In Morocco, 1904, Raisuli (the superb Sean Connery), the
charismatic leader of the Berber pirates of North Africa, orders his men to
abduct an American widow named Eden Pedecaris (a winsome Candice Bergen) and her
two children, Jennifer and William. Feeling threatened by the encroaching
European powers who are angling for a claim on the last sovereign Arabic country
in the region, Raisuli tries to fight these invaders using any means
necessary--including the abduction of the Pedecaris family for ransom. The
English have paid very well for their kidnapped citizens in the past, and the
ransom money has gone to pay for vital supplies and much-needed weapons for
Raisuli's men.
However, the American reaction is not what Raisuli had hoped. The American
President, Theodore Roosevelt (a marvelous performance by Brian Keith) is facing
re-election and needs something to stir the American public on his side. He
proposes sending the American Atlantic Fleet to Morocco with the slogan
"Pedecaris alive, or Raisuli dead!" This leads to an escalating conflict within
Morocco between the US Marines, the Moroccan Imperial Guard, and the European
powers, which could well erupt into a world war. Written and directed by John
Milius, the title of the film, The Wind And The Lion, refers to Roosevelt--who
roams free wherever he wishes just like the wind--and Raisuli, the mighty lion
of the desert. This is an epic fable that is based on real people and events
(the real-life abducted Pedecaris was actually a man). Milius strove to create
a sprawling adventure story in the vein of Rudyard Kipling, and he succeeded
mightily.
Milius, who also directed Conan The Barbarian and Farewell To The King, as well
as Big Wednesday, and who co-wrote Apocalypse Now, had always been an eloquent
advocate of the saga of the warrior, and The Wind And The Lion may well be
his masterpiece. It's a sweeping, romantic tale that is at times poignant in its
depiction of the fading days of an era when men fought each other face to face
on the battlefield with swords. Raisuli's days as a mighty desert warrior may be
numbered, but he's still going out with a valiant roar. The DVD has a vintage
making-of documentary, and the original theatrical trailer. However, the real
treat here is the director's commentary from John Milius, who is a great
raconteur. It's very easy to sit back and listen to him reminisce about the
making of the movie. He points out who the stunt men were in all the action
scenes (he's a big fan of stunt coordinator Terry Leonard, who later went on to
work with Steven Spielberg on the Indiana Jones films), and he even mentions
that actress Faye Dunaway was originally slated to play Eden, until she got sick
and was replaced at the last minute with Bergen. Thirty years after its original
release, The Wind And The Lion still holds up magnificently--and, oddly, its
story of political intrigue set against an adventurous backdrop also remains
relevant over one hundred years after the events that it depicts. --SF
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