Customer Reviews

Gorillas in the Mist (Widescreen)

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I always am on the look out for great movies and was delighted to be able to get this one. It arrived in good time and in great shape.

Exciting true-life story of Dian Fossey, the American woman who fought to save the mountain gorillas of central Africa from extinction. The film makers faced considerable obstacles in reaching the remote area of Rwanda where Fossey worked and was originally planned to be made prior to Fossey's murder in 1985, but the film--directed by Michael Apted--is nonetheless so fluidly told that most of these limitations don't show on screen. Although the excellent on-location photography is essential to Gorillas' success, the film's greatest asset is Sigourney Weaver's bigger-than-life presence as Fossey. Weaver's tremendous physique--used so effectively in making her a match for the creatures of Alien series--allows her to hold her ground with the huge gorillas. Always a charismatic on film, Weaver meets the heroic demands of the film, whether confronting poachers, communicating with gorillas, mourning their loss, or even--in the least interesting aspect of the film--falling in love with Bryan Brown as the National Geographic photographer Bob Campbell. Probably no other American actress in the 1980s could have risen to this challenge as she did. The all-too seldom seen Julie Harris also has a small part as a Rwandan plantation owner and adds her own luminosity to her few scenes. Rick Baker ingeniously handled the film's make-up, mixing both made-up and real gorillas. As suggested above, the film does have a few drawbacks: much like the relationship between Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in 1985's Out of Africa, the romance between Weaver and Brown feels tacked on, and it is less interesting than her relationship to the gorillas. Also, Weaver's descent into seeming madness (which Weaver's unexplained coughing in the last section of the film suggests may have been prompted by her declining health) occurs suddenly in the sequence immediately following the end of her romance with Brown. I wonder how Weaver's character

might have been developed at the end of the film had not Fossey's murder occurred while the film was still being planned: would the end of her romance with Brown have been the end of the film, with a conclusion emphasizing the courage of her decision? And, if so, is that why the final mad sequence occurs so suddenly?

Despite the requisite Hollywood cliches, this is a great film. Dian Fossey didn't know what she was getting into when she volunteered to go to Africa, working for Dr. Louis Leakey in taking a census of the endangered Mountain Gorillas. She didn't realise she was expected to work alone, in a remote mountain hut, and in a country torn by civil war...

But she came to love the subjects of her study so much that nothing could prize her from the mountain, not even the (human) man she eventually fell in love with. "When you look deep into a gorilla's eyes," she wrote, "your life is changed forever."

The blacks thought she was a witch, due to her reddish hair and fierce glance (captured well by actress Sigourney Weaver, although the real Dian was apparently a bit more shy than Sigourney's character). But this witchlike image actually helped to scare the poachers off. And Dian's work helped prevent the gorillas from becoming extinct. But unfortunately she was murdered by cowardly scum...black poachers in the pay of white animal traffickers. Too often the best are cut down before their life's work is finished...

One other thing to note is the incredible beauty of the landscapes, filmed on location in the mountains of Rwanda. The result is a worthy tribute to this wildlife warrior, who is most now probably in Asgard, feasting at Freyja's very table (with a gorilla at her side, no doubt).

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"When Dian Fossey [1932 to 1985] arrived in Africa, the mountain gorilla was doomed to extinction. The result of her life's work was a significant decrease in poaching and the survival of the species.

The gorilla population continues to grow as the spirit of her achievement lives on."

The above is found printed on-screen at the end of this fabulous movie.

This is a movie of Dian Fossey's (brilliantly portrayed by Sigourney Weaver who won an Oscar for her performance) work in Rwanda (located in central and eastern Africa) with Mountain Gorillas and the extremes she went too to protect them.

(As of spring 2010, the estimated total number of Mountain Gorillas was 800.)

Remember that this movie is not a documentary. It does not go deeply into Fossey's life but concentrates on her efforts to protect the Mountain Gorilla. If you're watching this movie to learn about Fossey, you'll probably get frustrated.

(In fact, many promoters of this movie state that its subtitle is "The Story of Dian Fossey." NO. Its subtitle is "The Adventure of Dian Fossey.")

I was impressed by the scenes with the gorillas (who are actually the real stars of this movie) and the way live footage was blended with people in gorilla costumes. You cannot see any difference. Everything looks equally real.

There were moments I felt genuine awe. In my opinion, it's these moments that make the movie worth seeing.

The cinematography is also awe-inspiring with beautiful footage of the jungle landscape.

Most of this movie was filmed in Rwanda and Kenya.

Finally, the DVD itself (the one released in 1999) is perfect in video and audio quality. It has five extras. One of these extras is a brief "Making of Featurette" where you get to see the real Dian Fossey. This featurette is a definite must-see.

In conclusion, this movie brilliantly shows how one woman went to extremes to save the Mountain Gorilla from extinction!!

(1988; 2 hours, 10 min; wide screen; 18 scenes)

<<Stephen Pletko, London, Ontario, Canada>>

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I knew this would not be a high quality DVD because of the age the movie was released, but overall I was happy with the movie. The delivery took longer than I expected, I would have liked to have had it sooner, but when it arrived it was in excellent condition. Thank you

this is a movie "based on" the life of Dian Fossey and her work with primates in a remote region of Africa."based on" could mean many things,but we do know that Dian Fossey was a real person and that she did study primates.some of the details may have been changed,(for dramtic effect)but the gist of the story is true.the point is,i thought this was a very good movie,regardless.i found it entertaining,touching and heartbreaking.i also thought it was very thought provoking.not only were my thoughts provoked,but so was my anger,at many of the things that happened in the movie.it's nice to see a movie that gets you involved with it.i also thought the movie was beautifully photographed.by that i mean the scenery,but also the gorillas.in short,i really liked this movie.for me,"Gorillas in the Mist" is a strong 4/5

"Gorillas In the Mist" is one of the Top 10 films released in 1988. It explores Dian Fossey's life in Africa during her struggle to save the gorilla population, whom were close to extinction. The producers and the writers wonderfully desplict the emotional value of the times: determination, leadership, loneliness, love, friendship, and many more. The movie events are accurate to the actual events. Their research on the gorillas and Dian Fossey proves well thorough. Sigourney Weaver plays Fossey beautifully in her well-deserved Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated role(Best Actress). Her every drop of heart and soul is poured into the character in every scene. No other actress could perform this role at this level. All other actors also performed their roles wonderfully. "Gorillas In the Mist" is a triumphant movie perfect for all audiences. This film will be a classic in a few years.

Anyone passionate about wildlife will identify with this story and with Dian! Anyone who is not, will be transformed.

This is the real life story of Dian Fossey, a woman with passion and conviction who dared to live her dreams. Weaver does an exceptional job of bringing the character to life and is very convincing as the gorilla-loving mountain lady. It is wonderful to watch the transition of the character from the beginning of the movie and see how she develops into the obsessed anger-driven person at the end. Right or wrong in her efforts to save the gorillas, this movie is truly an inspiration for anyone with courage and passion.

just wonderful, can't leave the screen, would watch it more then once or twice