Watch Out of Africa

Out of Africa is a 1985 romantic drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, and Klaus Maria Brandauer. The movie is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Isak Dinesen, the pen name of Danish author Karen Blixen, who lived in Kenya during the early part of the 20th century. The movie starts with the initial introduction of Baroness Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), a wealthy Danish lady who is in love with books and storytelling. In 1913, Karen marries her second cousin, Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke (Klaus Maria Brandauer), and together they move to Africa to start a coffee plantation. But their marriage is complicated from the start, as Bror is unfaithful and indifferent to Karen’s interests.

Soon after arriving in Africa, Karen meets Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), a handsome and charismatic big-game hunter who charms her with his wit, charm and his passion for adventure. Although Denys shares Karen’s love for Africa, they have very different views on the continent and the people who live there.

The movie portrays the evolving relationship between Karen and Denys. Initially, Karen is resistant to Denys’ advances, but as time passes, she starts to fall in love with him. Their romance is complicated by the fact that Denys is reluctant to commit to a relationship, as he values his independence above all else. Nevertheless, they share many happy moments, from flying over the beautiful landscape of Kenya in Denys’ biplane to taking romantic safaris together.

Karen's own struggles continue in the background. She tries hard to make the plantation a success, but faces many challenges along the way. Her coffee crop is plagued by disease, and she has to navigate through the local politics of the region, which is seeing a period of change under British colonialism.

Eventually, Karen's plantation fails, and she makes the difficult decision to leave Africa for good. She parts ways with Denys, who refuses to leave with her even though he has fallen deeply in love with her. The film closes on the heartbreaking image of Karen sitting on a porch, watching Denys' biplane disappear over the horizon, while a haunting score by John Barry plays in the background.

Out of Africa is a beautiful, emotional journey through the complex relationships, colonial politics, and stunning landscape of Kenya. The film's standout performances by Streep, Redford, and Brandauer elevate the deep and nuanced characters written by screenwriter Kurt Luedtke. Sydney Pollack’s direction brings the gorgeous landscape to life, with stunning cinematography capturing the vast African plains, hills and lakes.

Overall, Out of Africa is a timeless and moving movie that explores the themes of colonialism, romance, and the search for human connection. It’s a cinematic masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences with its rich themes and evocative storytelling.

Out of Africa is a 1985 history movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.1 and a MetaScore of 69.