u/Alteredego619

Director: John Milius

Starring: Sean Connery, Candice Bergen, Brian Keith, John Huston, Geoffrey Lewis, Vladek Sheybal, and Steve Kanaly.

Plot: In 1904 Morocco, American Eden Pedecaris (Bergen) and her two children are kidnapped be the Berber insurrection leader Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli (Connery). At this time, Raisuli is opposed to the Sultan and his uncle who have become pawns in a geopolitical game between France, Great Britain, and Germany.

Ms. Pedecaris must use her wits and wiles against the enigmatic Raisuli in order to protect her children and secure their release. The two develop a grudging respect for each other and soon find themselves as allies-by-circumstance. At the same time, US President Theodore Roosevelt (Keith) is forced to address the Moroccan situation while working on his reelection campaign. Soon US military personnel are dispatched to Morocco, adding another player to the international incident.

Cons: The movie focused on why the US became involved, but did not provide similar coverage to the leadership of France, Britain, and Germany. The real-life Moroccan Crisis would begin a year after the setting of the film and it would have been nice to see more from the great powers who were involved.

Pros: Connery clearly enjoys himself as the rakish Raisuli as he chews the scenery. The Scotsman comes off well as a Berber (it’s also worth noting that he would later play an immortal Ancient Egyptian-Spaniard) so playing a different ethnicity was no stretch for him.

Keith is outstanding as the larger-than life Roosevelt. He’s both rough and tumble and aware of his shortcomings at the same time. The scene with the bear, especially his impersonation of it are great.

Jerry Goldsmith’s Oscar-nominated score, the sound effects, and cinematography are excellent and the Spanish locations fill in for Morocco nicely. The inclusion of both Spanish and American military personnel as extras adds to the authenticity, especially the scenes of the Marine/Navy operation in Tangier. The reaction of the Bashaw of Tangier (Sheybal-Connery’s real-life friend and co-star in From Russia with Love/he played the villain Kronsteen) is actually pretty hilarious given what was going on around him.

Assessment: This is a solid historical-drama about a little known (in the US) event. The cast is excellent and Milius’ direction is quite good. It’s an epic-like film without being epic-length and doesn’t feel bogged down. Fans of historical dramas and adventure films will enjoy this.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

What are your thoughts on The Wind and the Lion?

Director: Bernard Rose.

Staring: Charlotte Burke, Elliott Spiers, Glenne Headly, Gemma Jones, and Ben Cross.

Based on the book ‘Marianne Dreams’ by Catherine Storr.

Plot: Dark fantasy film about a young girl
named Anna (Burke) who lives with her mother and sometimes absentee father. She gets sick and draws to pass her time. Soon, she discovers that her drawings influence her dreams and transport her to a surreal house occupied by a solitary boy named Marc.

Marc is unable to walk or leave the premises, so Anna proceeds to draw more detail into the house for him. The two spend more time together in the dreamland, but soon find themselves threatened by a sinister figure who wants Anna.

Cons: The connection between Anna and Marc is never fully explained, nor why Marc is in Anna’s dreams at all. There are hints, but they are glossed over. The film does tend to lag in the real-world setting.

Pros: Burke and Spiers give earnest performances as the leads and carry the weight of the film. They are the heart and soul of the film and are characters that the audience will root for.

Hans Zimmer’s score is a gem and unfortunately overlooked. It has become a favorite of mine.

The biggest star of the film is the Paperhouse itself. It’s equal parts childlike and spooky. It has a slightly uneasy quality to itself and its architecture and contents don’t make much sense; the set designers and crew did an excellent job of making something dreamlike real; that quality is what truly makes this film memorable.

Assessment: This is one of those movies that some people may have forgotten. It’s a fever dream of a film that some may think they’ve imagined it only to be surprised to find it’s actually real. If you haven’t already, give the film a watch and see a celluloid fever dream.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

What are your thoughts on Paperhouse?