Today is the birthday of the great and inimitable Meryl Streep. Among the many films of her masterpieces, we remember a film from 1985: “my Africa”. A film that talks about rebirth, love, nature and much more. Together with Robert Redford, Streep has created a real jewel that leaves us enchanted both for the incredible settings and for the engaging and moving story. Let’s find out together the curiosities about one of the most loved films of the acclaimed actress. Here the trailer. The story and the book
Like many films, Out of Africa is inspired by a book, or more precisely an autobiography. Karen Blixen’s “My Africa” was released in 1937, and tells the story of her love affair with British pilot Denys Finch Hatton. After returning to Europe, her author publishes her novel under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen. To write the script, Sydney Pollack turned to screenwriter Kurt Luedtke. The title “My Africa” refers to the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder, evoking the peculiarity of the African continent that makes it more and more alive.
Abandoned by her husband, Karen Blixen ends up in the arms of Denys Finch Hatton, a British adventurer and pilot of indisputable charm, whom she meets in her new homeland, Kenya. In the heart of Africa, Karen tries to find her place between her coffee plantation, an unstable husband and her love affair with a freedom-loving man. The film that joined Meryl Streep and Robert Redford on screen in 1985 has become a classic. 7 Oscars
Released in 1985, “My Africa” defined an entire era. Nominated for 11 Oscars, the film won 7 awards including Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as Best Cinematography, Production Design and Sound Mixing. Three Golden Globes and three BAFTAs can be added to this list of accolades. Meryl Streep, not sexy enough
Before moving on to Meryl Streep, the role of Karen Blixen was written for Greta Garbo. Audrey Hepburn was then approached to play the beautiful and reckless Dane. In a 1997 interview, Meryl Streep confessed that the director – while convinced by her acting talent – wasn’t sure she was sexy enough for the role of hers.
“I didn’t know it was a fundamental part of Karen Blixen’s character, but it was, and it was a love story. I went to the audition wearing something very low-cut. Shabby, but it worked! ”. The authenticity of the scenes
Unconvinced by Meryl Streep’s stunt double performance with the lion, Sydney Pollack asked the actress to play the scene herself. Since the lion was not very responsive at first, the director rehearsed a take with the lion untied. As soon as the collar was removed, the animal went wild in front of the actress, who tried to scare him by waving her whip. The scene could not have been more authentic and Meryl Streep was deeply traumatized.
To be as authentic as possible, director Sydney Pollack chose to shoot the film between England and Kenya. In addition to the numerous rules and restrictions imposed by the Kenyan government, unaccustomed to hosting large American productions, the team faced another dilemma. The strict ban on using wild animals for the show forced the production team to import lions from California for some scenes. Women in cinema
The 1970s were a political and cultural turning point. The female characters gradually became more diverse and less passively portrayed on the big screen. Sydney Pollack testified to the need for cinema to follow this movement in a 1986 interview for “my Africa”:
“There is a new awareness and curiosity to explore the roles of women in their entirety”. She added that while her character lived on in 1913, Karen Dinesen’s combativeness and realism made her an absolutely contemporary heroine.
Stella Grillo
