Farewell to the King (1989)

PG-13  |   |  Action, Adventure, Drama  |  3 March 1989 (USA)
6.3
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An American soldier who escapes the execution of his comrades by Japanese soldiers in Borneo during WWII becomes the leader of a personal empire among the headhunters in this war story told... See full summary »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
Botanist
...
Tenga
...
Gwai
...
Learoyd
Marilyn Tokuda ...
Yoo
Chang Wing Choy ...
Lian
...
Colonel Mitamura
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Conklin
William Wise ...
Dynamite Dave
...
Bren Armstrong
Richard Morgan ...
Strech Lewis
Elan Oberon ...
Vivienne
...
Ferguson
Michael Nissman ...
...
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Storyline

An American soldier who escapes the execution of his comrades by Japanese soldiers in Borneo during WWII becomes the leader of a personal empire among the headhunters in this war story told in the style of Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling. The American is reluctant to rejoin the fight against the Japanese on the urging of a British commando team but conducts a war of vengeance when the Japanese attack his adopted people. Written by Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

In the midst of war, one man vanished into the jungle, and emerged as king.

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Certificate:

PG-13 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

3 March 1989 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Adiós al rey  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$2,420,917 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Capt. Fairbourne is loosely based on Maj. Tom Harrisson, commander of Semut 1, Z Force. During WWII, Harrisson parachuted into north Borneo and organized the hill tribes to resist the Japanese occupation troops. See more »

Goofs

Just before Lian the Magnificent lands on the fire, his pants are clearly shown to be wet down to protect the stunt performer from being burned. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: THE COAST OF BORNEO - April 1942 / Shortly after the fall of the Philippines the Japanese are triumphant in the Pacific
See more »

Connections

Edited into Dinosaur Island (1994) See more »

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User Reviews

 
A gripping, thought-provoking, action adventure
19 August 1999 | by (New Orleans, Louisiana) – See all my reviews

Nick Nolte stars as the enigmatic hero of this little-known but highly interesting film. Basically at war with himself, Nolte evolves from Army deserter to a genuine jungle king.

He's an interesting actor, and never more so than in this movie, which is set in Borneo during World War II. It might just as easily been set in a Montagnard village during the Vietnam War.

This off-beat, under-rated movie is more of a psychological study than a mindless, run-of-the-mill action flick. This movie has a lot more depth and heart than that.

The locations are beautiful, the musical score is outstanding, and, as in most John Milius films, the uniforms, weapons, and other goodies are faithfully and accurately depicted with wonderful detail.

This is a thinking man's "war movie". If you enjoyed "The Man Who Would Be King", you will very likely enjoy this film, too.

If you can find it on video, snap it up fast!


14 of 16 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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piece of CRAP!! hitrack
A movie in the true Milius tradition toryu88
real storytelling stikpusher
Out on DVD jastanga
This film captures the truth about Guerrilla warfare hawke-19
Director's Cut? henriz1-1
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