History Film / TheManWhoWouldBeKing

'''Peachy Carnehan:''' Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.

''The Man Who Would Be King'' is a 1975 film, directed by Creator/JohnHuston and starring Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/ChristopherPlummer, about the glorious and awful sides of European Imperialism. It follows Daniel Dravot (Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Caine), two former non-commissioned officers of the British Raj, on a journey into the wilds beyond the Khyber Pass and into the lands of Kafiristan on a mission to become kings-- or die trying.

''The Man Who Would Be King'' is a 1975 film directed by Creator/JohnHuston and starring Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/ChristopherPlummer about the glorious and awful sides of European Imperialism. This film follows Daniel Dravot (Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Caine), two former non-commissioned officers of the British Raj on a journey into the wilds beyond the Khyber Pass and into the lands of Kafiristan on a mission to become kings, or die trying.

* IChooseToStay: Subverted.

* BadassBandolier: Danny's plays a significant role in the plot.

* AdaptationDistillation: The film boils down an awful lot of stuff about Lodges and the Craft and secret handshakes into a single Masonic pendant.

* UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat: Known as "Sikander" to the Kafirs, and held in legend as a god since he passed through and helped advance the region millenia earlier. He said he would return one day, and the high priests have been waiting ever since.

* UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat: Known as "Sikander" to the Kafirs, and held in legend
as a god since he passed through and helped advance the region millenia earlier. He said he would return one day, and the high priests have been waiting ever since.

* UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat: Known as "Sikander" to the Kafirs, and held in legend as a god since he passed through and helped advance the region millenia earlier. He said he would return one day, and the high priests have been waiting ever since.

* UsefulNotes/NepaliWithNastyKnives: “Billy Fish” is a member of the Gurkha regiments of the British Indian Army. True to form, at the end he prefers to charge into a lynching mob, instead of taking the chance to flee unscathed.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sjff_03_img1018_3283.jpg]]

->'''Billy Fish:''' ''He wants to know if you are gods. ''
->'''Peachy Carnehan:''' ''Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing. ''

A 1975 film directed by Creator/JohnHuston and starring Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/ChristopherPlummer about the glorious and awful sides of European Imperialism. This film follows Daniel Dravot (Connery) and Peachy Carnehan (Caine), two former non-commissioned officers of the British Raj on a journey into the wilds beyond the Khyber Pass and into the lands of Kafiristan on a mission to become kings, or die trying.

* WhiteMansBurden: One of the main themes; the author of the original short story also coined the term in another of his works, and examining it was a big theme in Kipling's work generally. Danny gets high on it after being crowned.

* VillainProtagonist: Both Danny and Peachy could be considered villainous people given that they are con men who are simply out to swindle a race of people who they feel are inferior. Never mind the fact that not only had they planned to steal from them, but they planned several CurbStompBattle's in order to conquer the various tribes under one banner. Not very nice men.

-->'''Peachy Taliaferro Carnehan:''' That I can and that I do, Danny. [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Free and full and without let or hindrance]].

* RealityEnsues: A poor, desolated and remote region of Afganistan isn't exactly a place where [[spoiler: war loot is going to be anything but worthless junk. If no for Alexander's treasure, Danny and Peachy would never even see a single golden item, while taking over entire country]].

Based on a short story by Creator/RudyardKipling (played by Plummer here).

* AdaptationExpansion: The original story is barely 20 pages long, while the adaptation is an epic film, ''greatly'' expanding on backstory, character traits and showing all the effort it took for both conmen to achieve their ends, rather than just rolling into Kafiristan one day and taking it over. The masonic plot doesn't even exist in the source material and the GodGuise is greatly downplayer in it.

* VillainProtagonist: Both Danny and Peachy could be considered villainous people given that they are con men who are simply out to swindle a race of people who they feel are inferior. Never mind the fact that not only had they planned to steal from them, but they planned several CurbStompBattle's in order to conquer the the various tribes under one banner. Not very nice men.

* InMediasRes: Of the HowWeGotHere variety.

* PocketProtector: Danny's bandolier beneath his coat stops an arrow. All the villagers who see it assume that he's impervious to harm and worship him as a god.