Mountains of the Moon (1990)

The legendary true-story of Capt. Richard Francis Burton and Lt. John Hanning Speke's tumultuous expedition to find the source of the Nile river.

Director:

Bob Rafelson

Writers:

William Harrison (novel), William Harrison (screenplay)

Stars:

Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Bergin	...	Richard Burton
Iain Glen	...	John Hanning Speke
Richard E. Grant	...	Oliphant
Fiona Shaw	...	Isabel
John Savident	...	Lord Murchison
James Villiers	...	Lord Oliphant
Adrian Rawlins	...	Edward
Peter Vaughan	...	Lord Houghton
Delroy Lindo	...	Mabruki
Bernard Hill	...	Dr. Livingstone
Matthew Marsh	...	William
Richard Caldicot	...	Lord Russell
Christopher Fulford	...	Herne
Garry Cooper	...	Stroyan
Roshan Seth	...	Ben Amir

Storyline

The story of Captain Richard Francis Burton and Lt. John Hanning Speke's expedition to find the source of the Nile river in the name of Queen Victoria's British Empire. The film tells the story of their meeting, their friendship emerging amidst hardship, and then dissolving after their journey.

---

Plot Keywords:

female rear nudity | gay | female frontal nudity | kissing while having sex | premarital sex | 

---

Taglines:

Two strangers made friends by a savage land. Two friends made enemies by the civilized world.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Mystery

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The spear through Burton's face was an actual event, although the scar as depicted was wrong. The spear split his palate, causing a serious internal fracture of the jaw. It also came close to severing his tongue and it knocked out a half-dozen teeth, as well. The fact that he could survive such an extreme injury was near miraculous.

---

Goofs

Burton's scar is wrong. The spear completely pierced his face from one side to the other, with a huge scar appearing on both sides. Also, the angle of the scar is reversed, as the actual scar went from his cheekbone and to the corner of his mouth.

---

Quotes

Arab chief in Cairo: In this wilderness you will find only Allah's terrible whimsy.

---

Crazy Credits

This motion picture's opening title card reads: "East African Coast 1854".

---

Connections

Referenced in Serial Mom (1994)

---

Soundtracks

Kawamba Dance
Recorded by David Fanshawe
From the album "Africa - Witchcraft & Ritual Music"

User Reviews

Fascinating Adventure with a Story of Friendship

In the Nineteenth Century, the British writer, geographer and explorer Captain Richard Francis Burton (Patrick Bergin) meets the Lieutenant John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen) during a dangerous journey in Africa and after being saved by Speke, they become friends. Soon they team-up to seek the source of the Nile River sponsored by the Royal Geographic Society. Meanwhile Burton meets his fan Isabel Arundell (Fiona Shaw) and they get married to each other. Burton and Speke travel for many months through Africa where they face brutal tribes, diseases, hunger and many other dangers together. Speke finds a lake that he believes it is the source of Nile River but Burton disagrees and believes they need more scientific research to be sure. When they separately return to London, the ambitious publisher Larry Oliphant (Richard E. Grant) stirs up a quarrel between the two friends and Speke travels alone to Africa trying to prove his findings. Will their friendship end?

"Mountains of the Moon" is a fascinating adventure with a story of friendship based on a historic event, the journey of Captain Richard Francis Burton and Lieutenant John Hanning Speke to the African Great Lakes. The plot may be not accurate but the film is engaging and the landscapes are breathtaking. The viewer does not feel the 136 minutes running time. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Montanhas da Lua" ("Mountains of the Moon")

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 February 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Burton and Speke

Filming Locations:

King's Bench Walk, Holborn, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$66,683, 25 February 1990

Gross USA:

$4,011,793

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,011,793

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carolco Pictures, IndieProd Company Productions, Zephyr Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1