OUT OF AFRICA

US, 1985, 150 minutes, Colour.
Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michael Kitchen, Michael Gough, Victoria Hamilton, Rachel Kempson, Leslie Philips, Graham Crowden.
Directed by Sidney Pollack.

Out of Africa was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won seven including Best Film and Best Director. Meryl Streep gives one of her best performances.

The film is based on the writings and the life of Isak Dinensen, the penname for Baroness Karen Blixen. The film gives something of her Scandinavian background and then moves to her experiences in Africa prior to and during World War One. The film evokes with beautiful photography the landscapes of Africa, the life of Africans and the work of Europeans. The film also makes some comment about racist attitudes and exploitation of the 19th and early 20th century.

While Meryl Streep is excellent and adapts her accent for Karen Blixen, Robert Redford relies on his presence and charm for Denys Finch- Hatton. He seems idealist (especially since lie has the best lines for social issues and ironic touches). Klaus Maria Brandauer (Mephisto, Colonel Redl) was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Karen's husband. There is an interesting British supporting cast including Michael Gough and Rachel Kempson.

The film is lavish, romantic, beautiful - and makes points without being too demanding.

1. An entertaining and enjoyable film? Its acclaim? Multi awards?

2. The importance oil the location photography, the beauty of Africa, landscapes, train sequences, plane sequences? The re-creation of the period: costumes, decor? The audience immersed in the beauty of Africa? Editing and pace? A leisurely film? The themes of John Barry's mus1cal score?

3. The work of Karen Blixen: as a person, her experience in Scandinavia, motives for going to Africa, her storytelling, her writings? A symbol of western presence in Africa - and the westerner being changed by Africa?

4. The 'old fashioned' style of the film in plot and treatment? An emotional film? A film of insight, nostalgia and regret?

5. The voice-over narrative technique: Karen and her story, the voice-over with the aged voice, the wisdom in retrospect? The prologue and Karen's life in Scandinavia, her possibilities in life, her choices, her life in Africa, the momentum of her life? Her finally leaving Africa, never to return?

6. Africa as a character in the film: as a continent, unknown to westerners, the dark continent, westerners discovering Africa, the landscapes, the range of flora and fauna? The physical beauty and shape of Africa? Vastness, heat? The people, the tribes, their way of life, culture, religion? The colonial period and the presumptions of Europeans, teaching, exploiting? The transition from 19th to 20th century? The effect on the tribes, the lifestyle, work, ownership? The Europeans owning Africa? Interacting with the natives? Their impositions? Africa experiencing World War One, European war and its devastating effects on Africa?

7. The title, the story, the appreciation of Africa, the change of a Danish woman by Africa? The screenplay and the 1980s language and commentary, the perspective of hindsight (especially in Denys Finch Hatton's comments)?

8. Meryl Streep’s portrait of Karen: appearance, presence, accent? Danish background, money and need of money, family, her relationship with Bror's brother, the social gathering? The plan with Bror? Future, the plan for living and working in Africa? Her Danish attitudes? Travelling, trying to move the natives away from the train? Her encounters with Denys and Barclay? The woman in the club (and the later acceptance and drinking with her)? Bror meeting him, the marriage arrangement? The reception? Their being friends together? Her friendship with Felicity? The discussion about love, marriage? The marriage, money and Bror's need for it, the devastating effect Of her contracting syphilis from him? Bror and his plans for the farm, the change to coffee? The foreman of the workers and Karen’s relationship with him? Friendship and loyalty? Her assumptions about the Africans? Her desire to teach the children and the negotiation with the Chief? Her servants, the lepers and her healing? The outbreak of the war and her decision to go on the trek? The dangers of the African wildlife? The encounter with the lion, Denys and his teaching her about the animals? Her whipping the lions away from, the cattle? Her growing stronger and tougher? The encounters with Denys, his friendship, vision? Her ousting Bror? Denys coming into her life? Seeing Africa with him, the trek, the plane ride? The theories about freedom? Their work together, his moving in and out, the plans for a possible marriage? His resistance? Her learning from him? The coffee production, the fire and her decision to leave? The visit to the club? The pathos of Denys's death? The funeral and her experience of grief? Being affected by Barclay's death (and the discovery about his African mistress)? Her leaving Africa - a portrait of a woman who had changed, grown, come to love people, understand them?

9. Robert Redford's performance as Denys Finch-Hatton: well-cast or miscast? Credible as an Englishman? his presence in Africa, the hunter, the free spirit, his humorous comments on her? Turning up at different times? The various meetings with Karen, saving her from the lion? His moving in, travelling? The romantic passion of their affair? His effect on her life, her way of thinking? His deliberate stance for his freedom? Not interfering with hers? Finding her demanding? The decision to leave? The fire? The offer of the flight? His death and funeral?

10. Bror and his background, a womaniser, social ambitions, providing status for Karen, the plan for Africa and his changing it, her arrival, his haphazard attitudes towards her, hunting? Sexual relationship and her contraction of syphilis? Her return from her illness and ousting him? His friendship in bringing her the news of Denys's death?

11. The portrait of European rule in Africa? British society transplanted? The governor and his wife? Society? Felicity and her isolation, typical of young women in Africa at the time? The British? Their preparations for World War One battles? Denys and his antagonism? The importance of the officials' presence at his funeral? The new governor and Karen's request, falling on her knees pleading to him?

12. The portrait of the Africans themselves, the Chief and his background, culture, suspicions of education? The young ran that Karen healed of his illness? The servants in the household? The foreman and his loyalty? Denys's guide - and the bond between the two? The film's suggestions of the mystical element in the Africans?

13. Barclay and his friendship with Denys, his friendship with Karen? Their enjoyable times together? His illness? His mistress and his keeping her a secret? The apartheid at his funeral?

14. A portrait of the early 20th century? The British Empire? Europeans and colonial attitudes? Transition?