.Although not as well known as it should be, this is a pretty powerful film that is both historical (though not strictly) and exciting. Punches are not pulled, and Teddy Roosevelt is shown in a light rarely shown on film (he is probably best recalled from "Arsenic and Old Lace", which is hardly flattering).