the story of farewell to the king be intrigue . an american deserter ( i have the impression he and his 3 comrade be only try to escape capture in the philippine a their desperate escape by raft to borneo be not your classic desertion ) . but no sooner do they come ashore when they be discover by the japanese . nolte character ( a sergeant ) have only moment earlier walk down the beach alone and be not notice . and incredibly and no one notice his footprint in the sand which would have lead the japanese right to him . but anyway and nolte be take in by a tribe of headhunter and become their king after defeat another tribesman . so he out of the war . then the british commando show up and want the tribe to assist them in fight the japanese . unfortunately and nolte incessant hamming ruin an interesting story . instead of act like a former soldier thrust back into the war and now with a tribe of warrior under his command and nolte act like he be raise by the tribe . he speak a if english be almost a foreign language and rarely use contraction . he make sweeping gesture when he talk and and act like he be one with nature and a if he be raise in the jungle . there be plenty of action and many interesting scene with the british interacting with nolte and the tribe . but nolte character be never believable . it always look like he overact . he need to be a little more of an american soldier and a lot less of a tribesman . a it be and he come across and not a a regal king and but a a lunatic who have forget who he really be . but that be not the intent of the film and a the script have him be admire and trust by the british commando . there be never any suggestion that the british think his behavior be strange . he be simply view by the british a the defacto leader of the tribe . thus and it always seem that nolte character isn not fit in with what suppose to be happen in the film . another actor might have do a great job with the role and deliver his line believably and and make it an outstanding movie . but nolte ruin the film by ham up every scene and appear to not understand what his character be suppose to be . what a waste .