I saw a few clips of this on a countdown show, and I knew eventually that was not a fictional story, so I was certainly up for it, from Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter, Extreme Measures, The World Is Not Enough). Based on the true story, Dian Fossey (Golden Globe winning, and scar nominated Sigourney Weaver) is the woman from Kentucky fascinated with studying animals, especially with primates, she is particularly inspired by the work of anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey (Iain Cuthbertson). With the permission of Leakey she travels to deepest Africa to start her work studying these fascinating creatures, living in a Rwandan village with the loyal people who live close to where the primates settle. Soon enough in the jungle Dian and her helpers come across a group of rare mountain gorillas, and she begins to study them in very close proximity, and they do not seem to be bothered or feel threatened, she learns to find communication. But her passion for the safety and protection of the primates seems to preoccupy her, she becomes easily angered by poachers and others who disturb, and she misses out on a romance with National Geographic photographer Bob Campbell (Bryan Brown). Dian complains to the Rwandan government that the poaching is going on because it is the only way for the country to survive, and after they refuse to help she dedicates her time to making poaching illegal and ending possible extinction. Besides starting anti-poaching groups and charities, she also burns down found poachers huts, and does a mock hanging on one of them as a brutal warning, but her good work did do good for her beloved gorillas. In the end though she was mysteriously murdered with a blow to the head by some tool that was identified as belonging to the poachers, the mystery apparently remains unsolved. Also starring Julie Harris as Roz Carr, John Omirah Miluwi as Sembagare, Constantin Alexandrov as Van Vecten, Waigwa Wachira as Mukara, Iain Glen as Brendan, David Lansbury as Larry, Maggie O'Neill as Kim, Konga Mbandu as Rushemba and Michael J. Reynolds as Howard Dowd. Weaver gives a very credible performance as the woman who gets up close with the primates, really bonds with them, and is overly passionate for their well-being, obviously there are the subtle moments that have been fictionalised for excitement and intrigue, whatever, but the story is most worthwhile, the music is really good, and the scenes with Weaver and real gorillas makes for great viewing, a most worthwhile biographical drama. Sigourney Weaver was number 20 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Film Editing, Best Music for Maurice Jarre, Best Sound and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Cinematography, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Very good!
Review of Gorillas in the Mist
