Nowhere in Africa - Movie Review

Nowhere in Africa won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2002. The German film was shot on location in Africa, giving the film a sweltering, arid feel. It was a carefully selected winner following the incredibly average No Man's Land that won the year before. It was sandwiched between two tepid films, having been followed by the Canadian film The Barbarian Invasions. Nowhere in Africa made those other two films pale in comparison.

There came a point during the Nazi rise to power when the Jewish people were restricted from traveling. Their property rights were suspended resulting in property being seized or trashed. Eventually, Jewish citizens were rounded up into ghettos before the "final solution" was implemented. The story of Nazi prison camps has been documented in film time and again. Nowhere in Africa examines the events of World War II from the outside looking in. The fresh perspective provides an interesting glimpse at those events while telling an original story.

Walter Redlich (Merab Ninidze) left Germany when he realized trouble was coming. The late 1930s saw a rise in Nazi power, which concerned Walter enough that he left his wife and young daughter to start a new life for them in Africa. Refugees in Africa held low stature, so working in his legal occupation was not an option. Instead, Walter took work running a vast cattle ranch tended by local Kenyans. After surviving a bout with Malaria, Walter sends a pressing letter urgently requesting that his wife Jettel (Juliane Kohler) and daughter Regina (Lea Kurka) immediately depart Germany on the next vessel sailing to Africa. Walter also gave special instructions regarding survival essentials that Jettel should bring with her.

Jettel's privileged lifestyle in pre-Nazi Germany did little to prepare her for life on an African ranch. Her ignorance demonstrates itself in her decision to bring chinaware instead of a refrigerator and an expensive gown (followed by cheesecake) instead of mosquito netting. Jettel's condescension toward local people correlates to the treatment of Jews in Germany, a point Walter feel compelled to bring to her attention. Jettel and Walter's relationship is tested by the difficult adjustment to life in Africa while information trickles in about their loved ones who were unwilling and then unable to leave Germany. Regina grows up (Karoline Eckertz) during nearly a decade spent as refugees in Africa. The family develops a close bond with their cook Owuor (Sidede Onyulo) and fellow German immigrant Walter Susskind (Matthias Habich).

Powerful characters clash together in Nowhere in Africa. Films often pay attention to the lead character and overlook important character development of peripheral characters. Not only are several characters deeply developed in this film, but strong personalities prevail among the major cast members. These strong characters present opportunities for examination of relationships that are less than agreeable. All of the characters have a variety of conflicts with one another, some minor with others serving as major themes. It is nice to have character conflicts that add to the story without bogging it down. Nowhere in Africa brings an intelligent story to life using believable characters interacting the way you would expect them to given the circumstances. I love films with strong developed characters...especially when the story combines thoughtful dialogue with an interesting story line. This film does exactly that.

A film with strong characters requires a credible cast to make things work. conflicts need to be believable, especially when the reconciliation aspects are not clearly delineated. Nowhere in Africa features four actors that create incredible drama by taking a well written script and breathing life into it. I say four, even though there were many more than four...I want to focus on the key performances. First and foremost was the performance of Kurka as the younger Regina. The girl was phenomenal. As a young lady, her character is required to speak three languages and display an incredible intellect with an unquenchable curiosity. You can fake a lot of things...but speaking three languages requires some talent. Even if this youngster rehearsed her lines phonetically, she was awesome. She brought amazing credibility to her character that directly helped this film succeed for me. Walter and Jettel have an odd relationship and weird chemistry that is further exacerbated by their circumstances. The combination puts them at odds quite a bit, but both characters need to also connect with the audience. Kohler and Ninidze were spectacular. Of the two, Kohler had the tougher role...having to win the audience back after coming across as a beeyatch early in the film. The final actor to impress me was Onyulo as the family cook and mentor. Onyulo added a nice balance to the other actors and provided some continuity for the film. The cast was awesome.

Nowhere in Africa runs a very fast 2 hours and 21 minutes. The run time seems long but passes quickly because of the excellent story-telling. The film only felt long for brief gaps of time, but moved along rapidly most of the time. For a film of this length, I was impressed by the pacing. The film was based on a novel written by Stefanie Zweig. The screenplay was adapted by Director Caroline Link who brought the elements of this film together nicely. Excellent cinematography from the scenic shooting locations, strong cast members and great dialogue. Even the editing seemed to be good in spite of the length. The film obtained an R rating from the MPAA for some sexuality (which included nudity). Death was a topic briefly discussed, but handled nicely. As a whole, this film might be better suited to older audiences with a lower end around thirteen.

I was glad that Nowhere in Africa lived up to the awards it garnered. After being disappointed by the preceding award winner as well as the following one, I didn't know what to expect. The run time scared me a little. The strong characters engaged me quickly and the smooth pacing kept my attention. The story was compelling and well constructed. When the closing credits started to roll, I felt fulfilled. It was an excellent cinematic experience worthy of a full recommendation. This is one that is not to be missed. 9/10.

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