This script and story don’t feel anywhere near Oscar worthy and it easily could’ve been an hour shorter with no thematic issues yet despite the flagrant problems often evident throughout I’m actually coming away feeling positive. That positivity is a testament to the brilliant technical experience that saved this from being a straight up bad movie, David Watkin’s cinematography although blessed by these amazing landscapes is truly some all-time stuff and the exact same could be said for John Barry who through this and Seance on a Wet Afternoon has recently showed me some phenomenal work outside of the Bond movies. Meryl and Redford are expectedly fantastic and it’s really only their chemistry and individual talent that saved me from complete disinterest in the story, I love that over this past year (or really this past week for Redford) I’ve been seeing the amazing acting ability I’ve heard discussed in regards to both of them for pretty much my whole life and even though this movie and script wasn’t doing them any favors it gave me even more appreciation for both. As to further explain the story’s transgressions I think the conception is just far too chaotic for what this needed to be, the rapid scene-changing prevented me from connecting to this somewhat Barry Lyndon-like atmosphere created by Pollack, Watkins, and Barry, for my taste at least it’s better to write longer scenes for period pieces instead of these flash moments of the main character’s life as the former really makes connection to the wonderful period piece magic deeper and more profound. I was really teetering between a 3 and a 3.5 which shows how great parts of this movie were despite the bad, it may be one of the worst Best Picture winners I’ve seen with a story that didn’t click with me whatsoever being told in a near three hour format but the fact that I’d genuinely be willing to watch it again someday is another massive nod to the generational technical achievement that is Out of Africa.
This script and story don’t feel anywhere near Oscar worthy and it easily could’ve been an hour shorter with no thematic issues yet despite the flagrant problems often evident throughout I’m actually coming away feeling positive. That positivity is a testament to the brilliant technical experience that saved this from being a straight up bad movie, David Watkin’s cinematography although blessed by these amazing landscapes is truly some all-time stuff and the exact same could be said for John Barry who through this and Seance on a Wet Afternoon has recently showed me some phenomenal work outside of the Bond movies. Meryl and Redford are expectedly fantastic and it’s really only their chemistry and individual talent that saved me from complete disinterest in the story, I love that over this past year (or really this past week for Redford) I’ve been seeing the amazing acting ability I’ve heard discussed in regards to both of them for pretty much my whole life and even though this movie and script wasn’t doing them any favors it gave me even more appreciation for both. As to further explain the story’s transgressions I think the conception is just far too chaotic for what this needed to be, the rapid scene-changing prevented me from connecting to this somewhat Barry Lyndon-like atmosphere created by Pollack, Watkins, and Barry, for my taste at least it’s better to write longer scenes for period pieces instead of these flash moments of the main character’s life as the former really makes connection to the wonderful period piece magic deeper and more profound. I was really teetering between a 3 and a 3.5 which shows how great parts of this movie were despite the bad, it may be one of the worst Best Picture winners I’ve seen with a story that didn’t click with me whatsoever being told in a near three hour format but the fact that I’d genuinely be willing to watch it again someday is another massive nod to the generational technical achievement that is Out of Africa.
