The Wind and the Lion

John Chard

To Theodore Roosevelt - you are like the Wind and I like the Lion. The Wind and the Lion is written and directed by John Milius and stars Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith, John Huston and Geoffrey Lewis. Music is by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Billy Williams. In early twentieth century Morocco, a Berber Sharif kidnaps an American woman and her children, forcing President Theodore Roosevelt to send in forces to conduct a rescue mission. On basic terms it was meant to be a sly attack on American colonialism, what we actually get is a wonderful collage of homages to great desert epics of the past - with tongue firmly in cheek. It's funny, thrilling, and is in turn boosted by a soaring Goldsmith score and stunning natural location photography. However, lets not be swept up in it all to not notice it's a vastly inaccurate observation on US interventions. It is unashamedly a flag waving piece of jingoism, but the myth making gusto of it all, with all its entertainment values, makes it a sort of serial piece of fluff entertainment. Not even Connery's Scottish brogue can detract from the fun of his Berber chief Raisuli - or Bergen turning into Lara Croft at one point... But with Brian Keith excellent as Teddy Roosevelt, historical truths be damned. Seek out the real story behind the events of the story being told here and just have a good cinematic time. 7.5/10