FilmJudge - Out of Africa

REVIEW

Out of Africa
1986
Certificate: PG | Runtime: 154 | Director: Sydney Pollack
Starring: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer

Married for the sake of economic convenience, Karen Blixen (Streep) moves to Kenya with her husband Bror (Brandauer) in order to start a plantation. However, her dreams of a luxurious African life are frustrated by Bror buying a crop of coffee plants, which are difficult to grow in the harsh African soil. He also cheats on her constantly. Therefore, Karen finds solace in getting more familiar with the native Kenyans, and the appearance of American hunter Denys Hatton (Redford) gives her hope that she may finally find love.

When pondering Out of Africa it can be useful to think of it as the 1980s version of The English Patient, as the similarities between the films are many. Both are sweeping epics with complicated romances at their centres. Both are beautifully shot, rich in period detail, and feature some very strong performances. However, both are also relatively numb from an emotional point of view. I commented that The English Patient felt like this because the core romance was between two characters who were difficult to properly sympathise with. Out of Africa is different in this respect, however. It's not that either Karen or Denys are unlikeable - far from it, in fact. It's that the film rather skirts around their feelings for each other until it's a little too late.

As a character, Karen is very easy to like. While aristocratic in temperament and often emotionally aloof, it's clear from the outset that she's a trusting, honest and actually somewhat naive individual. Her husband's behaviour adds to her aura of vulnerability, as does the fact that she seems so out of her depth in Africa. Streep, complete with thick Danish accent, is very good. Despite her strengths as an actress, she has never radiated natural warmth, and her performance here is no exception. However, what she does do is completely sell Karen as a real person. As Karen grows more confident in her surroundings, Streep reflects this. We see someone adapt naturally to her new life, and start exploring emotions she never thought she had. Her performance becomes considerably more relaxed as the film progresses, and as she portrays Karen's acceptance of her new circumstances.

In many ways, Redford has a more difficult task to accomplish. Karen is in almost every single scene of the film, and therefore it's pretty much impossible not to get to know her. But Denys is far more irregular in his appearances. Therefore, while Redford's charismatic, thoughtful and mannered performance is pleasant in its own way, Denys as a character is far less developed than Karen. This is an issue for two reasons. First of all, it adds to the sense of uncertainty that surrounds their feelings for each other. I'm all for forbidden love simmering beneath the surface, but it's not until a climactic confrontation between Karen and Denys that we really understand their complicated emotional states. And secondly, it means that the film's conclusion isn't as compelling as it perhaps should have been, because Denys has always remained slightly alien and distant to us.

From a visual standpoint, the film is an absolute triumph. Every shot of the Kenyan countryside makes it abundantly clear that this is an epic in every sense. Meant to reflect the sweeping complexity and power of the film's central romance, David Watkin's Oscar-winning cinematography can be admired in its own right. In fact, the picturesque landscapes captured on the film itself are in many ways more compelling than the focal love story. John Barry's stirring musical score is one of his best (and won an Oscar), and I also give credit to the designers for keeping the period feel alive in every frame. For his part, Pollack shows the utmost restraint and care. Out of Africa is not the sort of film where you marvel at directorial tricks or try to deconstruct a film-makers subtle themes and messages. It is a film of pure story, albeit one with some issues surrounding its emotional centre.

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