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Out of Africa: a dubious film

Curious about *Out of Africa*? Haven't heard of this classic about Karen Blixen yet? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Even among our Charlie’s Team, twentysomethings and thirtysomethings, this film is often unfamiliar. That's why we've summarized this sugary classic for you and, *spoiler alert!*, taken a critical look at the misconceptions and questionable aspects of the film.

Charlie's Travels | Blog | Out of Africa: a dubious film

We won't reveal how the movie ends!

First, a little trailer...

The film is about Karen Blixen, the woman who, looking back ("I had a farm in Africa"), tells the story of her life. She is brought from Denmark as an unmarried rich girl to marry the also wealthy Baron Bor Blixen. However, the marriage is more of a duty, and the man gives her syphilis, so you can guess what's coming: she eventually develops feelings for the heroic daredevil Robert Redford, aka Denys Finch Hatton. It's all too good to be true, of course, but we won't spoil how the movie ends. Yes, right next to this, you'll see that famous snippet, right at the beginning of the film! This is exactly the sentence with which Karen Blixen's Out of Africa book also begins. The movie is loosely based on that book. Interestingly, though, the film paints a hopelessly romanticized picture of who Karen Blixen really was. There's also quite a bit to critique about the film. Before we go any further: go watch the movie if you haven't seen it yet! If you're planning a trip to Kenya, it's a must-see. After this, we're going to share some spoilers, and the movie might lose some of its luster. Alert!

Ready for the spoilers?

1. The phrase on the grave

Meryl Streep starts with the line "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills" (a very beautiful location in the Great Rift Valley, where you can stay with Charlie’s Travels!). The line "He prayeth well that loveth well both man and bird and beast" comes from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and is engraved on Finch Hatton’s grave, which you can still visit today. Finch Hatton tragically crashed his plane...

2. Blixen's life in Africa was actually much more unpleasant than portrayed in the film

Karen Blixen had a tough time on her 'farm in Africa'. For example, a massive locust plague was not included in the film, several shootings were left out, and the parts of Blixen's book about the German army were conveniently skipped. Additionally, Karen Blixen's land was much larger than the film suggests. She owned about 16 square kilometers of land, which stretched from Champagne Ridge to the present-day Karen area.

3. That romantic chapter was quite different in real life.

In the film, Denys and Karen meet on the savannah, but in reality, they first met at the British colonial hunting club. Of course, that doesn’t quite fit the romanticized version. Furthermore, Denys disappeared for two years on a military mission in Egypt, and Karen had several miscarriages, which are not shown in the film. Out of Africa

Karen Blixen was quite racist, and there has been considerable research done on this...

4. That American Redford is supposed to represent an aristocratic Brit

In Out of Africa, the American actor Robert Redford plays the role of Denys, a super-posh Brit who definitely didn't behave (or speak) like an American cowboy. This is how Redford plays the role, despite knowing he was supposed to portray a Brit. Apparently, director Pollack and Redford discussed that Redford should speak with a British accent, but they decided that it would be too distracting, so they went with Redford speaking in his American English. Yeee-haw!

5. The book is racist, and the film is neo-colonial

It’s true that Out of Africa is set during the time when Kenya was a British colony, but that doesn’t mean the film needs to adhere to all the skewed and cruel power dynamics from that era. Karen Blixen was notably racist (a subject of extensive study), and in her book, she refers to the Kikuyu and Masai tribes as “primitive,” likening them to “a herd of sheep” incapable of independent thought. She also claims that the “natives have no sense of taste or contrast” and lack humor, describing them as “like a hard stone.” While those views are thankfully not depicted in the film, Kenyans still play an alarmingly minor role, further reinforcing the colonial lens.

The reactions

The film received a whopping seven Oscars but was poorly received by critics. It is one of the few films to win so many Oscars (and also nominated for four other Oscars) while simultaneously being poorly received by film critics. On review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a modest 57%. If, after reading this piece and watching the film, you're still curious to learn more, you can visit the museum located in the Karen neighborhood named after Karen Blixen. However, it's recommended to read this article from Quartz carefully—it provides important context.

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