It's 1904 Tangiers, Morocco. The world powers are striving for influence in the country. Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli (Sean Connery) leads a Berber rebellion against the country's immature ruling sultan. He kidnaps Eden Pedecaris (Candice Bergen) and her children William and Jennifer to provoke an international incident and a civil war. President Theodore Roosevelt (Brian Keith) uses the incident as propaganda to win his first election as president over the objections of his Secretary of State John Hay (John Huston).
Firstly, the music by Jerry Goldsmith is great and reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. There is no denying that this is one of the best musical score of that year. Sean Connery works well as an Arab. Candice Bergen is playing the throughly modern self-confident western woman. This movie is epic in scale but it's a little too comedic to be taken that seriously. The two tones sometimes struggle against each other. Also the flipping back and forth between the kidnapped and the American politics do muddy the flow of the story. While the politics and Brian Keith's performance are fascinating, it does serve to distract from the A-plot which is more of an old fashion high adventure. I almost wish this is split into two movies; one high adventure, and the other a bio of Teddy. The final battle is quite impressive but I don't buy that the Germans and American would start a fight so easily.
Firstly, the music by Jerry Goldsmith is great and reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood. There is no denying that this is one of the best musical score of that year. Sean Connery works well as an Arab. Candice Bergen is playing the throughly modern self-confident western woman. This movie is epic in scale but it's a little too comedic to be taken that seriously. The two tones sometimes struggle against each other. Also the flipping back and forth between the kidnapped and the American politics do muddy the flow of the story. While the politics and Brian Keith's performance are fascinating, it does serve to distract from the A-plot which is more of an old fashion high adventure. I almost wish this is split into two movies; one high adventure, and the other a bio of Teddy. The final battle is quite impressive but I don't buy that the Germans and American would start a fight so easily.