Verdict:
Out of Africa is a film that invokes wanderlust. With that name it has to, doesn’t it? With big panning shots of the local wildlife and grand orchestral tunes, it sometimes feels more like a National Geographic documentary than a movie.
Out of Africa is not about lions, however, but about relationships. It does not rely upon a story. Yes, there is some business with the farm in Africa, diseases and some hunting trips, but there isn’t a purposeful narrative. However, despite the lengthy runtime, the movie never gets boring because the cast does a good job and it is interesting to see their personalities get revealed and interacted with. The leads Robert Redford and Meryl Streep have good chemistry. That said, It is understandable if not everyone will agree that this is enough to justify sitting through over 2 hours of interactions.
A praiseworthy quality is the film’s restraint and intelligence, specifically in the discourse. Often, not a whole lot is being said and pauses can be long, but the meaning is plentiful and relatively clear.
Out of Africa serves a curiously positive mood, considering all the bad events that overcome the main character. The film leaves you feeling uplifted, despite it being one of the darker stories I’ve seen. I don’t know how they did it, but it seems that freedom, peace, love, determination and acceptance prevail over all the hardships.
One point of annoyance for me came from an unusual angle. As you watch this movie you realise that this is a story about a white noblewoman from Denmark having love adventures in Africa, against the background of half-clothed poor black servants, almost like someone’s fantasy. However, there is an acknowledgement of the problem of colonialism in its story and dialogue. Moreover, the main character is fairly likable and hardworking.
Another point of annoyance is the main lady’s prominent friend played by Klaus Brandauer. He has 0 chemistry with Streep’s character, does a whole range of despicable things throughout the movie and the movie, with its music and dialogue, does not seem to acknowledge this. Meryl’s character keeps giving him a pass. Maybe it’s realistic for the time period in which this story takes place, when people like that got away with way too much.
Yet another small nit-pick is the accent. I am sure Meryl Streep is doing an excellent Danish accent. I wouldn’t know. Unfortunately, I had trouble understanding the first part of the movie because of it.
Out of Africa is an intimate positive experience centred on character interaction, with a pretty setting, and I highly recommend it.