Review of Out of Africa (1985) by Ranie A — 09 Oct 2008

Winning best picture in 1985, "Out of Africa" is often mentioned in any discussion involving biggest mistake by the Academy, but to harbor on its faults would be to undermines its strengths. Though characters make many decisions that are easily dismissed as self-indulgent and the movie at times seems content with nearly halting plot development, there are still many reasons to appreciate the work. For starters, Meryl Streep does a great job carrying the movie, playing a strong female character that must reverse a lifestyle conditioned by safety, thrust into an environment where she must learn self-preservation. The cinematography is breath-taking at times as well, showing off much of the beauty that exists in the African landscape. Robert Redford often serves the purpose of injecting life into the movie, always bringing with him some form of adventure and new choices for the lead to consider, though ultimately fails to be satisfying, delivering little payoff.

"Out of Africa" is an epic that often reminds the viewer of "Gone with the Wind" with its transformed female lead fighting to get a grasp on love, as well as "Lawerence of Arabia," showcasing an outsider reluctantly falling in love with a foreign land, but never reaches close to the highs of those two movies.