Films � Mountains of the Moon (1989)
Author: admin | 22 December 2008 | Views: 605
Director Bob Rafelson fulfilled a lifelong dream when he finally received backing to complete Mountains of the Moon. The film recreates the exploratory adventures of 19th century visionaries Sir Richard Burton (Patrick Bergin) and John Henning Speke (Iain Glen). The heart of the film is the effort by Burton and Speke to discover the true source of the Nile river.
This occurs well into the film, after several torturous scenes involving the injuries sustained by the protagonists during other expeditions and their growing friendship (which, the film intimates, goes far beyond friendship). Rafaelson's fascination with this story, and his insistence upon painstaking historical accuracy, unfortunately compromises his ability to make an interesting film.
There are so many starts and stops during the first half that we sincerely hope Burton and Speke will chuck it all and set up a pub in Bristol or something. What saves Mountains of the Moon is the rapport between its stars and the brilliant, epic-like cinematography of Roger Deakins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
* Rating: StarStarStar
* Genre: Drama
* Movie Type: British Empire Film, Adventure Drama
* Themes: Heroic Mission
* Director: Bob Rafelson
* Main Cast: Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, John Savident, Peter Vaughan
* Release Year: 1990
* Country: US
* Run Time: 140 minutes
* MPAA Rating: R
Review
Bob Rafelson achieved fame as a director in the early 1970s with Five Easy Pieces, and he had tried ever since to bring the story of explorers Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke to the screen. He finally realized that ambition in 1990 with the epic adventure Mountains of the Moon. Given its scope, the film was a rather unusual release: The director's previous two films were the decidedly lower-scale films noirs The Postman Always Rings Twice and Black Widow.
Mountains plays like a cross between a big-screen epic and the smaller character studies more common in Rafelson's previous work. He's aided by the striking cinematography of Roger Deakins (who would go on to shoot Fargo and Kundun), and the surprisingly effective performances of Patrick Bergin and Iain Glen. The screenplay by Rafelson and William Harrison is based on Harrison's biographical novel, as well as the actual diaries of Burton and Speke. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
This occurs well into the film, after several torturous scenes involving the injuries sustained by the protagonists during other expeditions and their growing friendship (which, the film intimates, goes far beyond friendship). Rafaelson's fascination with this story, and his insistence upon painstaking historical accuracy, unfortunately compromises his ability to make an interesting film.
There are so many starts and stops during the first half that we sincerely hope Burton and Speke will chuck it all and set up a pub in Bristol or something. What saves Mountains of the Moon is the rapport between its stars and the brilliant, epic-like cinematography of Roger Deakins. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
* Rating: StarStarStar
* Genre: Drama
* Movie Type: British Empire Film, Adventure Drama
* Themes: Heroic Mission
* Director: Bob Rafelson
* Main Cast: Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, John Savident, Peter Vaughan
* Release Year: 1990
* Country: US
* Run Time: 140 minutes
* MPAA Rating: R
Review
Bob Rafelson achieved fame as a director in the early 1970s with Five Easy Pieces, and he had tried ever since to bring the story of explorers Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke to the screen. He finally realized that ambition in 1990 with the epic adventure Mountains of the Moon. Given its scope, the film was a rather unusual release: The director's previous two films were the decidedly lower-scale films noirs The Postman Always Rings Twice and Black Widow.
Mountains plays like a cross between a big-screen epic and the smaller character studies more common in Rafelson's previous work. He's aided by the striking cinematography of Roger Deakins (who would go on to shoot Fargo and Kundun), and the surprisingly effective performances of Patrick Bergin and Iain Glen. The screenplay by Rafelson and William Harrison is based on Harrison's biographical novel, as well as the actual diaries of Burton and Speke. ~ Brendon Hanley, All Movie Guide
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