Out of Africa (1985)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Thomas B

  
  Incredible in so many ways. Full review later.

• Chris W

  
  The Academy certainly loves the Prestige Picture, don't they? This film filled that niche in 1985, and it was decided that this was the film that should take home the big awards that night. Some of them are deserved, don't get me wrong, but I think this film is just really… More
  The Academy certainly loves the Prestige Picture, don't they? This film filled that niche in 1985, and it was decided that this was the film that should take home the big awards that night. Some of them are deserved, don't get me wrong, but I think this film is just really good, and not a classic. Like many prestige pictures, it's a sweeping romantic historical epic based on actual events and various published sources. It's a lengthy movie too, which makes me wonder if all prestige pictures have to be pushing 3 hours if not longer. Thankfully that's not a requirement to win Best Picture, though many of those winners do have some long running times, sometimes unnecessarily so. This particular film, despite being a lengthy romantic historical epic is one I found myself enjoying more than I sometimes tend to with these sorts of things. It is the stroy of a Danish Baroness who, from 1914-1931 ran a coffee plantation with her philandering husband in Kenya. While there, she broke out of her shell, falling in love with both the land and a big game hunter who really showed her how to live. It's a good story, but this movie is really just a rather simple romantic melodrama that seems really special because of the wodnerful costumes, art direction, set design, landscapes, music, and cinematography. Oh yeah, and the terrific performances. If it weren't for these things, this film wouldn't be all that great. For what it is though, it is enjoyable. Meryl Streep is fantastic as always, adding another well done accent to her resume. Robert Redford is also really good, though, curiously enough, he plays a Brit who speaks with an American accent... Apparently Redford wanted to use a Brit. accent and even filmed some stuff using it, but Sydney Pollack decided that an All-American like Redford speaking with a British accent might confuse people so he had him not use it. Hmm, that's an odd decision, and not a good one either. Michael Kitchen and Klaus Maria Brandauer also give good performances, though this is mainly the Streep and Redford show. The actors playing the Africans with more substantial roles are also not bad. Many films involving Europeans in exotic places tend to carry a certain bias in their portrayal of the foreign land and people. This film is no exception, but thankfully it doesn't come off quite as pandering and typical as it could have. Here's the thing: this movie has some interesting characters and situations, but those are least least interesting parts of the movie, even though they are supposed to be. What really had me was the cinematogrpahy and the John Barry's score, even though I could detect some shades of his later score for Dances With Wolves. The film tries to put things into a historical context, but I felt they could have done more with it, and had the filmfocus less on the character romance, and more on some sort fo specific plot. I mean hell, it's set in Africa from 1914-1931. There's all sorts of great material there for a truly wonderful film. Okay, enough of that. I did like this movie, but I don't think it's truly that special. Yes, some of it is impressive, but it mostly just plays it safe and follows formula. Sometimes, that's okay, but I was really expecting more. However, I liked it enough to give it the rating I've given it, so there.

• Red L

  
  I saw this again today -- mind you for the first time since joining Flixster. It is a good movie. Keeps you interested, good story, good acting, good scenery. Interesting that it is based on a true story. This movie features a strong-willed woman who makes the decisions in a… More
  I saw this again today -- mind you for the first time since joining Flixster. It is a good movie. Keeps you interested, good story, good acting, good scenery. Interesting that it is based on a true story. This movie features a strong-willed woman who makes the decisions in a frontier land at a time when most women seemed to be nothing but fluff.

• Daniel M

  
  Hollywood is a sucker for romantic epics. Long after the genre reached its peak, studios have made quick money by putting two big stars together and leaving them in the middle of nowhere. In the aftermath of Heaven's Gate, you would have thought that filmmakers had learnt their… More
  Hollywood is a sucker for romantic epics. Long after the genre reached its peak, studios have made quick money by putting two big stars together and leaving them in the middle of nowhere. In the aftermath of Heaven's Gate, you would have thought that filmmakers had learnt their lesson; they would have realised that scale is not a substitute for story, and would have concentrated on creating something more intimate and involving. But while Out of Africa is nowhere near as bad as Heaven's Gate, so much of it will try the patience of those who like their dramas taut. There is no denying Out of Africa looks good. David Watkin has form as a cinematographer, having shot both The Devils and Chariots of Fire, and he offers up a good range of work, from solid wide shots of the Kenyan plains to ornate interiors which have a still life quality to them. The score is pretty good as well -- John Barry, who composed the James Bond theme, also has experience with epics, having scored the likes of Zulu and The Lion in Winter. He blends his own compositions with the recordings of Mozart to make certain moments swell to just the right degree. Beyond that, Out of Africa is neither more nor less than baggy nonsense. Its first and biggest problem, like so many epics, is its length. In the words of Mark Kermode, "length is not a measure of depth": so often the films which go on the longest actually have the least to day. At 160 minutes, Out of Africa is not interminable -- it's shorter than all three Lord of the Rings and way, way shorter than Heaven's Gate. But considering the film's message and the limited extent of character development, it could have been an hour shorter and still got all its ideas across. There is an argument with historical epics for keeping the pace slow, to capture how it would feel to live in a world before high-speed broadband and 200mph supercars. The most successful film to do this is Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, which captures the painterly, stately quality of the 18th century and deliberately takes its time so that we as an audience are forced to slow down and come into the past. But despite his best efforts, Pollock is no Kubrick, and Out of Africa is not so much painterly as ponderous. It feels like the same encounters and character developments are being repeated, literally ad nauseum, and you never get the sense of the film wanting to move forward. It's like being led across Africa by a guide who constantly wants to stop and admire the view: it's pretty, but you never really go anywhere. Lord Attenborough once remarked that E.T. was a better film than Gandhi, since the latter was "a piece of narration, rather than a piece of cinema". For all its strengths, Gandhi relies on some kind of foreknowledge of the character and the history to achieve a complete emotional impact. Out of Africa falls into the same trap: it looks good, and has a couple of decent performances (including Leslie Phillips on his very best behaviour), but ultimately it isn't very 'dramatic', or indeed 'romantic'. Meryl Streep's sporadic narration virtually carries the film, and at points is the only semblance of narrative we have. Every time it attempts to build up something important, it cuts to something loud and fleeting like a firework display or a chariot race. As much as Pollock admires David Lean, he does not have the gumption to direct like him. Much like Pollock's later film The Interpreter, Out of Africa is strangely coy about the nitty-gritty of its politics, being content to offer up brief suggestions of where it stands but shying away from giving further comment. It keeps dodging any given opportunity to explore themes deeper than its central story, for instance the role of women in Africa. Early on in the film Karen Blixen is forced to leave a bar which only serves men -- a matter which isn't raised again until she is kneeling before Sir Joseph. The matter seems to be resolved when the men invite her for a whisky before she leaves, but resolved to what end? The film makes no attempt outside of these brief scenes to look at the role of women in white African society, a wasted opportunity made worse by the casting of Streep who revels in playing strong-willed women. The same goes for the border war the white men are fighting, which is only hinted at on a couple of occasions. The sub-plot about Blixen contracting syphilis seems completely pointless, since it is dismissed within the space of 20 minutes. It is treated so flippantly and so unnecessary to the character that any editor worth their salt would have taken it out. The central point is that epics have to take account of their surroundings: it may be centrally a love story, but love stories never happen in isolation. This brings us on to the romantic relationship at the heart of Out of Africa. All hopes of this being half-decent are scuppered by the below-par central performances. Streep is capable of great work -- think of Sophie's Choice, Ironweed or Kramer vs. Kramer -- but here she is really, really annoying. Part of this is her failed attempt at the Danish accent, which starts off promising but eventually becomes laughable as it wanders in and out of Dutch. But mostly it is because her character is so completely unlovable. She may be strong-willed, but she is also preening, selfish, distant and haughty. In the first hour especially, she makes lots of melodramatic turns away from the camera, and there is no great fall from grace which give her a sense of humility. Robert Redford is not much better, though for entirely different reasons. Having oozed roguish charm in both Butch Cassidy and The Sting, here he feels lost and confused, a situation not helped by a script which keeps its characters' lips at arm's length for nearly two hours. Until then he wanders in and out of the story as he sees fit, always turning up when Streep needs him before prompting disappearing. The relationship has so little chemistry that you end up wishing one of them would be mauled by a lion or accidentally shot by the other: neither would make much sense, but both would at least be more exciting. Out of Africa is a turgid and ponderous film, and one of the least-deserving winners of the Best Picture Oscar. Within its wide-angle landscapes and sweeping score there is a better, tighter, more thought-provoking story; and it may well be that the original stories are insightful and compelling. But the film is neither of these, squandering the best (and worst) efforts of its actors and ending up with something very boring indeed. It has none of the awe-factor of Doctor Zhivago, very little of Gandhi's intelligence, and precious little of the romantic tension of The Colour Purple (which though very flawed is the better film). Streep fans may leap to its defence, but it's a cold experience for those of us who aren't so easily seduced.

• Jeremy S

  
  Confirms Meryl Streep as greatest actress of modern times.

• Jennifer D

  
  I HATED this. If it were not for the class, I would have not finished it.

• Wahida K

  
  One of the Brilliant love story, a tiny bit long but very inspiring.

• Kyle F

  
  "Out of Africa" tries too hard to be beautiful. It seems as if it was created to win an Oscar. It all but squanders its potential for a good sound track, and when it tries to make me sad, I'm not. Overall it's boring.

• Dean M

  
  Meryl Streep turns in one of her best performances in this exquisitely filmed 1985 romantic drama. The photography and music put this in <i>The English Patient</i> class of leisurely, immensely satisfying period epics. Casting is perfect throughout.

• Pierluigi P

  
  A beautiful picture, thanks to the photographer David Watkin, and composer John Barry. Redford and Streep are also neat in their roles. It drags a bit at some parts, but the overall impression is captivating, and the dilemmas and arguments it raises are quite fascinating as well, like… More
  A beautiful picture, thanks to the photographer David Watkin, and composer John Barry. Redford and Streep are also neat in their roles. It drags a bit at some parts, but the overall impression is captivating, and the dilemmas and arguments it raises are quite fascinating as well, like solitude versus compromise, adultery, illness, death, ostracism. mighty spectacular.

• Wildaly M

  
  Though I think I need to see this one again since I started watching it a half hour after it started (it's 160 minutes long), I do think that this is one of those roles that Meryl Streep really shines. I have not seen many of her films and never really knew much about her, but… More
  Though I think I need to see this one again since I started watching it a half hour after it started (it's 160 minutes long), I do think that this is one of those roles that Meryl Streep really shines. I have not seen many of her films and never really knew much about her, but I'm definitely interested after seeing this performance. Robert Redford wasn't what I expected I think.

• Michael S

  
  Nice to look at, but really slow paced.

• Tom E

  
  To see Meryl and Robert Redford together was a REAL treat --

• Matthew Y

  
  With sweeping locales and great cinematography (and real lions!) Out of Africa suffers from an exhausting run-time and a plot that has a real "what was the point of all that" romance. Remarkably well made the film is shockingly hollow considering Sydney Pollack directed… More
  With sweeping locales and great cinematography (and real lions!) Out of Africa suffers from an exhausting run-time and a plot that has a real "what was the point of all that" romance. Remarkably well made the film is shockingly hollow considering Sydney Pollack directed while Meryl Streep and Robert Redford lent their acting talents. A beautiful film that is going to test the patience of most fans and simply cannot stand above the weight of itself. If not for its technical achievements this film may have been lost and forgotten in time. Viewers be warned.

• Deb S

  
  "When the Gods want to punish you, they answer your prayers." Winner of Seven Oscars, Out of Africa is loosely based on the memoirs of Danish aristocrat Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), who plunges headlong into a marriage to her lover's brother Baron Bror (Klaus Maria… More
  "When the Gods want to punish you, they answer your prayers." Winner of Seven Oscars, Out of Africa is loosely based on the memoirs of Danish aristocrat Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), who plunges headlong into a marriage to her lover's brother Baron Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer) in order to avoid a life of loneliness. They move to Africa where Karen assumes they are about to set up a dairy farm, but learns instead that Bror is keen on starting a coffee plantation instead. Feeling like an outsider in the sunny, hot country Karen initially has a hard time adjusting to her new environment but she soon comes to understanding and respecting the land and its people. <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=wmdz6x" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/wmdz6x.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> ~Warning spoiler ~Unfortunately Brors is pathologically incapable of being a decent husband in any way, even managing to bring syphilis home to her, which eventually leads to her asking him to move out. ~End Spoiler~ So ultimately she ends up spending a lot of time by herself, and of course that's where Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), the mysterious and handsome big-game hunter comes in. After saving her from being lion chow, he becomes somewhat of a permanent fixture of the Blixen household. Needless to say Karen develops feelings for a handsome safari hunter but tries to keep herself busy with various activities like starting a school for the children of the Kikuyu tribe whose members work on her plantation. <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=24liidd" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/24liidd.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> Robert_Redford conveys a stoic sense of adventurism that makes him an ideal screen match for the reserved passion of Meryl_Streep. The movie is exquisitely photographed depicting the lush, romantic grandeur of Africa and when the movie was over, I too had fallen in love with Africa. <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2d7wz11" target="_blank"><img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/2d7wz11.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

• Alec B

  
  Its beautifully photographed and and the John Barry score is gorgeous, but the characters are just boring.

• Andrew F

  
  Though in the end this movie is overlong and tedious, I found several memorable moments here. Several of which strangely involve a lion.

• Anthony V

  
  A powerhouse of acting, cinematography, writing and direction. A great film with many layered textures. Had always put off seeing this because of the people recommending it to me. Big mistake. See it on the biggest screen possible.

• Lord N

  
  in listing the worst of the Best Picture winners, this one is always included in that list. Now, I can appreciate movies that are slower and not so action packed or convoluted plot or anything like that. I on occasion like slower paced movies. This is one of the single most boring… More
  in listing the worst of the Best Picture winners, this one is always included in that list. Now, I can appreciate movies that are slower and not so action packed or convoluted plot or anything like that. I on occasion like slower paced movies. This is one of the single most boring movies I have ever seen. If someone asked me what happens in this movie I would say, I don't really know. i don't think anything happens. he acting was a step down from the usual performances of the stars in the movie: Redford and Streep. It was SO BORING. I hated it. the tempo of the movie was the same throughout, the pace was the same, the mood was the same. this can be alright in a movie if you DO IT WELL. however, the director here did not do it well AT ALL. I absolutely hated this one. it had no redeeming qualities at all. I would prefer watching The Greatest Show on Earth again over watching this one again. Final Verdict: HUGE MISTAKE. it was a horrible film. Razzie worthy really. and yet it won. Replacement Winner: The Color Purple. That film is excellent, well acted, and powerful.

• Juli R

  
  The chemistry between Redford and Streep works. This is an epic romance that is beautiful to watch.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings