Last night I saw for the first time "Out Of Africa". Filmed in 1985, it won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The film's photography and costume design are both pretty stunning, and I suppose the acting is well done considering the stellar cast. If you want to see beautiful shots of the African landscape and 1920's aristocratic fashion, go ahead and watch it. Other than that, I have to say I thought it wasn't worth my time. I though it was one of the most euro centric, paternalistic, materialistic and neo-colonialist films I've ever seen.
The story takes place in Kenya, from the protagonist's marriage and departure for Kenya in 1913, until her return to Denmark in 1931. A wealthy dane, Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), moves to Africa to marry her second cousin for convenience (she marries for his title and he marries her for her money). They start a coffee plantation together and hire an entire local tribe to work on it. Their marriage predictably fails. Karen develops feelings for another man, a safari hunter called Denys Finch-Hatton (Robert Redford). From then on the film seems to be about their luxurious lives, going on safaris together, listening to their newly invented phonograph and flying in their plane. At this point, this is where the film turns as interesting as watching paint dry. Why should we care about this people's lives? Don't ask me. Even the romantic scenes are way too long and way too slow. Lastly, I thought the few unfortunate scenes where the film attempts to show Blixen as 'caring' towards the natives were absolutely paternalistic and condescending.
It is interesting for me to see and I ask myself, How is it that this film was, and is still, so popular? How is it that all these racist and paternalistic themes didn't offend the hell out of people? After all it was released in 1985. Oh wait..."The Blind Side" is nominated for Best Picture and it's 2010... never mind.
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