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IMDb > Mountains of the Moon (1990)
Mountains of the Moon
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Mountains of the Moon (1990) More at IMDbPro »

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Mountains of the Moon (1990) -- Clip: The greatest river in the world

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   1,377 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 58% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Bob Rafelson
Writers (WGA):
William Harrison (novel)
William Harrison (screenplay) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for Mountains of the Moon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 February 1990 (USA) more
Plot:
The story of Captain Richard Francis Burton's and Lt. John Hanning Speke's expedition to find the source... more | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win more
User Comments:
A Great, True Tale of Adventure more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Patrick Bergin ... Richard Francis Burton

Iain Glen ... John Hanning Speke
Richard E. Grant ... Larry Oliphant
Fiona Shaw ... Isabel Arundell (Mrs Burton as from 1861)
John Savident ... Lord Murchison
James Villiers ... Lord Oliphant
Adrian Rawlins ... Edward
Peter Vaughan ... Lord Houghton

Delroy Lindo ... Mabruki

Bernard Hill ... Dr. David Livingstone
Matthew Marsh ... William
Richard Caldicot ... Lord Russell

Christopher Fulford ... Herne

Garry Cooper ... Stroyan
Roshan Seth ... Ben Amir
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Additional Details

Runtime:
136 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Rankcolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)
Filming Locations:
Africa more

Fun Stuff

Goofs:
Factual errors: Isabel asks Burton to sign her copy of "A System of Bayonet Exercise" and hands him a very substantial book. This writing of Burton's was a 36-page pamphlet. more
Quotes:
Arab chief in Cairo: In this wilderness you will find only Allah's terrible whimsy. more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) more
Soundtrack:
Wagogo Marriage Ritual more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 13 people found the following comment useful:-
A Great, True Tale of Adventure, 8 November 1999
10/10
Author: Big O-7 from Binghamton, NY

Capt. Sir Richard Francis Burton and his mate, John Hanning Speke's travels to find the source of the Nile, and travails to claim the rigth to say that either of these two gentlemen adventurers discovered the source of the Nile makes for one of the biggest and best EPIC adventure films in recent memory. The performances from Patrick Bergin (better known for PATRIOT GAMES and SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY), and Ian Glen (last seen on Broadway opposite Nicole Kidman in THE BLUE ROOM), turn in career-making perfomances as the two polar opposites who race to find the glory at the end of finding the source of the Nile. Bob Rafaelson, the man behind the camera, does not feel the need to spare the audience of any graphic details from the expeditions (including spearings, native sex, castrations, and ugly political maneuvering), and in the end, this is the best way to go since sparing us would have cheated us. Nor does he feel the need to spare us from any ticks in the characters themselves (Burton's blatant drinking and womanizing) and their questions (Is Speke gay? Who does end up with the bigger ego?). But the film's greatest achievements are:

1 - It makes you understand why these two gentlemen lived the lives they lived.

2- It makes you want to read more about them.

3- It really does make you feel like you too, got to go to see the Mountains of The Moon.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Mountains of the Moon (1990)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Did anyone notice? YammaD
a burton bio pic razaali1984
spoiler alert: Speke's death kbird-4
Earwig? *spoiler alert* travisjustinwhite-1
reviewer error upert
Missing Fencing scene. Jerry63
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