Review of Out of Africa (1985) by Briain D — 10 Dec 2013

A very nice and emotionally powerful film which could have been much better. The broad premise is simple- a married couple who are not right for each other, eventually get divorced, and the woman starts a romance with an altogether more desirable man, played by Robert Redford. However, the method in which this premise is dealt with is much more interesting. It's set in Kenya, where the Baroness (Meryl Streep) and her husband run a coffee plantation. Redford, meanwhile, is a British game hunter, who comes to know Streep and befriend her. Generic formula but it works well, mainly thanks to two great leads.

The cinematography in this picture is spectacular, some of the finest ever recorded on film. There are plenty of shots of Africa, the flora and fauna, the great plains, the splendid views and the powerful wildlife leading their daily lives. One couldn't fail to gasp at the true beauty of the African continent. On top of this, there is a wonderfully beautiful soundtrack. Good music is always an important part of dramatic films and the score in this picture is immensely beautiful. Music plays an important role in the relationship between Streep and Redford too, what with the gramophone he gives her as a gift.

The performances- a pivotal aspect of the picture. Meryl Streep gives one of the most stellar performances of her career in Out of Africa. She plays a Danish baroness and gets the accent spot on. It's fantastic to watch. Although overshadowed by Streep, Redford isn't half bad either! His character is an amiable one, certainly, but he has a strange desire to go away by himself on a regular basis, something Streep doesn't appreciate.

Unfortunately, as many critics have pointed out, the film is much too slowly paced. There is great material for a wonderful film but the director tries too hard to milk the beautiful landscape aspect and makes a mess of making a dramatic, engrossing picture. Consequently, the run-time is too long and it's quite hard to watch the whole film without growing bored. This is very unfortunate because it is quite significant and may turn a lot of people off an effective film.

I do recommend watching Out of Africa. It's slow, yes, but stick it out and I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.