The Wind and the Lion
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DVD details
Actor: Candice Bergen, Chris Aller, Deborah Baxter, Luis Barboo, Sean ConneryBrand: Warner Brothers
Primary Contributor: Candice Bergen
Primary Contributor: Sean Connery
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 119 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-01-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Reviews of The Wind and the Lion
DVD Review: A flick worth the popcorn, drink, and soda
Summary: 5 Stars
Great flick, although a little bit skewed historically. This film is loosely based on the kidnapping of an American woman and her children in Morocco during the Theodore Roosevelt presidency. Sean Connery (who I still cant believe would ever come across as a Russian submarine captain) plays the loveable Berber rogue who kidnaps Candace Bergen (who plays the strong willed American woman he kidnaps) as a way of protesting the Sultan of Morocco's government, whom he considers under the influence of European powers. Both play their parts well and are a pleaseure to watch playing off each other. Of particular note is the late Brian Keith, who plays Theodore Roosevelt. He is exactly what you would think Teddy was like (except for his particular feelings about Marines, an outfit he would have preferred transferred to the Army had it not given him particular political leverage in unsheathing his 'Big Stick' policy). Another memorable character is John Huston, who plays Teddy's Secretary of State John Hay. Adventure is the name of the game with a few tender moments thorwn in. If you are a horse lover, you may have cause to whince on some of the action scenes. All in all a movie that delivers alot of action and wont dissappoint DVD Review: Time casts a harsh light on this film
Summary: 2 Stars
When produced, this film was probably dazzling and exotic. Handsome Sean Connery plays the Arabian prince, full of bravery and daring. Candice Bergin plays the American beauty, elite in her social class but a strong mother with an impeccable character. Brian Keith plays the frustrated President Teddy Roosevelt, forced to make hard decisions that are in the best interest of the American people while showing compassion for the kidnapped American millionaire and her children. The coastal scenery is lush and the desert scenery bleak but beautiful. The story is one of romance where East meets West and all parties turn out to be honorable and heroic.
So why is this movie problematic in 2009?
This film was made at a time when white characters were shown to be intelligent, brave, and industrious when compared to persons of color. Therefore the Arabs in the film are depicted as clownish. There is a scene where the kidnapped family fights Arab bandits and an American child is able to fight the bandits and win. This seems odd. The Arabs are portrayed to be corrupt and their hereditary leader is portrayed as a cartoonish clown. Sean Connery plays the part of the uncle of the Arabian ruler, called the Raisulis, now involved in a rebellion of sorts. But it is never clear what the rebellion is all about. We never understand why the Raisulis kidnaps the American woman and her two children. Brian Keith does the best job in the film playing Teddy Roosevelt. But the blunderbuss gun-boat diplomacy practiced by the Americans is portrayed in a positive light. The conception of the United States' diplomatic players and their abilities as a bunch of gun slinging, wild, cowboys is out of date. It may have been entertaining in 1975 but current world conditions reveals this drama to be stereotypical in a disturbing way. Paul Bowles' Sheltering Sky is a far more sinister but accurate account of West misunderstanding East.
DVD Review: Snoozefest
Summary: 1 Stars
This is low grade 1960s-70s calibre TV style acting.......Connery as an Arab isn't convicing for even a second....The landscape camera work is breathtaking at times.....This is cornier than the worst of John Wayne films......It had to of cost a lot of money to make this hunk of crap.......This is a bland movie...Bergen is stale too.DVD Review: Great epic....even greater score
Summary: 5 Stars
As something of a soundtrack buff, this rates as one of the best of all time, right up there with "The Magnificent Seven," "The Big Country" and "Lawrence of Arabia." What's better is that the music becomes a character of the movie, trasmitting the brutality and beauty of such a desolate place. Many knock Connery for playing a Berber with a Scots accent, but is it any worse than Alec Guinness playing Prince Faisal in "Lawrence of Arabia?" He plays the role with cruelty and charm in just the right balance. Apparently Faye Dunaway was considered for the role that eventually went to Candace Bergin...I can't imagine anyone else but Bergin playing her part now. Be sure to catch the special extra features on the DVD which shows the Terry Leonard's phenomenal stunt work and the special effects (yes, they really used dynamite in those days to blow up during the battle scenes...they can't do that now). A shame this movie got "lost" in 1975 once "Jaws" was introduced in theaters, so do yourself a favor and discover it now.DVD Review: FABULOUS FILM THAT STILL HOLDS UP
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Wind and the Lion" was a beautiful John Milius film and story, with a pulse-pounding sound track. Brian Keith plays Teddy Roosevelt, who orders U.S. troops to Morocco to protect U.S. interests, as well he should have. Candice Bergen is an American socialite, kidnapped by a roguish Arab sand pirate, played by Sean Connery. The film is much more story, character rivalry and romance than history, but it does not hand us any of the usual garbage portraying the U.S. as racist exploiters. Instead, America under Roosevelt is portrayed as a modern power, unafraid to flex its muscles, but not willing to go overboard.
Milius writes and directs to this day. He has a tremendous love of history, a conservative trait. The reason for this is simple. History is the accurate description of great things done by conservatives. No wonder we love history. He is not the household name that Speilberg, Coppola or Lucas are. He says he is comfortable with the decisions he made, which were to be up-front about his politics regardless of whether it cost him. He freely admits that his conservatism indeed did prevent him from the kind of greatness that he was capable of.
Description of The Wind and the Lion
An American is kidnapped by a rebellious Arab chieftain, principally as a means to embarrass the Sultan of Morocco. This abduction sparks the threat of armed intervention by President Theodore Roosevelt.The up-and-down career of director John Milius had no finer moment than The Wind and the Lion, a dandy adventure tale. It's based on fact: An American (played by Candice Bergen) and her two children were kidnapped in 1904 Morocco by a Berber tribe, an international incident settled by President Theodore Roosevelt's "big stick" military muscle. The film's sweep and swagger are unabashedly old-fashioned, even as Milius occasionally pokes fun at the grand characters. Some of the peripheral material is sloppy, but as long as Milius keeps his sights locked on the two powerful protagonists, he's dead-on: Brian Keith makes a gutsy Roosevelt, and Sean Connery is in splendid form (with Scots accent in place--got a problem with that?) as the dashing Berber chieftain. Perhaps overshadowed by John Huston's The Man Who Would be King the same year (Huston plays advisor John Hay in this one), Wind makes a marvelous companion piece. --Robert Horton
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