Alan’s TTIM Stories #45

There are movies you watch once and that’s enough. There are movies so bad you quit in the middle. And then there are movies you can watch dozens of times and still watch again. One of the “watch many times” movies for me is 1975’s The Wind and the Lion.

The movie is based on an actual incident in 1904 affecting politics in Europe, northern Africa, and the United States. In Morocco, Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli kidnapped Americans – Ion Hanford Perdicaris and stepson, Cromwell Varley. The financial motivation was combined with disdain of intrusion of European powers.  

Loosely based on fact is a good description of the movie. Director and Writer, John Milius, took many liberties to historic accuracy for entertainment value. The gentleman Perdicaris became a feisty woman, Eden Perdicaris, portraited by Candice Bergen with two young children. Raisuli faced a worthy advisory in a strong, opinionated woman. The differences in cultures added to dramatic tension with the verbal warfare of conflicting philosophies between the two main characters.

The incident became an issue in the presidential campaign of President Theodore Roosevelt. In order to invigorate voters by exploiting this insult to American pride and threat to world prestige, a slogan was created: “Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead.”

Brian Keith’s portrayal of Theodore Roosevelt is alone worth watching. In a great performance, he captured the President’s eccentric personality combined with the national arrogance of a burgeoning world military power. To force the government of Morocco to intervene, Roosevelt sent the South Atlantic Squadron of the U.S. Navy following the “Big Stick” theory of diplomacy.

When questioned on the legality of the move, Roosevelt replied: “Why spoil the beauty of the thing with legality?”

Raisuli is portraited by Scottish actor, Sean Connery, when it was acceptable to take a role of another ethnicity. He portrayed the strength of a leader, conflicted by the changing world situation and clash of cultures.

A historic epic needed a grand musical score. Composter Jerry Goldsmith delivered. His impressive resume includes hundreds of movie and television themes including Air Force One, Rudy, Patton, Star Trek movies and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Alien, The Omen (Oscar 1977). The score was nominated for an Academy Award but lost the Oscar to John Williams and Jaws. It is included in AFI’s 250 nominees for top twenty-five American film scores.

A memorable cinema experience must end with memorable final words. Two men on horseback in front of a setting sun:

Sherif of Wazan: Great Raisuli, we have lost everything. All is drifting on the wind as you said. We have lost everything.

Raisuli: Sherif, is there not one thing in your life that is worth losing everything for?

I highly recommend The Wind and the Lion for enthusiasts of epic motion pictures, a clever interpretation of history, memorable performances, and two hours of entertainment.  

Sources:
Wikipedia
IMDb.com

_______________ 

Follow announcements of Alan’s TTIM Stories at Facebook.com/alan.vandervoort or Instagram & Treads vandervoort_author, with all available posts at www.alanvandervoort.com. Novels by the author include: Sandhills – A Novel and Key Largo Summer, found at Booklocker.com and other online booksellers.