I first saw this dazzling gem of a mini-series when BBC aired it in, I believe, 1971. Until "I Claudius" came along I deemed it the finest television EVENT of all time. It literally is hypnotic in its many excellencies, and I scarcely known WHERE to begin in detailing them, so I simply will say that IF YOU CAN POSSIBLY TRACK DOWN this, evidently, now blacklisted BBC series, do your self that exquisite favor.
My wife, I know not how, managed through her dogged determination to finally discover this buried epic in Germany, of all places -- you CANNOT find it in politically correct Britain any longer because, I believe, of its uncompromisingly Victorian nature, narrated beautifully by James Mason with a musical score magically reminiscent of Smetana's "The Moldau." My wife even had to include in her birthday gift -- the best I've ever received -- a special new DVD player that could handle the German format, though I don't understand any of such technical trifles. I just IMMERSE myself in this grand epic of African exploration which is many times more satisfying than actually visiting Africa itself, which I have also done and also immensely enjoyed, but there is nothing like the joy of re-watching and then re-watching again and again and again this unparalleled masterpiece.
They made of movie on the same subject matter called "Mountains of the Moon" many years afterward which bitterly disappointed me due to its vastly inferior writing and casting, but how often can one expect a miracle such as 1971's "The Search for the Nile" to actually take place. Miracles are so very, very rare, of course. Whatever else you do, do NOT miss out on the profound pleasure of viewing for yourself this inimitable, somber epic, "The Search for the Nile."
My wife, I know not how, managed through her dogged determination to finally discover this buried epic in Germany, of all places -- you CANNOT find it in politically correct Britain any longer because, I believe, of its uncompromisingly Victorian nature, narrated beautifully by James Mason with a musical score magically reminiscent of Smetana's "The Moldau." My wife even had to include in her birthday gift -- the best I've ever received -- a special new DVD player that could handle the German format, though I don't understand any of such technical trifles. I just IMMERSE myself in this grand epic of African exploration which is many times more satisfying than actually visiting Africa itself, which I have also done and also immensely enjoyed, but there is nothing like the joy of re-watching and then re-watching again and again and again this unparalleled masterpiece.
They made of movie on the same subject matter called "Mountains of the Moon" many years afterward which bitterly disappointed me due to its vastly inferior writing and casting, but how often can one expect a miracle such as 1971's "The Search for the Nile" to actually take place. Miracles are so very, very rare, of course. Whatever else you do, do NOT miss out on the profound pleasure of viewing for yourself this inimitable, somber epic, "The Search for the Nile."