Saturday, November 11, 2006
The Man Who Would Be King
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: I didn't know about this movie version of Rudyard Kipling's story (which I read some time in late high school, I think, in a collection of short stories, and remained haunted by it) until te late 1970's when the sister of a good friend of mine told me of the movie, extolled it's virtues, told me it was her "favorite", that it was showing on television that night and persuaded me to watch it. I was enchanted. Not only did the half remembered story come back to me in full, the movie overshadowed the story, for me, so well is it done. It is a movie I've never forgotten. A few years after I came to live with Mom and we began renting movies, I scoured several video stores before I found it. Mom loved it, too. I've rented it since, a couple of times, so I was thrilled when I ran across a copy of it. I was determined to buy it, cheap or not, as long as it was letter-boxed, which it was.
The presentation is sparkling, but, being a very cheap version, the movie is cut in two; half on one side of the DVD, half on the other. This surprised us wen we watched it this afternoon. "I don't remember it having an intermission," I said.
"I couldn't tell you," responded Mom, "I don't believe I've ever seen this movie."
Good. I can get away with watching it a few more times before she becomes suspicious!
For the curious and uninformed, while looking for links about the movie I came across the original short story here. Don't be put off by the "Chapter 1" after the title; the entire story is there.
Labels: adventure, drama, haunting, period, shared-favorite
