Mountains of the Moon | 
 enlarge | Director: Bob Rafelson
Actors: Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw, John Savident
Studio: Live / Artisan
Category: Video
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $1.44
You Save: $8.54 (86%)
New (4) Used (34) Collectible (4) from $0.78
Rating:  34 reviews
Sales Rank: 4729
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Hifi Sound, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 140 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6301730038
UPC: 012236891536
EAN: 9786301730037
ASIN: 6301730038
Theatrical Release Date: February 23, 1990
Release Date: April 23, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
How did Bob Rafelson, the director of small-scale American studies such as Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens, find himself helming an old-fashioned adventure story such as Mountains of the Moon? Whatever the reasons, Rafelson invested this 1990 epic with passion and professionalism. The hero is one of the greatest British explorers of the 19th century, Sir Richard Burton (played by Patrick Bergin), a fascinating figure and a man out of time: a modern in the Victorian era. Mountains of the Moon is primarily concerned with Burton's trek into East Africa to discover the source of the Nile, accompanied by fellow adventurer John Hanning Speke (Iain Glen). Rafelson is at least as interested in the tricky psychological jockeying between the two men, as he is in the grueling conventions of the adventure movie, but he delivers well on both counts. The brawny Bergin is sensational in a role that should have made him a star, but didn't (though he had a shot, menacing Julia Roberts in Sleeping with the Enemy); the film disappeared quickly. Perhaps audiences were put off by the lack of marquee names and confused by the title, which refers to a piece of African landscape. Providing solid support are Fiona Shaw (another should-have-been star), Richard E. Grant, and Delroy Lindo, as an African warrior. A very satisfying excursion into the National Geographic pith-helmet genre. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 29 more reviews...
 Daring adventure, good story, not for the squeamish September 15, 2007
Viva (So. Cal.)
This film makes me want to read the historical novel that it was based on. Two explorers travel through dangerous 19th century Africa, enduring hardship, torture, attacks, and more in their quest to find the source of the Nile. Fantastic landscapes abound, and the two main actors give strong performances, showing the very different sensibilities of two seekers--one who appreciates the cultures and one who is more interested in hunting.
Good supporting work from such experienced actors as Fiona Shaw and Bernard Hill make it even better.
Beware that there are some very graphic scenes of cruelty in the film that won't sit too well with more squeamish and sensitive viewers.
Mountains of the Moon July 13, 2007
John Farr
The realization of a lifelong dream for director Bob Rafelson ("Five Easy Pieces"), the majestic and visually breathtaking "Mountains" is strong on both adventure and human drama, as Burton and Speke bond on their perilous, arduous journey, then become estranged once back in England. Bergin is perfectly cast as rugged Irishman Burton; rough-hewn and out-of-place, he is a "modern" stuck in Victorian England. Glen is equally credible as the upper-crust Speke, the very personification of Old English values. "Mountains" is consistently fascinating and richly detailed, a must for modern-day explorers at heart.
Mountains of the Moon May 13, 2007
Robert F. Powers (Dunsmuir, CA)
Truly enjoyed the DVD. Excellent quality, good price, and fast turnaround from Amazon. Having read accounts of the various "search for the source of the Nile" expeditions, including Speke's diary of the final expedition to Lake Victoria, I can see that some poetic license was taken with the movie. Still, most of the trail of this epic adventure is factual and I'm surprised that the movie wasn't received more enthusiastically in the U.S. Possibly because it didn't star Bob Redford or Brad Pitt.
History well told... March 31, 2007
C. Middleton (Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
As other reviewers' have stated, this film about Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke, and their explorations in search of the source of the Nile, their troubled relationship and their ultimate estrangement, ending tragically in Speke's controversial death, (suicide or a mere hunting accident) has been certainly underrated.
As both men lived extraordinary lives, a film can only touch on the "highpoints" and turn the story into something akin to a Hollywood tested "entertainment piece", however, this particular historical narrative requires no embellishments, because their lives and experiences have become the stuff of legend.
One of the numerous reasons Mountains of the Moon is such a great film is its historical accuracy, beginning with Burton and Speke's first meeting and the subsequent tragedy on expedition in the African territory now known as Somalia. On a mere Survey expedition, late at night their camp was attacked, ending with a spear through Burton's cheek and jaw and Speke being taken prisoner, tortured and his legs broken. Because the natives ran scared over a superstition, (not conveyed in the film) the two managed to escape. Because Captain Burton headed this particular expedition, its failure would haunt his career for many years.
The director and producer(s) aimed for the epic grandeur of a David Lean film such as Laurance of Arabia or Doctor Zhivago and, when one listens to the beautiful sound track and the breathtaking cinematography of the African landscape will see that they achieved their outcome, as the film's quality is absolutely superb.
Having grown into a Burton admirer and completes, studying and gathering everything known about this unusual and fringe genius, Mountains of the Moon is a worthy addition because of its quality production and its genuine attempt at historical accuracy on the lives of these (R) romantic individuals, the last truly earthbound explorers (Aside from the Australian and European Explores of Antarctica) who have been forgotten in the chaos of triviality in the 21st century.
If you haven't had the opportunity to see this film, do so, as it is a well produced piece created by people who care about history and the value of a story well told.
an old-fashioned adventure December 26, 2006
Andrew Lubin (Bucks County, Pa)
This is one of the better adventure movies produced in Hollywood. Based accurately on the true story of Burton and Speke's search for the headwaters of the Nile, actors Patrick Bergin and Iain Glenn seem to forge a strong bond while enduring some awful hardships during their journey. It's up to the viewer to judge what occurs when these two valient explorers return to the UK, but all in all, this is a great movie that anyone interested in action-adventure-history will appreciate //
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