A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

I am guilty on more than one occasion of defending a stupid modern blockbuster by saying "it's meant to be entertaining, not a work of art."  If only a movie could be both, eh?  Well, here's one that is - perhaps the most effortlessly entertaining film ever made - John Huston's The Man Who Would Be King, a truly marvelous piece of film.  It's amazing to think that Sean Connery and Michael Caine weren't the original choice pairing for the lead roles as two English scoundrels who, hounded out of colonial India, decide to go to uncivilised Kafiristan and convince its people they are gods and so should lead the country.  In fact, the two actors - who both give career-best performances - were recommended by Paul Newman, who had been approached to team up with Robert Redford for the lead roles.

No aspect of the film could be improved, down to its music, by Maurice Jarre, no stranger to epics of course.  He bases things around one of his unforgettable, rousing themes, a march introduced in portentous fashion in the opening cue.  It captures the epic nature of the story while also acknowledging its razor-sharp wit (if you are of a certain disposition you will rarely stop laughing through the film) and can stand alongside any of the composer's great themes.  As the central pairing journey over the Himalayas, Jarre introduces some predictably soaring music in "Journey to Kafiristan", though he also finds time to stress the fairly desperate situation in which the characters find themselves.  It is never over-the-top, fantasy desperation, everything is pitched just right so that the hilarious one-liners never overwhelm the underlying story.  For the rest of the score, typical Jarre orchestral music is mixed in with various ethnic stylings representing the Indian location.  Sometimes this is directly mixed with the western orchestra, others it is allowed to play by itself.  A good example is "Pushtukan", which has the feel of some street-market source music, but the ethnic ensemble mixes well with the orchestra to produce a piece of music which also functions well as dramatic underscore.

The Man Who Would Be King is a truly classic movie lucky enough to feature one of Jarre's fnest and most memorable scores.  Sadly the CD is virtually impossible to find.  It was released by the now-defunct Bay Cities records over a decade ago.  If you're lucky you might find one on Ebay - if you're a Jarre fan then you can't be without it.  By the time it reaches its soaring finale you'll be flushed with pride at being British, whether you are or not, and fans of the film will be debating whether to get the DVD out yet again.

Tracks

1. The Man Who Would Be King (3:08)
2. Sikandergul (2:36)
3. Journey to Kafiristan (5:20)
4. The Kings March (1:58)
5. Bashkai's (2:08)
6. Pushtukan (3:14)
7. The Dream (2:36)
8. Roxanne (3:15)
9. Dravot's Farewell (3:40)
10. End Title (2:31)