Screenwriter William Martell gives a nice retrospective of John Milius’s overlooked ode to Manifest Destiny, The Wind and the Lion. Flaws aside, it is a fun film. Here’s one of my favorite sequences:
So much tasty martial eye candy. The Marines course through Tangiers like a single organism, an irresistible force of nature. The attack up the palace stairs evokes Battleship Potemkin, but turns it on its head in a bloody celebration of adventurism and American arms. Finally, Captain Jerrome’s line and grinning salute at the end is perfect.
Connery I could have done without. Same with Candace Bergen. Like I said, the movie has some flaws. The most interesting part is the B-story with Brian Keith as Teddy Roosevelt struggling to reconcile national interests with the need to protect human lives. It’s an honest portrait of a brave leader having to make tough decisions.
I’ve always been a big fan of John Milius, and wish he’d do more movies.
Chatter