"Out of Africa" is a treasure with a half dozen or more perfect and unforgettable scenes. This film is based on the life of a Danish female author who moves to Africa.
Meryl Streep is excellent in the lead role and keeps a believable Danish accent throughout the film. Robert Redford is also excellent. But of course, the best feature of this film is the beautiful African scenery. It captivates the viewer, and I think even if the acting was poor, the scenery would still make you like the film.
Director Sydney Pollack captures every nuance of time and place, and the cast is perfection. Meryl Streep is a total wonder as the Danish woman who goes to Africa to find a life but learns about love instead. Robert Redford was much maligned when this film was released in 1985 but now seems quite fine. Michael Kitchen, Rachel Kempson, Suzanna Hamilton, and Michael Gough are all good.
John Barry's beautiful score is among the best in film history: a perfect melding of times past and wistfulness and love. Gorgeous African vistas serve as a backdrop for the love story between Streep and Redford, playing real-life characters Isaak Dineson and Dennis Finch-Hatton. But this is not just a movie romance. It's a story about loss: the loss of love, the loss of innocence, the loss of beauty. And it's all symbolized by the loss of Africa. War, mechanization, imperialism, westernization, progress are the evils of the early 19th century just as they are today.
The endless beauty of this film lies in its subtleties. Yes, you have Meryl Streep and Redford flanked by the scenery and music, but for me, it's the things like Pollock's direction, Michael Kitchen's performance, and Karen's interaction with members of the tribe that make the film. The Kenyan landscape is truly majestic.
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Karen Blixen left Africa knowing exactly how special of a place it was. From the people to the animals and the land itself, there's nothing quite like it.
The album features the complete original score from the film composed and conducted by John Barry, including previously unreleased music, as well as alternate tracks and source cues. The composer received his fourth Academy Award for his score for the movie.
John Barry's Score: A Detailed Look
John Barry has written many movie soundtracks. However, "Out of Africa" holds a special place in my vinyl collection due to the fact that I visited Kruger National Park and took a safari there. The landscape is expansive and beautiful. The animals, in their natural habitat, were a thrill to experience - ones I will never forget during my life time on this earth.
The main theme playing as Denys Finch Hatton gives Karen Blixen her first airplane ride, and we see what she sees, as God must have seen it, is especially memorable.
Here's a list of releases from the soundtrack:
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| Country | Year | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1985 | Cassette, Album, Clear Shell | MCA Records |
| Thailand | 1985 | LP, Album | MCA Records |
| Europe | 1986 | Cassette, Album | MCA Records |
| Germany | 1986 | CD, Album | MCA Records |
| UK & Europe | 1986 | LP | MCA Records |
| US | 1986 | LP, Album | MCA Records |
| Mexico | 1986 | Cassette | MCA Records |
| France | 1986 | CD, Album | MCA Records |
| Spain | 1986 | LP, Album | MCA Records |
| Portugal | 1986 | LP | MCA Records |
| Canada | 1986 | LP, Album, Stereo | MCA Records |
| Brazil | 1986 | LP, Album | MCA Records |
| Italy | 1986 | LP | MCA Records |
| Venezuela | 1986 | LP | MCA Records |
| Chile | 1986 | Cassette | MCA Records |
| Japan | 1986 | LP, Digital Recording | MCA Records |
| Australia | 1986 | Cassette, Album, Reissue | MCA Records |
Note: This table represents a selection of releases and may not be exhaustive.
The screenplay resembles Isaak Dinesen's semi-autobiographical book very little; even so, she did not tell the whole truth in her book. What was crafted out of a mishmash of a more-or-less factual account and director Sydney Pollack's vision is still a beautiful love and adventure story in the midst of British colonial rule and an earlier, more racially and sexually biased era.
The making of the Music of Goodbye - Out of Africa Theme-
Klaus Maria Brandauer as Baron Bror von Blixen perfectly portrays that fun man you like immensely but could never really trust with anything important like your feelings. Redford plays mostly Redford. His Finch Hatton's sense of independence is fragile and illusory and will ultimately cost him dearly.
Even so, Out of Africa is a treasure. This truly is a touching, marvelous film.
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