The Wind and the Lion

Amazon.com

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

Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Honor Above War, Love Above Loyalty.......2007-08-25

I sometimes tire of non-fiction (reality) and escape into DVDs, but many of them are either reality or a sembalnce of reality that merits respect. This is such a film.

I would also add a note of caution to those who would demean this film as "corny." NOT right. This film was ahead of its time. In this film, the moderate Islamists (represented by Sean Connery) are upset with foreign presence (Western Europe), and the USA with its bully Theodore and its aggressive Marines, are in the wrong until the Marines are led back on track by the female American protagonist (Candice Bergen) and free the Lion of Islam to fight again.

TAKEAWAY: Americans can be, are, morally wrong (as are all immoral predatory nations), and moderate Islamists are, in their own place that we have invaded, morally correct. Our God is NOT, as LtGen Jerry Boykin, one of my top five greatest generals ever (out of 75 or so I have known, most never more than a Colonel with a facelift) greater than theirs. Our God is CO-Equal to theirs, and the sooner we put Dick Cheney and Henry Kissinger behind bars, the sooner we eliminate our 750 bases overseas, the sooner the world can restore balance. Legitimacy and morality are the two strategic pillars that America has abondoned its in prostitution to Saudi oil and 42 of 44 dictators, and we can never be America the Beautiful, America the Good, unless we right ourselves.

As a patriotic estranges Republican I will say this clearly: America and Israel are the scourges of the world, followed by Saudi Aribia. We have sown the dragon's teeth, and I weep for what we have become: virtual colonialists, unilateralist military confusing might with right, and a cheating culture that ignores the class war led by our predatory immoral Wall Street band of merry thieves laundering drug money and covering up the complicity of Dick Cheney and Rudy Gulliani in the murder of most who died on 9-11 from controlled demolitions (NYC) or a missile (the Pentagon).

Where, or where, is the American Eagle that we need so desperately? See the image I have posted above to understand where we need to go if our children, if all children, are to have a future.

Other DVDs (see also my lists):
Tibet - Cry of the Snow Lion
Why We Fight
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Last Samurai (Full Screen Edition)

'Between the Wind and the Lion is the woman. For her, half the world may go to war.'.......2007-08-23

For me, The Wind and the Lion is one of the great adventure films of all time (rather than an action movie per se) and certainly has the best script of the 70s, managing to combine adventure, myth, romance, wit and political cynicism while creating memorable characters and driving the story forward. Its influences are clearly noticeable, and all acknowledged by writer-director John Milius: the children's behavior is straight out of A High Wind in Jamaica, the superb beach sequence inspired by another horseback swordfight in The Hidden Fortress (Kurosawa is a big Milius influence elsewhere in the film as well) while the finale throws in a tip of the hat, both musically and visually, to The Wild Bunch. But unlike a Tarantino grab-bag of favorite movie moments, Milius manages to make something unique of his own out of them all in this highly romanticised tale of an American woman (Candice Bergen) and her children kidnapped by an Arab leader (Sean Connery) in Morocco in 1904 that became an international incident that briefly threatened to turn into a war as Teddy Roosevelt (Brian Keith) used it as a rallying cry during his election campaign. But as the Americans and European powers that control the region rattle sabres, hostage and captive form a real friendship they'll risk anything for.

As for Connery's casting... Well, it makes a change to cast a Scot as a north of the border Berber - up until then Hollywood usually cast Welsh actors like Hugh Griffiths as Arabs. Yes, you do laugh when you first hear him speak, but after his line "I am the Raisuli - you will not laugh at me again!", you won't. Accent or not, this is one of his most likeable and charismatic performances, proving himself one of the few actors with enough presence for the epic genre. He's well-matched by Brian Keith's blustering but self-aware Roosevelt, the film building up a growing relationship of mutual respect between the two leaders from different sides of the world who never meet that threatens to make more of an impact than Connery's sparring with Bergen. Connery's The Man Who Would Be King director John Huston offers a good supporting turn as Roosevelt's Secretary of State John Hay, while Jerry Goldsmith's exciting and richly romantic scores is indeed one of the all-time greats. Splendid entertainment in every way.

Warners' DVD is the best presentation of the film to date, offering a fine 2.35:1 widescreen transfer, a vintage making of featurette, theatrical trailer and typically engaging commentary from John Milius.

The Wind and the Lion.......2007-08-09

One of the greatest ever---action, history, romance. Sean Connery and
Candice Bergin are superb together. My highest recommendation.

luis g caliz.......2007-07-20

A good movie and if you think about it, very similar to events taking place in this days....

SEAN CONNERY? AN ARAB TRIBAL EADER??.......2007-05-21

Only Sean Connery, with his thick, albeit familiar accent could pull off a role such as this, with Candace Bergen no less as the believeable heroine. Sprawling vistas, great cinematography, great soundtrack make this a must collector item for lovers of adventure films and historical epics. In spite of the beheadings (tastefully depicted) my entire family enjoyed the picture.

shullcat2003

Average customer rating:

Everyone Loves a Mystery!
Disappointing
Hillerman's novel comes to life
Truest to form
FINALLY - A MOVIE THAT FEELS NATIVE AMERICAN!

The Dark Wind
Starring: Lance Baker , Betty C. Barlow , Gary Basaraba , Billy Beck , and Arlene Bowman
Director: Errol Morris
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000JCFN6
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Product Description

Filmed on location, The Dark Wind brings to life the popular hero of several Tony Hillerman best-sellers, Navajo Cop Jim Chee. Chee (Lou Diamond Philips) is a student of the old ways who wanted to be a medicine man before he became a lawman. Now as a cop covering the Arizona Territories belonging to the Hopi and Navajo Indians, he's torn between both worlds.

When the badly mutilated victim of a Navajo skinwalker is found on Hopi Land, Chee is suddenly plunged into a world of mystery, filled with drug dealers, F.B.I. agents, witchcraft, intertribal politics and revenge.
Features:

Full Screen Version

2.0 Dolby Stereo Suround

Digitally Mastered

Scene Selection

English Closed Captioning

System Requirements:
Running Time: 111 Minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Everyone Loves a Mystery!.......2007-03-20

Everyone has their favorites: Lou Diamond Phillips/Adam Beach, Fred Ward/Wes Studi, Errol Morris/Hollywoodesque. But everybody loves a mystery! I have enjoyed both Beach and Studi in the three PBS film versions of Hillerman's mysteries, so I was a little hesitant to "start all over again" with new faces. Heck, I'd already had to refigure these guys from the books! I'm happy to say that there is room for diversity. Phillips is terrific playing Officer Chee as a bumbling, cat-loving loner who is nevertheless tenacious and inwardly savvy about Indian ways. Fred Ward characterizes Lieutenant Leaphorn as a gruff, no-nonsense commander. Both are fitting and refreshing interpretations.

While not polished like the PBS fare, Morris' film has a definite authentic twang to it: location shots, like a real trading post (Shiprock Trading Post), a real Wigwam Motel, hogans and trucks that look old and dirty; Phillips and Ward wearing what look like real police uniforms, tacky and uncomfortable; the supporting cast, many of them speaking in Navajo and subtitled in English. Is it real cat food that Phillips/Chee actually licks off his fingers after spooning it out into kitty's dish?

What does the master say? According to Barnes and Noble, Tony Hillerman, in a 1999 online interview said, "Robert Redford has all of them optioned, and he hired Errol Morris to direct them. I have to say that I have seen worse movies. It wasn't released in the U.S. You can rent it in video stores, though, if you are hard up for something to see." Ouch!

Trivia holds that Morris did not finish the film "due to artistic differences" with Redford. It's also interesting that Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals) directed both Skin Walkers (2002) and The Thief of Time (2004) while Jan Egleson directed Coyote Waits (2003).

Gary Farmer bridges the gap, playing Cowboy Dashee in The Dark Wind and Captain Largo in two of the PBS flicks. After all, we're really one big happy family. Aren't we? Thanking the Native people for their perseverance, guidance, and wisdom is the best any of these films can do, and they do.

Disappointing.......2007-01-21

This version of Hillerman just doesn't recreate the book's story for me. The actors are not putting out much effort and they are too obviously not Navajo.

Hillerman's novel comes to life .......2007-01-16

"Enemies unseen... Fears unspoken...... A dark wind has entered his soul"
Jim Chee, local rookie cop is guarding a windmill that is periodically being put out of business when he hears a plane crash. This leads to many mysteries including a body with a message in its mouth. This takes place on the reservation so we have an overlap of authority in the search for clues, between the local authorities (Lou Diamond Phillips as Officer Jim Chee, Fred Ward as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn) and the Feds. There is also overlapping rights between the Hopi and the Navaho.

If you have read Tony Hillerman then you will recognize your old friends. It is also nice to see the area where the story takes place around the Navajo reservation in Arizona and New Mexico. Of course being a different media there is some consolidation of characters and allowance for acting stile over written character description. The movie is still fun to watch.

Truest to form.......2006-08-21

I am a long time hillerman fan and waited anxiously for his movies. I have seen all of them and this is the truest to the hillerman "feel". Usually the movie is not as good as the book and this is true of all the movies. It is because the magic of the books is not the plots but the "color" which is difficult to transfer to film. Lou Diamond Phillips is Chee. He is better than Adam Beach. If you are a Hillerman fan then this is the best. The later ones are good but have been hollywooded up a notch.

FINALLY - A MOVIE THAT FEELS NATIVE AMERICAN!.......2005-03-11

Realizing that this is the first meeting of our Navajo Cop, Jim Chee with Joe Leaphorn, I think this is best presentation.

Slow and methodical is in keeping with Chee's character [never having read the book - I look forward to it]and I guess my understanding of the Native American persona.

I can emphisize with his quams and approaches to the given situations of death and clues. L.D.P. has set the character of Chee in my mind with a forcefulness that is entirely his own.

Searching for the missing man from prison and wondering if as Leaphorn suggest, he may be dealing with two people, kept me wondering too.

It was fun to see John Carlin [from Dark Shadows] in the role of someone who is kind to children and a shock the way his character turns out. Whoops! Chee started noticing the Kachina dolls in his living quarters.

Seeing the mutilated Navajo [on Hopi land] was a shock and left me wondering about a Skinwalker, who was he?

When Chee is ordered to find out who is tinkering with the well and sees the plane go down, he is suddenly plunged into the world of mystery, witchcraft [which I don't think he likes], F.B.I. agents and revenge. I like his solution to the well situation.

The F.B.I. seems to think he know more than he is saying.
I loved the locations the movie was shot in, the dumpster fire [grin] and finding the long lost truck. Hey, does he ever catch the green truck?

DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED -

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