Currently showing on PBS is the latest epic miniseries from prolific documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, chronicling the lives and stories Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Both TR and FDR are complex and larger-than-life figures, and their presidencies are extremely difficult to judge through the lens of history. With this revived interest of the Roosevelts in the public mind, it seems a perfect time to revisit a related classic. In 1975, another famous filmmaker sought to peel back the layers of the person of Teddy Roosevelt. That man was John Milius. The film — The Wind And The Lion.
The conflict of The Wind And The Lion operates on two levels, both involving the nomadic Muslim leader Raisuli (Sean Connery). The immediate plot concerns the plight of Eden Pedecaris (Candice Bergen), an American woman in Morocco who is kidnapped, along with her two children, by Raisuli.
The other, much broader stage is that of global relations and foreign policy: a long distance battle of wits, wills, and misunderstandings between Raisuli and President Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Keith). The President decries the kidnapping of an innocent woman abroad, and promises swift action.
This would all seem straightforward enough but for one important detail: Raisuli is not a villain.
Emboldened by the Monroe Doctrine (which Roosevelt himself expanded in 1904, the same year the film takes place), the United States generally believed itself to have what could be thought of as global policing and intervention powers (if this sounds familiar, it’s because we still operate in this fashion). The Raisuli’s actions are not intended to endanger his captives, but to capture the attention of American leadership and protest foreign interests attempting to exert control on Moroccan soil. His relationship with Ms. Pedecaris is an evolution from “opposite worlds” antagonism to grudging respect, to full-fledged friendship (think The King And I and you’ll have the right idea).
Meanwhile, President Roosevelt condemns the Raisuli’s actions and sends a large military force, possessing of superior firepower and numbers, to quell the problem. There are two versions of Roosevelt in history; the crazy rootin’-tootin’ nationalistic cowboy, and the intelligent and charismatic leader with a passion for future sustainability. Amazingly, this film manages to give a strong sense of both. While he speaks out publicly for an outward appearance of strength, his inner thoughts and private conversations reveal a more intelligent and heroic man who understands the conflict far better than we might give him credit for.
I won’t go into the details but the film features an amazing old-fashioned battle sequence involving stuntmen on horses charging forward as real explosions knock them around. I can’t begin to understand how they filmed this stuff practically.
With a charismatic performance from Sean Connery, a mesmerizing dynamic between its three leads, a thoughtful portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt, a conversation on foreign policy and Islam that’s still absolutely relevant, and a wonderful closing revelation of the meaning of the film’s title, The Wind And The Lion remains an enjoyable and intelligent look at conflict and communication.
The Package
The Wind And The Lion is available on Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection. Note that unlike their Manufactured-On-Demand DVDs, Warner Archive’s Blu-rays are “normal” factory-pressed discs, not burned onto recordable media.
Special Features
Commentary By Writer/Director John Milius
It’s great to have a director commentary on a film of this vintage. Milius has a terrific memory and is animated throughout, totally familiar with the film and engaged in telling about its production. The only downside is that his voice is quite low and deep, and has a bit of a droning quality.
Behind-The-Scenes (9:41)
This 10 minute vintage BTS is a bit on the skimpy side, but again, it’s just great to have any extra material on a 40-year old film, long before such featurettes became DVD staples.
Trailer (3:34)
A/V Out.
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The Wind And The Lion [Blu-Ray] | [DVD] | [Instant]