Mountains of the Moon (1990) User Reviews

Too bad no-one seems to know this nice movie.

[philip_vanderveken · 8/10 · 8 October 2004]

I have to admit that, before it was shown on television a few weeks ago, I had never heard of the movie. When I see how many people wrote a review or voted for this movie on IMDb, I guess I'm not the only one. It's clear to me that this is a movie that has never had any attention. Not from the public, the cinema's nor the festivals. Even journalist didn't pay much attention to it. Does that mean this movie isn't worth seeing? Certainly not, although the subject probably isn't very attractive to the mainstream audience.

The movie tells the story of Burton and Speke, two friends and explorers who tried to find the source of the Nile in the middle of the nineteenth century. Burton was more of an anthropologist who wanted to learn more about the indigenous tribes which they encountered on their journeys, while Speke was more interested in the discovery of the source itself. Once they were back home they become enemies, because Speke tells everybody who wants to hear it that he alone discovered the source of the Nile, namely Lake Victoria.

There are different things that I liked about this movie. The acting was very good, the costumes were nice, but what I really liked were the images from the African landscapes, the animals, the people... Seeing the images from England just made me look forward to the next scenes in Africa. It never felt right to see these two explorers in England, you're always left with the feeling that they belong in Africa. I guess that is where the strength of this movie lies ... It makes you feel exactly the way these men felt. I reward this little masterpiece with an 8/10.

compelling epic

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 28 January 2016]

It's 1854. Entitled aristocratic John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen) arrives on the East African Coast on leave from the Army. He recruits Captain Richard Francis Burton (Patrick Bergin) on a journey to find the source of the Nile. Burton is an expert on natives. They call the location Mountains of the Moon. The expedition is soon attacked by a local tribe. Burton and Speke barely escape. Back in England, Burton is organizing a new expedition with the Royal Geographical Society. Isabel Arundell is a well-read spinster and completely taken with Burton. With Speke at his side, Burton returns to Africa to lead a grand expedition following Arab slave trade routes into the interior. They rescue escaped slave Mabruki (Delroy Lindo) from the lions.

It is an epic Victorian adventure. It's too bad that few saw it and it continues that few people knows about it. It is grand and a character study. The black Africans are not cartoon characters. One can compare it to Lawrence of Arabia. The cinematography is not quite as great but the story is every bit as compelling. This is an old fashion epic that is being made less and less. There is so much in this story. Surprisingly, the last half hour takes place in England. Changing tone from tense adventure in Africa to Academic back-fighting in London can be tough but the movie never stops being interesting.

Fascinating Adventure with a Story of Friendship

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 6 August 2016]

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")

The Great Journey

[Shield-3 · 27 January 2002]

Every time I watch "Mountains of the Moon," I grow more and more fascinated by it. An epic drama and adventure, an exploration of what makes a hero and the value of friendship... this movie is a marvel.

I barely know where to begin. The acting is exceptional, of course. Patrick Bergin really makes Captain Richard Francis Burton come alive, so much so that I started reading up on Burton on my own after seeing the movie. His Burton is a man of great courage and insatiable curiosity, but also of great pride (the film only hints at Burton's infamous sexual escapades). Iain Glen brings great depth to John Hanning Speke, a man who desires greatness but cannot escape his fundamental weakness. It would have been so easy to make these two characters into square-jawed cartoons or place them in the easy Great Hero / Cowardly Villain mold, but director Bob Rafaelson, the script, and the actors wisely give us three-dimensional real people.

While I was watching this movie, I felt like I was actually transported to Africa in the 1850s, when the first explorers ventured into what was truly the Dark Continent. You see Burton and Speke's expedition endure weather, illness, injury, and attacks by hostile tribesmen, bringing home the reality of how dangerous these expeditions really were. By the time the film ended, I felt I had been to Africa itself.

If you want to see a real epic and a fine, exciting film, this is the one to see.

In (not out of) Africa

[Michael Fargo · 7/10 · 30 June 2009]

"Mountains of the Moon" is the kind of epic that seems to need a director like Bob Rafelson. I hoped this would be his "Lawrence of Arabia," but something goes amiss in the construction of the drama which Rafelson coauthored. For instance, we learn more about the two protagonists in two single lines than the 40 minutes that begin the film: Speke: (asking permission to organize some specific details of setting up an expedition in to the interior of Africa) responds, "I already have"; and for Burton: (a voice over) "Dear Isabelle…." The meandering, surprisingly cruel, first 40 minutes of the film become irrelevant.

Speke and Burton's search to find the source of the Nile is great material for a film. The scenery alone would lead any director to jump at the chance, but as so often occurs with films about Africa, the Continent overpowers the human drama. Rafelson is a master of human intimacy, and this story of two men's friendship which turns to rivalry is badly mangled by the screenplay. Burton's life alone is a huge trove for the subject of a film, and Rafelson seems to never grip the nature of these men, the essence of the story nor how to tell it.

Yet, the film is worth spending time with only to lavish in the effort of these two men and perhaps the last time when "discovery" meant a places on a map.

A Great, True Tale of Adventure

[Big O-7 · 10/10 · 8 November 1999]

Capt. Sir Richard Francis Burton and his mate, John Hanning Speke's travels to find the source of the Nile, and travails to claim the rigth to say that either of these two gentlemen adventurers discovered the source of the Nile makes for one of the biggest and best EPIC adventure films in recent memory. The performances from Patrick Bergin (better known for PATRIOT GAMES and SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY), and Ian Glen (last seen on Broadway opposite Nicole Kidman in THE BLUE ROOM), turn in career-making perfomances as the two polar opposites who race to find the glory at the end of finding the source of the Nile. Bob Rafaelson, the man behind the camera, does not feel the need to spare the audience of any graphic details from the expeditions (including spearings, native sex, castrations, and ugly political maneuvering), and in the end, this is the best way to go since sparing us would have cheated us. Nor does he feel the need to spare us from any ticks in the characters themselves (Burton's blatant drinking and womanizing) and their questions (Is Speke gay? Who does end up with the bigger ego?). But the film's greatest achievements are:

1 - It makes you understand why these two gentlemen lived the lives they lived.

2- It makes you want to read more about them.

3- It really does make you feel like you too, got to go to see the Mountains of The Moon.

Good if you're interested in the subject

[=G= · 7/10 · 22 May 2003]

"Mountains of the Moon" is a historical biodrama which focuses on British explorer Capt. Richard Burton (Bergin) during that portion of his life when, accompanied by John Speke, he ventured into Africa (circa mid 1800's) in search of the much sought after source of the Nile river. Though Burton and Speke were adventurers of the first order, their position in history is somewhat obscure and esoteric making the substance of the film of questionable value to the public at large. The film seems to spread itself so thin in its attempt to be all things to all people as to lack focus and fall short of the epic it was probably intended to be. Nonetheless, "M of the M" should be time well spent for those interested in the exploration of the dark continent or expeditionary adventure in general. (B)

One of the best movies no one has ever seen

[The Continental Op · 10/10 · 20 September 1999]

"Mountains of the Moon" is one of my all time favorites. I saw it first when it came out in theaters and watch it three or four times every year after that. It is the true story of Richard Francis Burton and John Henning Speke, two British explorers , once were great friends and how they allowed pride and envy to destroy their relationship. The focus of the film centers around Burton (Patrick Bergin) and Speke's (Iain Glenn) quest to find the source of the Nile river in Central Africa. In the process of the journey Burton becomes quite ill and Speke goes on ahead. It is then when Speke discovers a lake and declares it as the source they have been searching for. When they return to England, however, Burton is not convinced by Speke's data and becomes convinced that a larger lake has to be the true source. Burton decides to go back, without Speke. This second expedition enrages Speke, who becomes one of Burton's bitterest rivals and critics. Also thrown into this volatile mix is Burton's devoted, strong-willed wife Isabelle (Fiona Shaw)who will stop at nothing to protect her husband's reputation.It's the complex, very human relationships of this film which makes "Mountains of the Moon" stand out from other period pieces. This film has everything: adventure, romance, scope, and a great performance by Patrick Bergin, playing a true-life swashbuckler whose life could be material for several screen epics. This film is the Anti-"Titanic", a true epic that doesn't replace character and humanity for mindless eye-candy and spectacle. James Cameron should have screened this film before he started his God-awful "Titanic" script. See it. You won't be disappointed.

Sprawling epic movie detailing the obsessive search for find the source of the Nile river by Richard Burton and Speke

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 5 November 2022]

The legendary true-story of two strangers who made friends by a savage land, they're Capt. Richard Francis Burton (Patrick Bergin) and cohort Lt. John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen) in the late 1800s, carrying out a tumultuous expedition that gains new life in this handsomely produced account. Two friends made enemies by the civilized world ! .Explorers and adventurers together !. Strangers turned friends by a savage land !.

This spectacular film contains adventure , action , romance , thrills and red-blooded violence in which steel is quite often seen to penetrate flesh in one way or another. It has the added trimmings of some spicy sex scenes between Patrick Bergin as famed Victorian rogue/explorer and Fiona Lewis as his wife-to-be . Filmmaker Bob Rafelson , better known for overtly personal movies such as Five easy pieces , The king of Marvin Gardens and The Postman Always Rings Twice shows considerable and skill with this adventure .

The film is based on actual events from Willian Harrison's novel ¨Burton and Speke¨: as Richard Burton was a British explorer, writer, scholar, and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke twenty-nine European, Asian, and African languages. Burton was a captain in the army of the East India Company, serving in India, and later briefly in the Crimean War. Following this, he was engaged by the Royal Geographical Society to explore the east coast of Africa, where he led an expedition guided by locals and was the first European known to have seen Lake Tanganyika. Burton's best-known achievements include: a well-documented journey to Mecca in disguise, at a time when non-Muslims were forbidden access on pain of death; an unexpurgated translation of One Thousand and One Nights ; a translation of The Perfumed Garden, the "Arab Kama Sutra"; and a journey with John Hanning Speke as the first Europeans to visit the Great Lakes of Africa in search of the source of the Nile. A prolonged public quarrel followed, damaging the reputations of both Burton and Speke. Some biographers have suggested that friends of Speke had initially stirred up trouble between the two. Burton's sympathizers contend that Speke resented Burton's leadership role. Tim Jeal, who has accessed Speke's personal papers, suggests that it was more likely the other way around, Burton being jealous and resentful of Speke's determination and success. "As the years went by, would neglect no opportunity to deride and undermine Speke's geographical theories and achievements". Speke had earlier proven his mettle by trekking through the mountains of Tibet, but Burton regarded him as inferior as he did not speak any Arabic or African languages. Despite his fascination with non-European cultures, some have portrayed Burton as an unabashed imperialist convinced of the historical and intellectual superiority of the white race, citing his involvement in the Anthropological Society, an organization that established a doctrine of scientific racism. Speke appears to have been kinder and less intrusive to the Africans they encountered, and reportedly fell in love with an African woman on a future expedition. The two men travelled home separately. Speke returned to London first and presented a lecture at the Royal Geographical Society, claiming Lake Victoria as the source of the Nile. According to Burton, Speke broke an agreement they had made to give their first public speech together. Apart from Burton's word, there is no proof that such an agreement existed, and most modern researchers doubt that it did. Tim Jeal, evaluating the written evidence, says the odds are "heavily against Speke having made a pledge to his former leader". Speke undertook a second expedition, along with Captain James Grant and Sidi Mubarak Bombay, to prove that Lake Victoria was the true source of the Nile. Speke, in light of the issues he was having with Burton, had Grant sign a statement saying, among other things, "I renounce all my rights to publishing ... my own account of the expedition until approved of by Captain Speke or the Royal Geographical Society. On 16 September 1864, Burton and Speke were scheduled to debate the source of the Nile at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. On the day before the debate, Burton and Speke sat near each other in the lecture hall. According to Burton's wife, Speke stood up, said "I can't stand this any longer," and abruptly left the hall. That afternoon Speke went hunting on the nearby estate of a relative. He was discovered lying near a stone wall, felled by a fatal gunshot wound from his hunting shotgun.

Sophisticated epic story telling with depth and intelligence

[dknow3 · 10/10 · 12 June 2005]

It was my good fortune to see MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON several times in its original theatrical release at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre in 1990. An article in the New York Times months earlier had alerted me to the possibility that this was my kind of movie. That easily proved to be true. MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON promptly became a great personal favorite, leading me to read two biographies of Sir Richard Francis Burton.

When MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON was originally released on DVD on the Pioneer label I bought it immediately. Once again, I was lucky because the Pioneer release was in the original 1:85 theatrical ratio. The Pioneer release was withdrawn and this title was subsequently reissued on DVD on a different label. Regrettably it was in a full screen pan and scan version that spoiled this film's excellent visual compositions.

MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON is superbly directed by Bob Rafelson. Although known as an excellent director of contemporary material, there is nothing in his previous body of work to prepare you for Rafelson's outstanding achievement in a period epic. It is uniformly well acted and technical credits are on a very high level. This overlooked classic deserves to be restored to it correct technical specifications on DVD. Hopefully, Bob Rafelson could do a commentary. Criterion Collection, are you listening?

If you have not had the great good fortune to see this film theatrically, then let me urge you to seek out the Pioneer DVD release in the correct aspect ratio. MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON is practically the only film that I would seriously compare to LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. Each one is what you might call a thinking man's epic. Both of them succeed in asking provocative questions, without succumbing to giving the audience banal answers.

Thematically, MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON is one of the relatively few films that seriously deals with male friendship gone wrong. Although the theme of toxic friendships has been well explored in so-called women's films, it's comparatively rare in films dealing with men. In order to accomplish this aim, MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON takes some license with the facts. However, it does so in order to serve a larger measure of the truth.

MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON never resorts to cliché. This is a film for people who have a taste for sophisticated epic story telling and intimate character study. It has an unflinching eye for the best and the worst in it's characters. Layer by layer, Burton and Speke are revealed to be all too human.

Allow me to recommend MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON to you without reservation.

ambitious old-school epic

[mjneu59 · 7/10 · 9 December 2010]

Bob Rafelson's widescreen, epic re-staging of the quest for the source of the Nile River is a challenging, often violent adventure, filled with dynamic action, exotic scenery, and striking contrasts between 'civilized' 19th Century England and the 'savage' wilderness of uncharted Africa. The script needs several clumsy, expository scenes to set up the characters of explorers Richard Francis Burton and John Speke, coming to full-blooded life only after beginning their journey into the Dark Continent. But is it primarily an adventure film, a story of professional kinship and rivalry (with suggestions of homosexual obsession), or a criticism of British chauvinism abroad? A little of all three is not enough of each. The overstated, blockbuster music score and a romantic subplot are liabilities, but overall the film is a throwback to an earlier era of wide screen entertainment, showing the shady politics, misplaced pride, and mortal folly of scientific exploration in an earlier century.

Often Overlooked Masterpiece

[brandon-1 · 9/10 · 28 February 2001]

A great story, beautifully filmed and acted about two Victorian era explorers. Irish-born Sir Richard Francis Burton, one of the greatest explorers in history, is in search of knowledge. English-born dilletante John Hanning Speke joins Burton's quest in search of glory. Together they search for the answer to one of the most elusive geographical questions of their time - what is the Nile's source? The film accurately shows how the Royal Geographical Society and other outside interests played Burton and Speke against each other for their own gain.

The film's tagline really says it all: "Two strangers made friends by a savage world. Two friends made enemies by a civilized world."

Interesting docu-drama

[grantss · 7/10 · 21 August 2014]

Interesting docu-drama. Tells the story of the expedition of Captain Richard Burton and Lt John Hanning Speke to find the source of the Nile river, in the 1850s. Tells of their trials and tribulations, and what happened once they returned to England.

For the most part, the movie is a boys-own story of action and adventure, of close escapes from mortal danger, and surviving. However, Disney this is not (and thankfully so). The action scenes are quite gritty and graphically violent, which give it a great sense of realism.

Settings and cinematography are great, as you would hope for a exploration-adventure movie.

Last few scenes are quite moving too.

A review

[josechr · 5/10 · 15 July 2023]

English chaps travel to exotic Africa, and wants to find the source of the Nile. They shoot wildlife, saves slaves, paints African nudes and drinks tea. Spends weeks or months of walking in the desert and over rock beds. Gets a bug in the ear and determines the solution is to pierce the eardrum and become deaf. Gets oedema, and determines the best solution is to cut off the legs. I'm just glad no one got a headache.

After walking through endless dry land, without seeing any streams of water, they find a lake, and decides this must be the source of the Nile. Instant fame. And now I have to write some bullcrap to make the review long enough to pass the im db word limit.

What Price Glory?

[theowinthrop · 27 August 2004]

This is the only movie, unless one recalls Spencer Tracy and Sir Cedric Hardwick in STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE, that deals with the "Golden Age" of European exploration in Africa. It began in 1769 when James Bruce went to Ethiopia and did a remarkable job finding the source of the Blue Nile, and doing yeoman work on the anthropology of the Ethiopian people. Then there was the work of Mungo Park and the River Niger (until his death in 1806) and there were naval expeditions up the Congo (in 1819), and various internal expeditions. By far the greatest African explorer would be David Livingston, a missionary who captured the hearts of Victorian Britain. Most of Livingston's work involved Lake Nyasa, but he tried to also solve the greatest African (possibly global) geographic question: the source of the Nile River.

In the 1850s two British officers from India, Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke, mounted two expeditions into the interior of Africa from the island of Zanzibar. Burton was already a famous man - the first Christian to travel to Mecca and Medina. He was also a remarkable linguist. But Burton was a moody person, who could be insulting. Speke was avid to go on both journeys, but he lacked Burton's driving curiosity about the people of the continent of Africa. Speke also was extraordinarily ambitious, and wanted to find the source of the Nile. So did Burton, but he felt there was more to life than just settling a map problem.

This film deals with what turned these two friends into enemies, and how a remarkable series of explorations,where Burton and Speke traveled together,and where Speke led his own exploration with James Grant, settled the mystery - but still left matters into greater confusion. On the second Burton - Speke journey, they both saw a large lake. Burton, with typical sense, named it Tanganyika, after the African languages he studied. But Burton became ill and was unable to continue circumnavigating this lake. Speke, meanwhile, had heard of another body of water to the north (Burton believed it was part of Tanganyika). Speke went on alone and saw this huge inland sea. He was convinced that he found the real source of the Nile but his proof was insufficient to Burton.

Speke took advantage of Burton's illness to get back to England first, publish his findings only, and get official support from Sir Roderick Murchison and the Royal Society for his own expedition. He and Grant returned to Africa, just as Burton came home - to find himself being jeered at as having been lying on a cot while Speke was busy finding the source of the Nile.

Speke came back with more details about his great discovery. He named this magnificent lake (the largest in the world) Lake Victoria. But his ego caused him to keep Grant from accompanying him on the final portion of this journey (wherein he circled the lake, and found the point it led to the Nile - which he called the Murchison Falls after the head of the Royal Society). So when he returned to England with his facts, Grant couldn't corroborate them.

Burton and his friends began showing that some of Speke's observations and facts were odd to say the least (he had the Nile running up a mountain for ten miles). Soon a debate was arranged between Burton and Speke - a debate that Speke dreaded. Burton happened to be a very gifted writer and speaker and Speke was not.

The debate was to occur at Bath in September 1864. It never occurred. As this film shows, Speke was killed in a hunting accident the day of the debate - whether it was a real accident or suicide has never been settled. Speke's friends blamed Burton, who was called a murderer by some of them. Burton never made a public comment again about the incident.

It would not be until the late 1870s when Livingston's successor in Central Africa, Henry Morton Stanley, proved that Lake Victoria was the source of the Nile, and that Burton's Lake Tangayika was the source of the Congo.

The film faithfully tells the tragic tale of how a great explorer was destroyed by his ambition, and how a close friendship was destroyed by a rivalry spurred on by a busy-body - in this case a man who was jealous of both Burton and Speke, Laurence Oliphant. Oliphant did not care who got injured. He is, in many ways, the real villain in this tragedy.

Compelling history

[dave13-1 · 7/10 · 3 May 2012]

This is an unusual historical film in that it focuses as much on the personal histories of the men involved (Sir Richard Burton and Lt. Speke), before and after their expedition, as it does on the momentous work they had undertaken, specifically the search for the source of the Nile. Along the way, they explored and mapped much of previously uncharted Africa while enduring disease, bad weather and desertions and thievery by their superstitious and unreliable porters.

Great wide screen cinematography gives us lushly gorgeous vistas of Victorian-era Africa - convincingly unspoiled by modernity - while the close-ups show the intimate details of the journey in all of their hardship and horror.

The result is a sweeping, yet personal adventure and a memorable viewing experience.

Indiana Jones who?

[Barry Kruse · 9/10 · 20 March 2002]

This is an excellent film, and it's unfortunate that it wasn't more widely seen. I wish I would've caught it in the theater, as I'm sure it would be magnificent there.

In it, you're going to see some of the most painfully memorable scenes in cinema (that I refuse to give away), and an epic story that is most remarkably, wholly true.

I loved Raiders of the Lost Ark, and before "meeting" Sir Richard Francis Burton, thought characters of Indy's ilk were simply figments of Steven Spielberg's imagination. However, with study you will find that Burton's experience (and that well beyond this expedition) makes him one of the most enigmatic, interesting people to have ever walked the face of the earth. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction.

Slow, smart, challenging, beautiful. And highly recommended viewing.

Regretfully this one's aged only slightly better than me..

[petertdoheny-25661 · 7/10 · 13 January 2024]

Came out the year I came to America so I missed it originally. Found it when reviewing the filmography of the uber-talented Fiona Shaw.

Interested to note how many of this young cast are now household names, certainly in England.

Casting of Delroy Lindo seems completely wrong though, to this day.

Iain Glen is rocking a Bowie/Beckham look, which is interesting in hindsight.

In the days of the great white explorer, it was best, when addressing Johnny Foreigner, to speak SLOWLY BUT LOUDLY. This is done often, and made me laugh.

The scenery seems very "flat" for most of the film, which is a shame. Any cultural differences are just ignored, or treated with a nod and a wink, which is also a shame.

I really wouldn't bother.

Historical drama with exceptional photography...

[mlionfire · 10/10 · 26 January 2005]

I have seen this movie several times and have enjoyed it immensely each time. The photography is beautiful and captures some incredible views of Africa. The story is of the adventure to discover the legendary source of the Nile, with the character of Richard Francis Burton(the famous 19th Century Irish Adventurer and translator of Kama Sutra and Perfumed Garden,who was fluent in many languages, and the English adventurer, John Speke. It is well worth the seeking out and watching, with the main incidents being historically accurate(such as who finally gets credit for the discoveries). It also brings into the light the prejudices of the Historical Society in the mid 1800's. An excellent movie!

A thousand enemies in Africa but he dies alone during the hunt

[Chinesevil · 7/10 · 5 April 2022]

This is a very interesting story, a quite relevant geographical discovery in the continent full of problems and full of charm. The direction and the actors are good and the historical facts are told in an orderly manner without obvious defects.

This is the 19th century story of two Bristish explorers efforts to discover the source of the Nile River which has baffled geographers since Ptolomey.

[Longjohnbob · 10/10 · 13 February 2007]

I love this film though it is not at all historically accurate. Still, it is a wonderful adventure story. In 19th century Britan, geographers knew very little about Africa least of all the source of the Nile River that flowed through Egypt. Sir Richard Burton and Albert Speke undertook two expeditions to find the source of the river, risking life and limb as they combat hostile tribesmen, disease, depression, and a fierce climate. Eventually their friendship comes to an end. The scene of the escaped slave being mercy-killed by Burton never occurred; that is Hollywood. Burton also did not translate the ASrabian Knights or the Karma Sutra till many years later after his career as an African explorer ended. The film also does not delve very much into why British society was so opposed to Burton. His marriage to Isabel was a Catholic marriage--she was from a prominent Catholic family and there had been anti Catholic riots at the time of this movie--in fact they did not meet in England. Her family had fled because of the riots. I only wish Burtons real story would someday make it into film.

the Monkees' creator directs Ser Jorah Mormont, Aunt Petunia, Master Aemon, King Théoden and Dr. Zhivago

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 29 June 2021]

Bob Rafelson got his start in entertainment by creating the Monkees as a knockoff of the Beatles. He then turned to cinema, directing Jack Nicholson in several movies (most notably "Five Easy Pieces"). With all this under his belt, it will probably come as a surprise to people that Rafelson also directed the 1990 epic "Mountains of the Moon", about Richard Burton's and John Speke's expedition to find the source of the Nile. Certainly an impressive story.

Undeniably, they put their all into the movie. I just get the feeling that the lax depiction of colonialism might look questionable nowadays. Otherwise, I recommend the movie.

In addition to Patrick Bergin, the cast includes Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Mormont on "Game of Thrones"), Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter movies), Peter Vaughan (Master Aemon on "Game of Thrones"), Bernard Hill (King Théoden in the Lord of the Rings movies) and Omar Sharif (the title role in "Dr. Zhivago"). Also appearing are Richard E. Grant, Delroy Lindo and Roshan Seth.

To think that there was an explorer named Richard Burton, and then a man named Richard Jenkins adopted the name Richard Burton to become an actor (interestingly enough, there was a later actor named Richard Jenkins).

Fascinating, to say the least

[coradenice · 10/10 · 20 March 2007]

I hardly have the words to describe what I think and how I feel about this movie. Except that I find it stunning. The wild scenery where the two characters' friendship is shaped was splendid, absolutely breathtaking. It was so interesting and moving to watch Richard and John evolve around each other and get so close and united when confronted with life-and-death situations in the wilderness. The story revolves around great ideals and principles in an age of innocence, when human bonding, friendship, love, still had that touch of solemnity, honor and oath. It was very sad to see how John's deep feelings for his best, truest friend degenerate under the manipulation of a man with no scruples. The ending was heartbreaking and liberating, at the same time. The highpoint of the film was, in my opinion, when Richard is shown the unfinished bust of his late friend. The loving, nostalgic look and smile he displays while adjusting John's cheek-bones sums up beautifully the entire story of their friendship, and also suggests that John will always be in Richard's heart, as he knew him for real in Africa, when they went through so many things together, despite his naive, reckless betrayal and despite the games of interests that followed when returning to the civilized world. Truly excellent, I highly recommend it to everyone. It works magic for the soul.

Mountains of the Moon

[henry8-3 · 6/10 · 31 July 2023]

2 explorers, Richard Francis Burton (Patrick Bergen) and John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen) set out to find the source of the Nile facing hard and often quite unpleasant challenges along the way. Burton is more down to earth, relaxed and experienced, while Speke is more ambitious and headstrong; they nevertheless become firm friends.

Interesting and very different African adventure from Bob Rafelson - this is no King Solomon's Mines. Indeed, the narrative structure and attempts to follow Speke's ever changing character is sometimes a little messy as they live from one adventure to another and then back to blighty to tell their tales to the Royal Geographical Society, gain support and in Burton's case fall in love with Fiona Shaw. The performances from the leads are good though, as is the always impressive Fiona Shaw with the supporting cast providing enough famous faces to make a dozen British costume dramas. A little long, but worth catching.

Not convinced

[cncaldwell · 3/10 · 13 November 2014]

I have to compare this movie with the Mini series docudrama made by the BBC in the early 1970s called "The Search for the Nile." Sadly that 6 part series is only available on what appears to be a pirated VHS copy of a TV broadcast, but nonetheless I'd recommend viewing it for those people who gave this clunky bit of movie-making called "The Mountains of the Moon" high marks. Here are three of my many problems with MotM (1) the pacing is ham-handed - important scenes are rushed through in a minute or two, while irrelevant ones are dwelled on endlessly; (2) whose idea was it that one of the great linguists of the 19th century, if not all time, would be portrayed by an actor who can't enunciate English clearly? (3) furthermore, who thought that during the travels through Africa that Burton would always need a translator? Aside of these details, I didn't find the film emotionally involving at all. The African exploration by Europeans is a great story, but this film doesn't capture that for me.