I saw this movie for the first time at 17 on TV. Now, 4 years later I saw it again and I liked it a bit less than the first time I saw it. And despite it's a very good movie I don't think it's the best movie from 1985.
The movie is based on Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep)'s OUT OF AFRICA, her autobiographical book about her period in Africa (from 1913 to 1934). In the beginning she goes to Kenya, in Africa, for marrying her former lover's brother Baron Bror Blixen, and on the way to Kenya she meets Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), a big game hunter that knows the nature and fauna very well. Time passes and she begins to accept more and more her husband's farm but after her husband goes away for participating in World War I, she discovers that she has syphilis and ends up dedicating to the natives' children. After she finds Bror with another woman she kicks him out. After some time with Hatton they begin to fall in love but since he is a free spirit, they end their relationship. After some tragedies she does everything for returning in Europe and she succedds but not after remembering Hatton after his passing.
The acting by Meryl Streep and Robert Redford is excellent and Klaus Maria Brandauer gives one of his best performances. The cinematography is good and the soundtrack is excellent and probably the most memorable asset of the movie. The problems are the pacing, that at times is incredibly slow and it makes the movie look dull; and also that the supporting actors look very unconvincing and stiff.
So this is one of those turn off your brain and enjoy movies, because it may be overlong but it's at least treat for the eyes and the ears.
The movie is based on Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep)'s OUT OF AFRICA, her autobiographical book about her period in Africa (from 1913 to 1934). In the beginning she goes to Kenya, in Africa, for marrying her former lover's brother Baron Bror Blixen, and on the way to Kenya she meets Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), a big game hunter that knows the nature and fauna very well. Time passes and she begins to accept more and more her husband's farm but after her husband goes away for participating in World War I, she discovers that she has syphilis and ends up dedicating to the natives' children. After she finds Bror with another woman she kicks him out. After some time with Hatton they begin to fall in love but since he is a free spirit, they end their relationship. After some tragedies she does everything for returning in Europe and she succedds but not after remembering Hatton after his passing.
The acting by Meryl Streep and Robert Redford is excellent and Klaus Maria Brandauer gives one of his best performances. The cinematography is good and the soundtrack is excellent and probably the most memorable asset of the movie. The problems are the pacing, that at times is incredibly slow and it makes the movie look dull; and also that the supporting actors look very unconvincing and stiff.
So this is one of those turn off your brain and enjoy movies, because it may be overlong but it's at least treat for the eyes and the ears.