King Solomon's Mines (1950) - Compton Bennett

Perhaps Blood Diamond sent me over the edge, or perhaps I've read one too many Spike Lee interviews, but god damn it I'm getting sick of movies set in Africa where all the main characters are white. This film loosely follows the novel's plot, and instead sets it up as to what new natural wonder is going to terrorize Deborah Kerr and prompt a last minute rescue from Stewart Granger. I've gotten more critical of this type of film over the last year, and I am not letting this one off the hook. Yet another tale of white Europeans in the jungle. There's always the seasoned white man who knows the country and the languages, who's always assisted by a native who is strangely subordinate and loyal. Of course this tracker is a perennial bachelor, and of course when the woman shows up he begins to change his ways. I will say Trader Horn altered this approach, but making the seasoned tracker's young assistant the second half of the love interest. Nonetheless, it looked more like a hunting video than a film of interest, with MGM's aesthetic of throwing more wild animals and literally showing spear chuckers. I always do love Deborah Kerr, but I had a hard time getting behind her character just because I've seen it done too many times.

*King Solomon's Mines won best color cinematography and best editing Oscars. It was also nominated for best picture.