Out of Africa
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Movie Reviews of Out of Africa
Movie Review: The Story of a Life
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a movie like "The English Patient" that successfully mingles sweeping vistas and larger-than-life events with the small and human things that we can relate to personally. If we find ourselves in a sympathetic vibration with a character in a story, we can be thrilled by feeling closer to the bigger events which might not otherwise rock our personal worlds. These epic events also give a story a yardstick, something by which to measure the mettle of the characters.Everyone knows something of love, of the joys and difficulties of marriage and the discovery--good and bad--of another person with whom we are intimately involved. This is our entry into the world of this movie. But how many of us have had the chance to, or have succeeded in, living life on our own terms and without compromise as Karen Blixen does? That she is a woman at the turn of the century is only icing on a cake of universal appeal.
This story (I will not detail the plot which others have already eloquently done) lets us watch an extraordinary person being placed in a fantastic, sometimes awkward but ultimately rewarding series of events and trials, and we are able to watch her rise to these occasions and meet life with the bit between her teeth. The backdrop is an entire continent, a setting so sweeping and vast that we can observe whole food chains or witness entire weather systems plying their trade. Karen Blixen is a character that appeals to something in all of us, and she does us proud as a representative of the human race in the continent's dramas.
I have always found Robert Redford thoughtful and engaging, and he does an excellent job here playing maybe the one person who truly understands our heroine and can meet her on her own terms and not be intimidated by her. But the real performance is Karen Blixen herself, played with such perfection, with such a wizard's breath of true life by Meryl Streep. I have never seen an actress more completely inhabit a character than Streep does here, and her virtuosity is breathtaking to watch.
I finish this movie each time feeling a bit worn out. After the roller coaster of exultation and abject loss, of intense love and apopleptic rage, of a woman young and naive grown old and frail, I am able to sleep soundly feeling I have not failed to glimpse ALL of life's secrets.
Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Takes My Breath Away....
Summary: 5 Stars
This review refers to the Universal Widescreen "Collector's Edition" DVD of "Out Of Africa"....."Out Of Africa" not only takes my breath away, but for 2 hours and 40 minutes I am transported to another time and place. A beautiful story in a wonderous setting will have you mesmerized as well. No matter how many times I view this film, I never tire of the gorgeous cinematography,the lulling music, the compelling story and of course the superb acting all brought together by the wonderful direction of Sydney Pollack.
Based on a true story, it depicts the life of Karen Blixen(who wrote under the name of Isak Dinesen) She marries a philandering Baron, and gains a title but discovers he has squandered her money on a coffee plantation in Kenya. Left to run it on her own, she befriends the local residents "The Kikuyu", offers them education and medical help, survives on her own strong willed nature and falls in love with the country, the people and local hunter Denis Finch Hatton.
The story is told in narrative by Karen, as she is now an old woman, thinking back to this time of love, passion, adventure and loss. Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Klaus Maria Brandauer are masters of their craft as they bring these characters to life. The film was honored with several academy awards including Best Picture(1985),a well deserved Best Director for Pollack, Best Screenplay by Kurt Luedtke, Orginal Score for the genuis of John Barry, and one for the gorgeous Cinematography among others. I loved the music so much, which includes many works by Mozart, I just ordered the soundtrack!
The DVD transfer by Universal is outstanding. All the colors and sounds of Africa, seem to come alive right there in your living room. The growl of a lion, the texture of the landscape, the music all magnificent. The picture is presented in anamorphic widescreen(1.85:1), and the dolby digital 4.1 surround sound is perfect!. The extras include commentary with Sydney
Pollack production notes, cast bios,captioning, and a not to be missed documentary "Song of Africa" where you will find interviews with Pollack, Streep, and John Barry discussing the film and the music. This a great DVD buy at a great price.
Enjoy this very romantic film over and over again.....Laurie
Movie Review: One Of The Best Romantic Movies Ever Made!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is undoubtedly one of the finest movies made over the last twenty years or so. Both Meryl Streep and Robert Redford are absolutely terrific in playing star-crossed lovers who are also intellectual soul mates in what has to be one of the greatest and yet saddest of all movie love affairs. This is a dramatization culled from the memoirs written by Isak Dinesen about her fateful decision to leave her comfortable but boring life in Scandinavia behind in favor of a much more dangerous and adventurous try at a new life as a married woman in Africa. Blowing her inheritance trying to support her philandering new husband's ill-advised business ventures, she falls in love with the land, the people, and the times. Indeed, out of Africa comes the experience of a young lifetime.In fact, the topography of Africa provides the perfect background and the most splendid of opportunities for her to live her life on her own terms, out of the long and suffocating shadow of family and social convention. And the journey taken by Karen Blixen is a long, joyous, and eventful one, a trip that literally takes her breath away with its rich, varied, and enriching experiences. Yet all this adventure has its cost in pain and suffering, and her growth into a woman of substance who eventually finds her way into a dreamy intellectual played so well by Redford also fates her to become a woman bereft of that that means most to her; her lover, her farm, and her place in Africa itself.
This is a lovely film, one that capitalizes by using the dramatic and primitive backdrop of wild Africa in painting a period piece that is unparalleled in its graphic portrayal of life on the very edges of civilization in an epochal time of Africa's evolution to modernity. The cinematography alone is worth the price of the DVD, for anyone who loves nature will recognize Redford's steady hand in influencing the way the fragile yet exquisite sub-Saharan environment is depicted. I have seen the movie a number of times, and each time come away with a renewed sense of how fragile and wondrous the ecology of this part of Africa is. This is a wonderful movie I can heartily recommend. Enjoy
Movie Review: Deserving of all seven Oscars!
Summary: 5 Stars
Several false starts over the years in attempting to put this challenging story on the screen finally led to Sydney Pollock's masterly production in 1985. Previously, screen-writers had great difficulty connecting the dots of this highly anecdotal and wide-ranging, subtle story. If Pollock had done nothing else in his career, this great accomplishment alone would make him a towering figure in his field. The DVD features an extensive commentary wherein he provides us with a wealth of enriching material describing the full story of the production. This commentary alone is probably worth the price of the DVD. We learn of Pollack's collaboration with the great John Barry, resulting in what is undeniably one of the most lush and romantic soundtracks to date. We also learn of the difficulties of dealing with lions, hippos, water buffaloes -- and African microbes!
Pollack provides a fascinating and lengthy explanation of meeting the challenges of photography at high altitudes near the Equator, where the light is impossibly bright and therefore harsh. He speaks in detail about the wonderful sets and spectacular costumes.
He highlights the incredible courage and versatility of Meryl Streep (three "lion scenes" - no digital magic in 1985!) How is it possible that our greatest actress has only one Best Actress Oscar? Meryl provides commentary (as do John Barry and Karen Blixen's able biographer, Judith Thompson).
And, yes, Robert Redford's "American accent" is discussed, and it is hoped that others' silly quibbles about this entirely trivial point can be laid to rest. Redford is magnificent, as usual. The supporting cast is superlative as well.
As is the case with "The English Patient," which is the obvious comparison film, "Out of Africa" is populated with characters that one would love to have over for dinner: they are very "real", unfailingly charming and intelligent.
The film is shot on location in Kenya, and, if one can take one's eyes off Streep and Redford, the vistas are unparalleled.
I must insist that this film is truly one of the Great Ones.
Movie Review: OUT OF 5 Stars
I would highly recommend this film to anyone.I'm 25-years-old and have only just watched Out of Africa for the 1st time. Yes believe it or not. Of course I have seen glimpses of it before when advertised but somehow never got round to watching it. I have heard the theme tune before by John Barry which was so beautiful and inspiring in itself, then again all his work is.
There are films which are ok and there are films which are epics. This is one of the later and one that will be memorable throughtout your life.
I'm almost quite glad that I have not seen this film before and can really enjoy it now.
I love the setting and how it manages to capture a different time altogether. The vastness of the plains which even as a cinema watcher, make your eyes drawn to the horizon and beyond. The colours of Africa and the dawns stand out in my mind. I think the storyline is progressive and you have to think and allow time to pass and you are captured by the characters and their interactions. It's not laid out on a plate like other romances where it's clear to see why, how, where etc. This is such a lovely romantic heart capturing lines such as "don't I want to move" makes your heart race as fast as Linford Christie!!
It's a perfect film for any complete and utter old fashioned give it 10/10 every time.
I never expected to like it as much as I did.
The theme tune just continues the feeling you get from watching this feel. It's exhilarating and thought provoking. It's a film that cannot just be seen with the eyes but felt and heard with the heart.
Don't take my word for it, go out and rent it and you are guaranteed a most memorable night.
You will be left feeling so much appreciation for the work that went into the production of this film.