Plot: What’s it about?
Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) moves to Africa to assist her husband in running a coffee plantation operation. Once there, she is overwhelmed by Africa, with all of its natural beauty, local wildlife, and also the people who live there. Her husband is not exactly a nice guy, and he sleeps around on her. Karen leaves her husband behind, to explore her love for the lands and also her attraction to a hunter (Robert Redford).
Now, I realize I was a little vague in my plot summary, but that’s the best way to treat this movie. Instead of reading a bunch of text, you have to see the movie unfold to understand what the appeal is. In all honesty, the movie moves more with visual images than words many times, and that’s not the easiest thing to summarize with words. Out of Africa took home seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. Once you watch the film, it’s very easy to see how those awards were garnered. The visuals in this movie are nothing short of amazing, with incredible locations and set designs. The movie runs nearly three hours, so make sure you have enough time set aside to watch the film in one sitting. I recommend this disc for purchase without hesitation, it is a fantastic treatment of a modern classic.
Out Of Africa features not only some great visuals, but also powerful performances, especially from the leads, Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. The two have nearly flawless chemistry, bringing a realistic feel to their on screen emotional journey. Streep (Sophie’s Choice, Kramer Vs. Kramer) gives the performance of her career, filling the screen with her presence. She shows excellent depth with this character, and established herself as a top dramatic actress. While she has done other impressive work, I feel this stands as the best of her career. Redford (Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Sting) turns in his typical solid, charming performance, more than adequate for his character. While not his best acting turn, it certainly proves to be one of his better works, far better than his turn in The Way We Were. The supporting cast includes Klaus Maria Brandauer (Never Say Never Again, Mephisto), Michael Kitchen (Enchanted April, Goldeneye), Malick Bowens (Bopha!), and Suzanna Hamilton (1984, Hold the Dream).
Video: How does it look?
Out Of Africa is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The overall image is very strong, with the film showing little signs of its age. The movie features a great many shots of the African plains and other landscapes, and the disc ensures they look rich and colorful. The colors are well done, with vivid hues when called for, since the movie has a more natural spectrum. As I mentioned, the landscape shots look beautiful, especially the ones with golden tones to them. The contrast levels are deep and correct, with excellent separation. Some of the interior scenes appear more muddied than the outdoor scenes, but the visual problems with the interior scenes are minor. The disc is free of compression errors as well, another knock out transfer from Universal.
Audio: How does it sound?
While this isn’t the movie you’d associate audio prowess with, the disc’s Dolby Digital 4.1 track makes the film’s audio come to life. The musical score, which won an Oscar, is outstanding here, using the surrounds very well. The main focus of the audio however, is dialogue, which the disc replicates without a hitch. Every word is crisp and clear, no troubles at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Universal issued this disc as an installment in their Collector’s Edition series, and it deserves the moniker. You get Universal’s usual talent files, production notes, theatrical trailer, and weblinks, but the best features are yet to come. A running commentary with director Sydney Pollack is included, which is filled with tidbits of behind the scenes info. He gives insight on almost every aspect of this movie, locations, casting, the script, you name it. If you enjoy this movie, you should give this track a listen. Finally, an original documentary, Song Of Africa, can be found on the disc. This is what all DVD documentaries should be like, packed with interviews, behind the scenes footage, everything a fan of the film could want. Between the commentary and the documentary, you’ll know everything there is to know about this movie.
