I have not seen Out of Africa and am curious if it is worth watching either from a historical perspective or for the depiction of Africa, or if it is too Redford-esque or Streep-ified.

It's good enough, kind of a chick flick but I induldge myself a couple times a year.

In my opinion, it is a must see movie. Beautiful Cinematography and well written.

quote:

Originally posted by Charles_Helm:
I have not seen Out of Africa and am curious if it is worth watching either from a historical perspective or for the depiction of Africa, or if it is too Redford-esque or Streep-ified.

I don't think it will give you much of the hunting you, and I crave, with the ecception of one lion charge stopped by a fine shot from a double. This charge is filmed in full speed, not the slow motion that you find in the films for hunters. IMO, the Slow-motion gives the idea that charges are easy to stop. This was filmed on a real hunt many years ago, and dubbed into the movie.

However, it is a fine movie, and loosely based on real people, in the early years of the settleing of Africa. It is no more a hunting film that "THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO" but will be a classic, in future!

Thank you gentlemen!

Charles, go ahead and watch it. An excellent flick, and based closely on actual events. Bror Blixen (Karen's husband) was said to be one of the very best elephant PH's in Africa at the time as was Dennis Finch-Hatton, Karen Blixen's real lover (and, small world, a lover of Beryl Markham the pilot who was also a lover of Bror Blixen). Karen Blixen really did own a farm in Kenya, take supplies to the Tanganyika front via oxcart during WWI, and saved one of her oxen from a lion with a sjambok. Robert Redford is very definitely no Finch-Hatton, though.

For me & my wife "out of africa" is a historical good movie..except that it makes Bror somehow less sympathic, which he really wasn`t.

Karens house is less than 15min drive from here
and me, and my South African wife enjoys walking in her garden each year.
My dear old friend Flemming Dahls late mother and grandmother knew of Hans and Blix as they visited næsbyholm, sweden back in the 20 and 30`s.

Charles,

The film makers and director Sydney Pollack did a good job of recreating the period down to the last detail. They had a lot of help from Ker & Downey, and PH John Sutton, in particular.

But they gave the hunting and shooting short shrift. They were so scared of bad publicity that the only shooting shown on film was done at charging lions. BTW, with supreme irony, they used trained lions brought to Kenya from Hollywood for most of the shooting!

Redford was hideous as Denys Finch Hatton. Although he apparently worked on developing a British accent for the film, in the end Reford delivered the role in pure California American. His performance was eminently forgettable.

Meryl Streep, on the other hand, was brilliant as Isak Dinesen, and Klaus Maria Brandauer, as Bror Blixen, was also very convincing and memorable.

All said, I think the movie is worth watching, but like most of what Hollywood offers, it could have been so much better.

As an aside, John Ormiston now owns Finch Hatton's Lancaster .450 NE double, which he has been offering for sale now for several years at a mere ₤100,000!

ihave seen out of Africa and i have The snows of killimanjaro, and theire good.

Worth a watch, as is 'Nowhere in Africa',

Anyone ever seen Clint Eastwoods 'White Hunter, black heart' ? Haven't seen it in sotres for years (I assume it was complete flop ITO the indutry)

Out of Africa is a woman's movie, a Mrs Dressup Movie. Its astonishing how often the stars keep changing their costumes.

I once had Dick Blixen as a client. He is the nephew of Bror Blixen. He said the depiction of Bror Blixen as a cad and a bounder was fairly accurate.

If you can't afford Finch Hatton's rifle from John Ormiston for 100K I can sell you John Ormiston's tweed jacket for considerably less.
It was too big for John so he gave it to Peter Swales. It was too big for Pete so he gave it to me. I still have it. For you my friend we make a deal.

Charles .. you're in for a treat.

quote:

Originally posted by kayaker:
Worth a watch, as is 'Nowhere in Africa',

Anyone ever seen Clint Eastwoods 'White Hunter, black heart' ? Haven't seen it in sotres for years (I assume it was complete flop ITO the indutry)

It's available on DVD. Amazon has it. I saw the movie then read the book. All things considered they did a pretty good job. The book does a good job of presenting both sides of the hunting issue.

Thanks again for the additional comments -- I will try to watch out for the chick-flick, dress-up aspects!

I have also seen White Hunter, Black Heart and it was okay but I was not overly impressed. I suppose I need to re-watch it.

I was not bowled over by the movie adaptation of Snows of Kilimanjaro but perhaps I was too harsh in my judgment.

OoA is one of my wife and my favorite Movies, but besides the wonderful scenes of Africa and the period they attempt to depict; why hasn't anyone mentioned the hauntingly beautiful sound track? Great memories and haven't seen the movie for nearly 3 weeks LOL!

Don't forget the driven pheasant shoot in the opening scene!

I thought it was an excellent movie, and have it in my DVD collection. It's NOT a hunting movie, but the story does involve some hunting.

It's a wonderful movie. I don't like Redford as Denys Finch Hatton but the rest of the movie is fantastic. Yeah, the movie is a "chick flick" but it's excellent. The scenery, sets, and costumes will transport you back in time. Meryl Streep gives what I think is the best performance of her career playing Karen Blixen. Her accent is enchanting. It's one of my favortie movies about Africa.

-Bob F.









Comprehensive internet guide to Karen Blixen-Isak Dinesen.
www.karenblixen.com/

I had to wath White Hunter Black Heart about 3 or 4 times to love it.

Eastwoods self destructive side is wonderful, and it's chock full of one liners.

quote:

Originally posted by 308Sako:
...why hasn't anyone mentioned the hauntingly beautiful sound track?

O.K., I shall mention it. It is my favorite screwing music.

I also enjoyed the aerial photography of East African landscapes and animal herds, as Denys and Karen cruised about in the biplane as a sexual metaphor. Quite Freudian.

That Gypsy Moth was the death of Denys. Freudian.

A Big Five Oscar winner for 1985:
1. Best Picture
2. Best Director
3. Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
4. Best Cinematography
and last but not least
5. Best Sound

Yep, it is worth a look and a listen more than once.

quote:

As an aside, John Ormiston now owns Finch Hatton's Lancaster .450 NE double, which he has been offering for sale now for several years at a mere ₤100,000!

Oh dear, 10 years ago I had Denys Finch-Hatton's 6.5x54 Mannlicher at my home for 2 weeks. It had a mongrammed case with all original accessories. It was a very strange rifle - length of pull over 16 inches, strangly shaped stock, flip up peep.

I eventually decided that $US7,000 was much too expensive.

mike

Dear Aussie Mike,

Don't lose sleep over it. The price John asks and the price John gets and not necessarily the same. Still he finds some very interesting stuff. He had Henry Morton Stanley's rifles a few years ago. Those rifles simply fought their way across Africa and back again just a century ago.

interrestingly on a Norwegian hotel where Kaiser wilhelm ventured , visited. Karen Blixen left her and Denys Finch Hattons boots they used in Africa there.

Black Hunter, White heart is very good, it will be a classic in the future.

...the lion charge was stopped with a bolt gun, not a double.

quote:

MRLEXMUS - "Redford was hideous as Denys Finch Hatton. Although he apparently worked on developing a British accent for the film, in the end Reford delivered the role in pure California American. His performance was eminently forgettable."

Robert Redford is extremely anti-hunting. He hates hunters.

Clint Eastwood also is extremely anti-hunting and has stated that hunters are psychologically impaired.

Screw both of them!

L.W.

quote:

Originally posted by tsibindi:
...the lion charge was stopped with a bolt gun, not a double.

There were two charges in that scene - The Lion was taken down by the double, the lioness by the bolt action.

quote:

Originally posted by Riodot:

There were two charges in that scene - The Lion was taken down by the double, the lioness by the bolt action.

That's the way I remember it too.

Karen got the lioness with the bolt, after Denys did the lion in with a double. Right. Very romantic afternoon on the veld.

Bob and Meryl didn't get any Oscars for their acting. Africa itself ought to have gotten the Oscar. It sure dwarfed the human stars of that movie.