BetterMost, Wyoming & Brokeback Mountain Forum

The World Beyond BetterMost => The Culture Tent => Topic started by: shortfiction on August 21, 2007, 03:48:57 pm

Title: Anybody seen Mountains of the Moon (1989 movie) ?
Post by: shortfiction on August 21, 2007, 03:48:57 pm

I just added this to my Netflix queue, since I hadn't seen it since 1989, when it played in theatres.  It's the story of explorers Burton and Speke traveling through Africa in the 19th century looking for the source of the Nile.  I am not sure how much of the rest is accurate, but it is implied and even shown, a bit, that the two were attracted to each other...or at least Speke might have been attracted to Burton.  I recall one of them kissing the other on the mouth when one was very ill and might have died.   I don't remember any boos or hisses from the audience, though, which is nice.

Title: Re: Anybody seen Mountains of the Moon (1989 movie) ?
Post by: delalluvia on August 21, 2007, 09:03:14 pm

Yep, rented the movie, have the book.   ;D  The book has a whooooooooooooole lot more homoeroticism in it than the movie showed.   ;D  But the wife in the movie was a grand character.  In the book she's pathetic.  Not sure how historical it was in regards to the two men's relationship, but Speke was obviously gay and madly in love with his co-discoverer Burton.  I liked how the movie made this apparent, but also made their relationship problematic and not harmonious at all.

Excellent movie.  Patrick Bergin played Burton with panache and swagger.  Yum!!

Title: Re: Anybody seen Mountains of the Moon (1989 movie) ?
Post by: Brown Eyes on August 28, 2007, 12:49:51 am

Yes!  I remember watching the movie back in college.  And, I remember really, really liking it.  The end was shocking/ amazing.  Hmmm.  Maybe I should watch that film again... it's definitely been a while and I've only seen it that one time.  I've never read the book but I might put that on my list as well.   Thanks for reminding me about this film Buds!
 :)

Title: Re: Anybody seen Mountains of the Moon (1989 movie) ?
Post by: Kd5000 on August 28, 2007, 04:06:04 pm

I saw it way back in 1989.  Wasn't there a rather bookish chap (not an explorer, just a friend) who had the hots for one of the explorers. I think he got rebuffed as I remember they were out lounging about in the countryside and his advances were declined.  It's been said that Europeans went to Africa to escape the Victorian stuffiness back home. Suppose in Africa, there was more space for ppl who were "different. "