NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
13/01/21 06:03 PM
Re: Mausers in films

Quote:

My favourite is still Karen Blixen "taking the shot" with her Mauser sporter on the charging lioness in "Out of Africa".
Check it out here.
Its been discussed on these forums before of course.

Finch Hatton is no slouch with the double on the big-maned lion either, but ol'mate with the cut-down P-14 looks like he would rather resort to the knobkerri!




I too enjoy that scene. Watched the move at Christmas, the first time for years. Once it was one of my favourites, actually got me very interested in travelling to Africa or even living there, however I must have already had the bug big time, as I tried to get placed in Africa a year or two earlier. I think Ghana or Burkina Faso was on offer. Did not pursue them as they were a little "adventerous" for a person who never had even been outside of Australia at the time.

Then DID GET OFFERED South Africa working for Rembrandt Corporation but they wanted to pay me less than a "junior office girl" per an Aussie Afrikaaner friend. AND the job was in Econometrics, modelling the South African economy. I did start studying Econometrics as an extra, did not need it for my degree, and dropped out before it counted as a failed subject. Ended up in London instead and travelled down to Kenya, then across Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, into Zimbabwe, across to Botswana and then back to Zim. I had a smuggled apartheid era South African visa in my jackets lining, but ran out of money and had to go back to London to work again!

Back to Out of Africa, I enjoyed it much, then not so much, the Finch Hatton character's pontification is annoying, and out of character for the real man. Also Redford's hopeless acting and complete inability to play a British gentleman meant the Director resorted to him playing "Robert Redford" instead of a real Finch Hatton. The movie is a bit plagued with the beginnings of movie PCism. Poor old Blix is castigated in the movie. Karen Blixen was no saint and a huge spender on frivolities. One reason the farm went bankrupt was her spending on Parisian wardrobes, huge parties for Kings, cooking schools etc. Alluded to in the movie with the references to lemoge and lace and white gloves and "things".

Now I enjoy it again, not having watched it for a while.

The shooting lions scene is an attempt to introduce a PC acceptable hunting scene, the hunting of dangerous charging lions in self defence. Blixen reported liking hunting lions. Regarded as a pest at the time.

As we have threads on NE about the REAL Blixen Mauser rifle(s), it is easy to go and look at them!



Contact Us NitroExpress.com

Powered by UBB.threads™ 6.5.5


Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact


Copyright 2003 to 2011 - all rights reserved