Out of Africa (1985)
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A Danish aristocrat finds love and a sense of belonging in the vast landscapes of East Africa.
The story
In 1913, Danish aristocrat Karen Dinesen enters into a marriage of convenience with Baron Bror Blixen, moving to Nairobi, British East Africa. While traveling to her new home, she meets big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton. Upon arrival, she establishes a farm and begins to care for the local Kikuyu people, establishing a school and managing their needs. As World War I approaches, the local community forms a militia, and Karen must navigate the complexities of life in a changing colony while developing a deep, complicated connection with the adventurous Denys.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1913, Karen Dinesen marries Baron Bror Blixen and moves to Nairobi, where she establishes a farm and becomes a protector for the local Kikuyu people. During the onset of World War I, she leads a supply expedition for a local militia. Following a period of illness and separation from her husband, she develops a deep romantic bond with the hunter Denys Finch Hatton. They live together while he travels, and she eventually faces the reality of his refusal to marry her. After her farm is damaged by fire and she decides to return to Denmark, she faces the loss of her land and the complexities of her relationship with Denys. Following a tragic plane crash in which Denys is killed, Karen remains in Africa, eventually publishing her experiences under the pen name Isak Dinesen.
- First release year
- 1985
- Runtime (minutes)
- 161
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Swahili
- Directors
- Sydney Pollack
- Writers
- Kurt Luedtke · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Meryl Streep · Karen Blixen; Robert Redford · Denys Finch Hatton; Klaus Maria Brandauer · Baron Bror Blixen; Michael Kitchen · Berkeley Cole; Malick Bowens · Farah; Stephen Kinyanjui · the Chief; Michael Gough · Lord Delamere; Suzanna Hamilton · Felicity; Iman · Mariammo
- Genres
- epic; romantic drama
- Themes
- romance; colonialism; identity
- Tone and mood
- lyrical; slow
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; historical; romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen)
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 62% · scale: percentage · review count: 90; Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 18; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Win; Academy Award · Best Director · Win; Academy Award · Best Original Score · Win; Academy Award · Best Sound Mixing · Win; Academy Award · Best Cinematography · Win; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Win; BAFTA Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Win
- Production trivia
- Robert Redford was cast despite being an American actor because Pollack felt he had a charm no British actor could convey.; The film was shot in several locations in Kenya, including the Karen/Lang'ata area.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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