THE WIND AND THE LION (1975) ** Philosophical meditation on American imperialism partially succeeds. The American President is more interested in, and sympathetic towards, grizzly bears than desert Muslims. America doesn't bother occupying countries, too much work, so long as it controls them. America might serve its interests even better by working for good, instead of exclusively its own interests, thereby enabling "good" locals to work tangentially toward the same ends. It's not a bad policy incidentally but one that's never been applied consistently, and has long since been abandoned with regard to the "good guys" on both sides of the tragedy in the Middle East. The selection of Morocco as a stage is a good one, Sean Connery's illuminating if not terribly penetrating commentaries into the male Muslim mindset are even more crucial in the early 21st century than they were during the final retreat from Saigon. Unfortunately there is, as usual in political things even well meaning ones, a bit of lying going on: in the historical incident portrayed the kidnap victim was a bald and overweight businessman, not a scrumptuous big-haired Candice Bergen. So it could be assumed that the sexual tension was likely something less than that between Connery and Bergen, though if not there might be a market for a more authentic low budget rendition. Also the bald guy was given back, he did not philosophically convert to being a revolutionary, and he did not set off a wild west style gunfight with "bad Germans" in a seaside oasis. Other than that everything's fine. The credible performances of the stars are backed up effectively by a cast that includes Brian Keith as a President distracted by gun fun and nature, and John Huston as the lone voice of common sense in the blandly exotic and semi-attractive Teddy Roosevelt administration.
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