I don't understand why people gave this film such a high rating. Ah OK, I know it's all about romance. Well, i like movies about love and romance. movies which cause that warm feeling around your heart and almost make you cry. But "Die Weisse Massai" is not quite about romance in my opinion. It certainly was intended to be, but what came out is a movie about naivety and ignorance. So instead of a warm feeling around my heart i had to chuckle to myself all the time and couldn't await until the obvious happens.
--- Spoilers from here on ---
Let me introduce you to the story. A woman from Switzerland comes to Africa for holidays with her boyfriend. They meet an attractive Massai warrior who she falls in love with. After he helps them out of a dangerous situation and the both spend some time with each other she is determined to stay in Africa, follows him to his village and they merry. After the romantic start the obvious problems begin. All of them are based on the culture clash. "He" is a Massai warrior and comes from a society where women count nothing. And "she" is a modern woman who tries to fulfill herself. He realizes that her mentality is different from what he is used to in his area and even allows her to open a shop. Soon he becomes jealous because from his standpoint it looks like she is flirting with her customers (she is looking straight into their eyes and is smiling at them). He accuses her of cheating several times until she can't stand it any more and leaves him.
I am aware that some women might admire her because of her "bravery", leaving home for an adventurous life in the bush with a mysterious stranger.
For me it's just pure ignorance and naivety.
In my eyes this relationship could have even worked if her husband wasn't the only one who makes concessions. There was so much she could have done.
Take that driving scene for example where he crashes the car. Why didn't she just try to teach him driving when they were alone, so that he wasn't ashamed of others watching his wife teaching him. Yes this might have been a very difficult task because of his ego, but hey it's a challenge.
Or take the jealousy. All she had to do is not to smile at her customers. She could have even try to teach him how to run a business.
In the circumcision scene she did as if she never have heard about it before.
And what did she expect? That there is a hospital at every corner?
All those small things show how naive (err i mean "how much in love") she was when she changed her life. It makes her character look like another ordinary, ignorant white woman from the west coming to the beautiful beaches of the third world to roast herself in the sun.
This movie might become interesting from another point of view. You can see it as a metaphor for the problems between the "civilized" west and the developing east/ third world. the west always tries to change the east, but when difficulties arise, the west flees back to his sheltered world leaving the east suffering.
--- Spoilers from here on ---
Let me introduce you to the story. A woman from Switzerland comes to Africa for holidays with her boyfriend. They meet an attractive Massai warrior who she falls in love with. After he helps them out of a dangerous situation and the both spend some time with each other she is determined to stay in Africa, follows him to his village and they merry. After the romantic start the obvious problems begin. All of them are based on the culture clash. "He" is a Massai warrior and comes from a society where women count nothing. And "she" is a modern woman who tries to fulfill herself. He realizes that her mentality is different from what he is used to in his area and even allows her to open a shop. Soon he becomes jealous because from his standpoint it looks like she is flirting with her customers (she is looking straight into their eyes and is smiling at them). He accuses her of cheating several times until she can't stand it any more and leaves him.
I am aware that some women might admire her because of her "bravery", leaving home for an adventurous life in the bush with a mysterious stranger.
For me it's just pure ignorance and naivety.
In my eyes this relationship could have even worked if her husband wasn't the only one who makes concessions. There was so much she could have done.
Take that driving scene for example where he crashes the car. Why didn't she just try to teach him driving when they were alone, so that he wasn't ashamed of others watching his wife teaching him. Yes this might have been a very difficult task because of his ego, but hey it's a challenge.
Or take the jealousy. All she had to do is not to smile at her customers. She could have even try to teach him how to run a business.
In the circumcision scene she did as if she never have heard about it before.
And what did she expect? That there is a hospital at every corner?
All those small things show how naive (err i mean "how much in love") she was when she changed her life. It makes her character look like another ordinary, ignorant white woman from the west coming to the beautiful beaches of the third world to roast herself in the sun.
This movie might become interesting from another point of view. You can see it as a metaphor for the problems between the "civilized" west and the developing east/ third world. the west always tries to change the east, but when difficulties arise, the west flees back to his sheltered world leaving the east suffering.