Overview
A gripping tale of courage and diplomacy in a land torn by conflict.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- propulsive
- grand
- classic adventure night
- historical film marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found it a literate, commercial, well-directed period action drama with strong writing and production craft.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Pedecaris abduction and Roosevelt-era negotiations are presented as a grand, stylized adventure rather than strict history.
The Berber leader’s resistance and the American diplomatic and military response foreground colonial intervention and competing claims to sovereignty.
Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli commands the film’s emotional and ideological center through his abduction, rhetoric, and confrontation with American power.
Moroccan desert settings, cavalry movement, and military intervention are staged as sweeping period spectacle.
Films like The Wind and the Lion, and why
Lawrence of Arabia
historical adventure spectacle combining political maneuvering, desert landscapes, and charismatic larger-than-life figures
The Man Who Would Be King
period action drama about colonial power, abduction, and clashing cultural loyalties
The Four Feathers
stylized historical adventure driven by political intrigue, military intervention, and an assertive female protagonist
Movie Details
- Director
- John Milius
- Release Date
- 1975-05-22
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (216)
Cast
- Sean Connery
- Candice Bergen
- Brian Keith
- John Huston
- Geoffrey Lewis
- Steve Kanaly
- Vladek Sheybal
- Nadim Sawalha
- Roy Jenson
- Deborah Baxter
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Wind and the Lion about?
- A flamboyant Moroccan kidnapping ignites a clash between Berber defiance, American diplomacy, and Theodore Roosevelt’s forceful political will.
- What is The Wind and the Lion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Wind and the Lion as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Wind and the Lion violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Wind and the Lion as mild.
- What did critics think of The Wind and the Lion?
- Critics generally found it a literate, commercial, well-directed period action drama with strong writing and production craft.
- Which films are like The Wind and the Lion?
- Films with a similar feel include Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Would Be King, and The Four Feathers.
- How long is The Wind and the Lion?
- The Wind and the Lion runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Wind and the Lion?
- In United States, The Wind and the Lion is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
