Friday, August 10, 2007

Inspiration...British Colonial Style

One of my favorite movies of all time is Out of Africa. The sweeping vistas and epic story are great, of course, but I fell in love with it because of the clothes. I love British Colonial style with its equestrian boots, tones of white, brown and khaki in linen and cotton and the great hats.

Picnics optional. Riverside hair washing mandatory. Le sigh!


This is a helplessly, hopelessly romantic movie with poor Denys Finch Hatton dying in the end. But I wasn't really sad about that. It empowered Karen. And Denys' philosophy, which struck a real chord with me, would have felt the sacrifice was worth it. I totally agreed/agree with his: "It's better to want someone, not need someone". Not a popular sentiment in any time period and one that is hard to accept by some. I remember getting in big trouble when I expressed that feeling during a previous relationship.

No, the saddest parts to me are not that she was left alone, its when she has to part from Farah to go back to Denmark. You could tell that there was a real love, partnership and mutual respect and friendship there.

The other is that she never went back to Africa.

1 comment:

G.G. said...

Yeah wonderful movie. My favorite scenes are 1) the very beginning: "I had a farm in Africa... at the foot of the Ngong hills." 2) When Robert Redford washes her hair 3) When she tells them the story by firelight. And the clothes are gorgeous!