---
title: "Out of Africa"
year: 1985
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/out-of-africa"
fi1m_id: "out-of-africa"
imdb_id: "tt0089755"
tmdb_id: 606
wikidata_id: "Q208266"
fi1m_score: 54
critics_score: 56
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:35.844255+00:00"
region: "PH"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Out of Africa (1985)

Directed by Sydney Pollack · 2h 41m · History, Romance, Drama

## Identity

Out of Africa

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/out-of-africa
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** out-of-africa
- **IMDb ID:** tt0089755
- **TMDB ID:** 606
- **Wikidata ID:** Q208266
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089755/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/606, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q208266

**Fi1m score: 54** · Critics 56 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* Robert Redford leaves much of the courtship to the scenery

> Meryl Streep gives *Out of Africa* the emotional urgency its romance too often lacks. Sydney Pollack’s film is handsome and carefully made, but Robert Redford’s reserve and the unhurried pacing leave too much of its 161 minutes feeling remote.

## Synopsis

Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) has a coffee farm in Kenya, where her life brings her into contact with Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford). Their relationship raises questions about love, independence and how much either person can ask of the other. Klaus Maria Brandauer plays Bror and Hans von Blixen-Finecke, with Michael Kitchen as Berkeley Cole and Malick Bowens as Farah Aden. Sydney Pollack directs a historical romantic drama centred on Karen’s experience of the country and her wish to hold on to a man who values his freedom.

## Review

Sydney Pollack’s *Out of Africa* is handsomely made, but its central romance is disappointingly remote. It asks us to spend 161 minutes taking Karen Blixen’s desires seriously, and Meryl Streep makes a persuasive case for doing so. The relationship with Robert Redford’s Denys Finch Hatton is harder to believe in. Pollack allows the courtship plenty of time, yet the attraction seldom develops the urgency needed to carry so much of the film.

Streep is the strongest reason to persist. She makes Karen’s wish to hold on to Denys understandable without making it entirely reasonable. There is intelligence in the performance, but also the uncomfortable sense of a person trying to manage feelings that will not obey her. That gives the question of possession some bite, and keeps Karen from becoming merely an elegant figure placed against the scenery.

Redford’s restraint is less useful. His Denys is attractive enough for the casting to explain Karen’s interest, but he seems so settled in his own independence that the romantic exchanges have little room to surprise us. Kurt Luedtke’s screenplay gives the lovers a disagreement worth exploring: how much one person can ask of another. Pollack keeps returning to it without making the emotional stakes grow sufficiently. We understand what separates them long before the film has finished considering it.

Then there are the aerial views of Kenya, where the film briefly becomes as affecting as it means to be. We felt a rush of pleasure here. David Watkin’s photography lets the scale of the landscape register, while John Barry’s expansive music makes the flight feel like a release from the more effortful conversations. The combination works, and there is no reason to pretend otherwise because the romance is faltering. Barry does, however, supply an emotional intensity that the actors together cannot always match.

Stephen B. Grimes’s production design and Milena Canonero’s costumes contribute to the same sense of careful arrangement. Their work makes the characters’ surroundings and appearance feel considered, although the polish sometimes becomes distracting. The costumes help Streep suggest Karen’s determination to present herself properly even when her feelings are less orderly. Pollack seems reluctant to disturb the handsome settings, and the romance could use a little more awkwardness within them.

Editors William Steinkamp, Sheldon Kahn, Pembroke J. Herring and Fredric Steinkamp leave considerable breathing space around the relationship. That patience suits a historical romance, up to a point, and the leisurely opening at least lets Streep establish Karen as someone worth following. Later, too many passages seem to be waiting for an intensity that does not arrive. The pace becomes a problem because the exchanges between the lovers do not keep revealing enough about them.

A long romantic drama can hold us through small changes in how people speak to and regard each other. Here, the characters’ positions become familiar, and the pauses give us too much time to notice. There are pleasures for anyone who values Streep’s watchfulness and can tolerate the slow pace. For an evening built around a love story, we would choose something with more feeling between the people.

*Fi1m score 54, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews split almost evenly, and the one thing nearly everyone agrees on is the scenery. Critics on both sides call the Kenyan location photography ravishing, and most also single out Meryl Streep, whose intelligent, intense Karen Blixen is credited with making the story believable even by those who find the film around her thin. The warmest notices treat it as a large-scale romance done properly, well written and directed, with Streep and Robert Redford convincing in the difficult emotional scenes.

The reservations cluster on the affair at the centre. Several critics find it wispy or nebulous, a love story without enough electricity to carry two and a half hours, and Redford’s casting is named as a weakness more than once. The spread is wide, from outright admiration to dismissal as a preened, self-satisfied soap opera. Notably, the harshest verdicts come from later reappraisals: Empire and Time Out are far colder than most of the original 1985 reviews.

## Straight answers

**Is Out of Africa worth watching?**

*Out of Africa* is worth watching mainly for Meryl Streep and the aerial views of Kenya, and we scored it 54. Sydney Pollack's film is handsome and carefully made, but Robert Redford's reserve and the slow pace leave the central romance remote across 161 minutes. For an evening built around a love story, we would choose something with more feeling between the people.

**How long is Out of Africa, and what is it rated?**

*Out of Africa* runs 2h 41m. It is a history and romance film.

**Where can I watch Out of Africa in the Philippines?**

*Out of Africa* is not on any streaming or rental service in the Philippines at the moment. It is available in 34 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Out of Africa compare to Brief Encounter?**

*Out of Africa* is the larger and more polished film, but [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) is by far the better romance. David Lean's film makes falling in love feel ordinary and frightening, and its restraint gives every small compromise weight; Pollack's restraint mostly leaves his lovers at a distance. Choose Pollack for scenery and Streep, Lean for the feeling between two people.

**What should I watch after Out of Africa?**

After *Out of Africa*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): Restrained performances make every small compromise in a forbidden romance hurt. Then [*The Piano*](https://film.one/film/the-piano) (1993, Fi1m 88): Landscape, desire and the struggle for independence, with considerably more emotional danger; and [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love) (2000, Fi1m 91): Another patient romance, with close attention to what its lovers cannot say.

### Reviews we read (7)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Ebert praises the film as one of the great recent epic romances, highlighting its intelligent writing, direction, and acting that draws viewers into the characters' passions. He singles out the breathtaking location filming and the strong chemistry between Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in complex emotional scenes. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/out-of-africa-1985)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (70/100, inferred): The critic finds it a big, physically elaborate but wispy movie whose elusive heart is the affair between Streep's Karen and Redford's Denys. Streep's intelligent, intense performance as the complex Baroness Blixen is singled out for praise as the element that makes the story believable. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/18/movies/screen-out-of-africa-starring-meryl-streep.html)
- **Variety**, James Harwood (70/100, inferred): The critic calls it a sensitive, enveloping romantic tragedy that picks up pace after a leisurely start, though its length and downbeat ending may limit broad appeal. Streep's engaging performance and the romance (especially when Redford is present) are singled out, along with Pollack's able production and direction. [Read](https://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/out-of-africa-2-1200426692/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Sheila Benson (50/100, inferred): The critic sees it as a civilized, intelligent film with irreproachable landscapes and a faintly doomed love story about possession rather than love, but finds it lacks enough electricity to sustain a 2½-hour romance. The lush production design, costumes, and photography are praised, while Redford's casting and the stately views of Africa are noted as drawbacks. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-18-ca-26572-story.html)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (40/100, inferred): The critic finds Pollack’s epic sturdy but turgid and more soap-opera than sweeping historical drama. Glorious vistas and Streep’s accent are noted, yet the film is ultimately deemed preened, self-satisfied and spiritually absent. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/africa-review/)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (40/100, inferred): Kael finds the film unsatisfying and nebulous, criticizing Pollack for waffling on dramatic clarifications and failing to give the main characters independent existence. She singles out the occasional stunning moments and strong supporting performances but notes the leads seem absorbed in themselves rather than each other. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1985/12/30/sacred-monsters)
- **Time Out**, CPea (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the Kenyan landscapes ravishing under Pollack's direction but criticizes the film for resembling a Disney-like safari park movie, with uneven performances from Streep, Brandauer, and Redford. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/out-of-africa)

## Details

- **Director:** Sydney Pollack
- **Director:** Sydney Pollack
- **Screenplay:** Kurt Luedtke
- **Cinematography:** David Watkin
- **Editor:** William Steinkamp, Sheldon Kahn, Pembroke J. Herring, Fredric Steinkamp
- **Music:** John Barry
- **Production design:** Stephen B. Grimes
- **Costume design:** Milena Canonero
- **Producer:** Sydney Pollack
- **Cast:** Robert Redford as Denys Finch Hatton; Meryl Streep as Karen Blixen; Klaus Maria Brandauer as Bror / Hans von Blixen-Finecke; Michael Kitchen as Berkeley Cole; Malick Bowens as Farah Aden; Michael Gough as Lord Delamere; Suzanna Hamilton as Felicity Spurway; Rachel Kempson as Lady Belfield
- **Runtime:** 2h 41m
- **First release (the UK):** 20 December 1985
- **Genres:** History, Romance, Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1985); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1985)
- **Budget:** $31 million
- **Box office:** $228 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RrEv9-ks2Y

## Where to watch in the Philippines

Not streaming, renting or buying in the Philippines at the last check.

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1986: Best Actress (nominated); Best Costume Design (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Cinematography (won); Best Director (won); Best Original Score (won); Best Picture (won); Best Production Design (won); Best Sound (won); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won)

## If you liked this

- *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: Restrained performances make every small compromise in a forbidden romance hurt. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md)
- *The Piano* (1993), Fi1m 88: Landscape, desire and the struggle for independence, with considerably more emotional danger. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-piano.md)
- *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: Another patient romance, with close attention to what its lovers cannot say. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md)
- *The Lunchbox* (2013), Fi1m 75: A quieter courtship that finds feeling in ordinary routines and cautious exchanges. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lunchbox.md)
- *Days of Heaven* (1978), Fi1m 85: For landscape photography that deepens the unease beneath a troubled romance. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/days-of-heaven.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/out-of-africa