Out of Africa by Arijana Jaković

KAREN BLIXEN

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-10 16:07:39 UTC

She was born on April 17, 1885. in Rungsted, Denmark. Her life mission was to be a danish author and in her mission she used her pen names Isak Dinesen (english-speaking countries) and Tania Blixen (german-speaking countries). Only once she got married to a swedish Baron called Bror Blixen-Fincke to whom she once in the film reffered to as her lovers brother. As she got married she got a title Baroness. Because of baron Bror she suffered from syphilis. Although she got curied, tretment she used for treating the diesease, damaged her sistem and she stuggled when older. The bright side of her marriage was that she lived in Kenya and had a view on the Ngong Hills. She also had a coffee plantation in Nairobi, Kenia which she ran on her own with help from natives who work on the plantation. She eventually died on september 7, 1962 at her birthplace. Also, it is important to mention that in Africa she got married and divorced and her plantation was burnt down, so she bankrupted. But she wasn't sad because in Africa she found the love of her life - a hunter Denys Finch Hatton. Unfortunately, Denys died, so she spent her life alone beacuse she couldn't have kids owing to syphilis.

BOOK "OUT OF AFRICA"

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-10 16:08:14 UTC

Originally Karen wrote a book about her life spent in Africa for seventeen years. She started writing beacuse it kept her mind off from the harsh reality. The book was published in 1937 as a memoir under her real name and pen name Isak Dinesen. The book has five sections. The first two sections talk about African natives who lived and work on her farm. The third describes locals who considered her plantation a haven. Fourth gives Blixen's views of herself as white colonist and in the last section, Blixen describes problems with the farm and deaths of her close friends.

EXTRA INFORMATION!!
If someone wants to read this book, you can find it in Đurđevac in City Library.

MOVIE "OUT OF AFRICA"

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-10 16:34:59 UTC

In 1985 the book "Out of Africa" got its film adaptation. The man responsible for directing the film is called Sydney Pollack. He hired two remarkable actors to play the leading roles in this movie. The actors were Meryl Streep who played Karen Blixen and Robert Redford as Denys. The fact that the movie with Blixen's story won an Oscar for Best picture in 1986, says that this movie is worth watching as it shows beautiful scenery of Kenya and the African natives with their belives.

WHAT DOES "Out of Africa" SHOW

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-10 16:46:51 UTC

First, it shows the other side of the world in time of british colonialism. How colonists treated the natives and how they modernized that part of the world. In the movie that is best showen when Karen goes back to Denmark and when she comes back, people were driving cars and were setting up the electricity.
Next, it displays a beautiful wild scenery of Kenya. The scenery consisted of safari with wild animals such as lions and bulls, long narrow rivers and Buffalothorn trees. Of course, fields and the Ngong Hills are the most important featurs to respresent as they are the main focuse for the leading character. In the movie there is a scene when Denys takes Karen on a plane ride across Kenya and than the scenery is on point.

REVIEW OF THE MOVIE

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 12:19:38 UTC

I loveeeed the film. My mom enlightened me about it three years ago. Back than I didn't see anything special about it, but the second time I started seeing the love side and now the third time as they say was a charm. I finally saw the meaningful side of Karen's story. On the surfice she gave her love story, but in fact she showed how Africa with its unique people and scenery, is magical. She gave young generations a chance to see the old world when British ruled the world and how they did it. For me, the movie is a perfect combination of documentary, drama, romance and education. Documentary because it has beautiful scenes of Kenya, its safari with wild animals, rivers and trees. It is educational because we can learn about Kikuyu people, their culture and British colonialism. Obviously, it is drama and romance because it portraits seventeen years of Karen's life spent in Kenya where she started and finished her married life and found the love of her life. My opinion about Karen is given in the box named EMPOWERED WOMAN, but in short, I see her as an inspiration. She showed me that women are stronger and more resourceful than men. When I found out that the movie won an Oscar for best picture, I was thrilled because I think it deserved it with its awesome scenes. Also, I loved the music in it. I don't mind that it is classical, in fact I think that type of music in old movies makes them special. All in all, this movie is definately on my recommendation list.

KAREN BLIXEN QUOTE

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 12:23:16 UTC

"the proud man finds his happiness in the fullfilment of his fate"

WHAT DOES "Out of Africa" SHOW

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 14:49:57 UTC

Furthermore, African tribes and their belives are recreated amazingly. Karen was faced with Kikuyu people. Kikuyu were living on her land beacuse in time of colonialism British were buying the land that Africans were living on and didn't ask for promision to buy it. Also, Kikuyu people were working on her land. It is astonishing to see how Karen didn't mind them and how they developed a strong friendship. Karen cared about them alot and she showed that by standing up for them when she bankrupted and lost the land on which their were living. She even kneeled down in front of the governor just so he would take her seriously. Karen did open a school for children to learn how to read and write. To me it was funny, but meaningful, how the Kikuyu chief said that the British know how to read and write, and what good did that bring them.

WHAT DOES "Out of Africa" SHOW

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 15:21:19 UTC

To follow up the previous text, the movie is educational. It shows the culture of Kikuyu people. They have their own chief and I have lernt that when Karen opened the school, only children below chief's height could go to school, otherwise it meant that chief is old enough to die. They only eat what is found in the wild and hunting is their source of meat and clothes. But when the colonists came they change their life and they had to work for them on the fields.

EMPOWERED WOMAN

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 15:39:37 UTC

From my perspective, Karen Blixen is figure of a strong, independent woman. The way she took care of the plantation on her own and survived the hard times without the help of Baron Bror showes that even back than women were capable of anything men were and more. She wasn't happy about the plantation because that land wasn't suitable for growing coffee, but she didn't stumble, instead she work hard and succeeded. I admire here care for the natives and the respect she had for them because many colonists didn't have. Also, she was scared of lions when in wild, but she wasn't scared to take on the journey to her husband who faught kilometer away from Nairobi.

ROMANTIC SIDE OF "Out of Africa"

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 15:55:04 UTC

Karen's marriage was more of an agreement than true love. There was no affection in it, although there was intimacy. In Africa Karen found here true love. His name was Denys Finch Hatton and he was a hunter. The chemistry between them is seen from the first time they saw each other. I hope that it was like that in real life because I love when two people look at each other and you can see that they are right for each other. Throughtout the movie, they grow their relationship by Karen's storytelling (she was good at inventing story on the spot) and I think it is a unique way of bonding that in the end worked out for them. Denys showed affection to Karen by taking her hunting, on drives through safari and in the sky. The most romantic scene for me is when her washes her hair by the river and they way they look at each other in that scene is soo cute. They weren't perfect. They had disagreements, but they got through them. It is sad that their story ended just when it started blooming. Sidenote, I almost cried when I hired the end, althought it was my third time watching the movie.

SOUNDTRACK

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 16:17:48 UTC

One of the features that makes this movie beautiful is music. When you focus more on it, you realise how calming and pleasant the sound of it is. Music is classical, which for today's generations is an off-set, but it fits perfectly in the scenes and some are African traditional songs. The music aroused the soft side of me and made me a little bit emotional.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT!

arijanajakovic — 2020-05-11 17:06:41 UTC

1st You will feel good after watching it.
2nd It will be as if you are in Africa.
3rd Karen will inspire you to do thing you think you could never do.
4th You will learn that you don't search for love, love finds you.
5th It will show you that when life gives you obstacles, you should rise above them and not stumble.
6th Calming and pleasant music.
7th You will see what good acting is.
8th You will learn about Kikuyu people.
9th Watching it you will realise that kindness, respect and equality are the key to every relationship.
10th It shows how women were treated differently, but if they worked hard, they were welcomed into men's world.