A 1989 American Adventure Drama written and directed by John Milius that has an American deserter (Nick Nolte) surviving the jungle in the midst of WWII.
The movie also stars Nigel Havers, James Fox, Frank Mc Rae, Aki Aleong, Marius Weyers, Gerry Lopez, Richard Morgan Actor, John Bennett Perry, Wayne Pygram, and Marilyn Tokuda.
It was released on March 3, 1989.
Tropes for the film:
- The Film of the Book: Based on Pierre Schoendoerffer's book L'Adieu au Roi.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: In the scene following their confrontation, Learoyd and Colonel Mitamura are seen paddling a canoe together as though they were best friends on a trip together.
- God Guise: The movie fits this plot to a T. Learoyd, a marooned US soldier evading the Japanese, is captured by Natives on the island of Borneo. He is saved by tattoos he had gotten in a drunken stupor in the Philippines, which the natives consider to be marks of a God.
- Going Native: Learoyd is a deserter who becomes adopted by a tribe of Dayaks in Borneo, who consider him divine because of his blue eyes.
- Mighty Whitey: The blond, blue-eyed American Learoyd deserts his command, flees into the Borneo jungle, winds up with a tribe there, slays their best warrior in a duel, marries a beautiful princess, and becomes their chief.
- Period Piece: Takes place during World War II.
- Tagline: "In the midst of war, one man vanished into the jungle, and emerged as king".
