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A lush and enthralling romantic drama drawn from uniquely fascinating source material, Out of Africa eschews most of the genre clichés and unfolds with refreshing respect for its audience. Meryl Streep is superb as Karen Blixen, the passionate Danish woman who marries for convenience at the beginning of World War I and moves to Nairobi with her husband (played here by Klaus Maria Brandauer). Before long, the marriage fails, leaving Blixen free to pursue her romance with an idealistic British adventurer (Robert Redford), who dearly loves her but balks at being tied to one place. Kurt Luedtke's script -- a synthesis of five books Blixen later wrote under the name Isak Dinesen -- tells the story at a leisurely pace, and some might think the film unnecessarily long at two and a half hours. But director Sydney Pollack re-creates time and place with such skill and accuracy that you'll find yourself drawn into the narrative and hanging on every word and expression. David Watkin's lush cinematography creates an otherworldly ambience that gives the Streep-Redford romance an oddly dreamlike aspect. Redford doesn't always convince us that he's an Englishman, but his scenes with Streep, whose work here ranks with her greatest performances, will melt the heart of even the most cynical viewer. Romantic epics rarely achieve a perfect balance between their technical and artistic ambitions, but Out of Africa is one such work. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Out of Africa is drawn from the life and writings of Danish author Isak Dinesen, who during the time that the film's events occured was known by her married name, Karen Blixen-Flecke. For convenience's sake, Karen (Meryl Streep) has married Baron Bor Blixen-Flecke (Klaus Maria Brandauer). In 1914, the Baron moves himself and his wife to a plantation in Nairobi, then leaves Karen to her own devices as he returns to his womanizing and drinking. Soon, Karen has fallen in love with charming white hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), who prefers a no-strings relationship. A woman who prides herself on her independence, Blixen finds herself unhappily in thrall to a aloof man -- and doubly unhappy for living out such a cliché situation. Although Redford received a lion's share of criticism for his too-American performance, Streep has rarely been better, and the film's perfectly measured pace is offset by David Watkin's stunning location photography. The movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won 7, including Best Picture, Best Director for Sydney Pollack, Best Adapted Screenplay for Kurt Luedtke, and Best Cinematography for Watkin. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 025192025020
• Source: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 2:41:00

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