WWII in Borneo. Learoyd (Nick Nolte) is an American who deserted and set himself up as King of the jungle. Capt. Fairbourne (Niogel Havers) is a British soldier that comes in to enlist the natives in fighting the Japanese.

That's just about it, except for Fairbourne's boss played by James Fox. He is the quintessential British soldier. The ethnocentric SOB that does all for King and Country. Nobody can play that character like Fox.

The rest of the movie features Japanese soldiers and natives battling it out. After a slaughter of Learoyd's people, including his wife, they slaughter Japanese.

Besides Fox, the best thing about the movie is seeing Nolte run through the jungle looking like some cartoon character. It was really funny.

You gotta be really stupid to mark this one lower then 8. It's fantastic movie that combines films like The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Headless Horseman),Dances with Wolves, River on bridge Kwai... With stunning performance of Nick Nolte - this character has been like made for him! And not to mention Nigel Havers who is one of the biggest underdogs in movie industry today. He pick ups where Peter O'Toole left. Playing dandy intellectuals with ease and graciousness.

I liked the adaptation skill given to natives. Unlike other portraits of Indians or other native cannibal age tribes folks here are keen of accepting useful western habits so the gap of values isn't unbridgeable. That might be unrealistic but it's a movie and that is what movies are about.

Although there were sad moments in the movie it didn't left me depressed but lifted me high. Great soundtrack helps with that.

Highly recommended.

In WWII, British Captain Fairbourne (Nigel Havers) and Sergeant Tenga (Frank McRae) parachute into the jungles of Borneo to recruit the locals for the fight against Japanese occupation. They are shocked to find a white man as their king. Learoyd (Nick Nolte) had escaped the fate of Corregidor by joining other American deserters on a small boat. They landed on the island but he was the only one who escaped the Japanese executions. His blue eyes saved his life in the tribe. The women saw the sea in them, and the sea means salt, and salt means life. He was able to win against the evil ruler, bring peace to the tribes, and unite 22 longhouses. A Japanese plane strafes the settlement after triangulating on Tenga's radio. Learoyd agrees to fight the Japanese for the freedom of the tribes.

There is a poetry to this jungle epic. It's an old fashion action adventure that feels very literary. Nick Nolte's acting can be divisive. His grandiose performance fits a man gone mad and reborn as a king. In addition, Nolte is perfect to play it. There is a possible way to see a white man leading locals as racist. I don't think that's valid since more white men came and ultimately destroyed paradise. There are memorable scenes and turns in this. It is grand cinema and minor box office failure.