Review of Gorillas in the Mist (1988) by Alexander C — 19 Sep 2012

A straight-forward film version of Dian Fossey's wife, which is entertaining and touching, as you might expect from a film about cute animals, who are at the same time the target of poaching and extincting. It is a shame that the film makers toned down the dark sides of Fossey's life, merely touching on her struggles with sickness and mental instability towards the end of her career. In the film, it looks as if her condition and struggles were merely a result of her experiences on the mountain ranges instead of suggesting that she might have been a tad instable or eccentric in the first place. I understand why the filmmakers chose to go down that road, but in the end, it makes the film much more one-dimensional and shallow than it could have been.

All in all, the film celebrates the love for animals and the work with animals as well as the singular passion of an individual for his or her work but fails to depict the complex nature of her problems with the local people and government. Alas, what else can one expect from a film that is bound in its scope by a limited running time and box office expectations.

It is still worth your time and the lead performances by Weaver and Brown and dedicated, warm and enthusiastic.

H.