FAREWELL TO THE KING, 1989

Director: John Milius 
Screen Writers: John Milius and Pierre Schoendoerffer 
Producers: Charles Hannah, Gopala Krishnan, Ralph Marshall and André E. Morgan 
Starring: Nigel Havers, Frank McRae, Gerry Lopez, Nick Nolte, Marilyn Tokuda, Choy Chang Wing, Aki Aleong, Marius Weyers, William Wise, Wayne Pygram (as Bren Armstrong), Richard Morgan, Elan Oberon, James Fox, Michael Nissman, John Bennett Perry
 
SYNOPSIS:

An American sailor 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.  (from the IMDB )