Out Of Africa

1. The movie I chose for this assignment was Out of Africa (1985), starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. It won 7 Oscars; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Music-Original Score, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Writing-Screenplay based on material from another medium. Out of Africa also won 3 Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture-Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and Best Original Score-Motion Picture. It was also nominated for 4 other Oscars, 3 Golden globes, an Eddie, an Award of the Japanese Academy, and 4 BAFTA film awards among many more.
2. An element of World History that this film focused on was the colonization of Africa by the Europeans. The movie focuses on Danish Baroness Karen von Blixen-Finecke's (Meryl Streep) experiences in Africa from 1914 until her return to Denmark in 1931. In one scene the European men in Africa are discussing the upcoming war and how they will respond. World War I is not the main focus of the movie, but it is again referenced during a celebration in the streets of the city in 1918 after the Treaty of Versailles has been signed.
3. I used to think that the Europeans were horribly cruel to the natives when they started colonizing parts of Africa, but this showed me that not all of them were. Karen seemed to have a connection with the tribe she was near and she did a lot to help them. She kept them on their land, whereas I used to think they were forced off. I also never realized how many Europeans were in Africa at the time of World War I, nor did I understand what kinds of things they did once they were there. Now I know they had farms and small plantations.
4. I really enjoyed watching this film, despite its length. I am a fan of both Meryl Streep and Robert Redford so I was very happy when I learned they were both in it. After studying Africa's colinization by the Europeans, it was interesting to watch this movie and to be able to gain a better understanding of what they were doing in Africa. There were some points when I thought it was getting a little bit slow and slightly boring, but all in all it was a great film and I do recommend seeing it if you have not already.