THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS. Directed by Stephen Hopkins; written by William Goldman; produced by Gale Anne Hurd, Paul Radin, and A. Kitman Ho for Paramount. Starring Val Kilmer, Michael Douglas and John Kani. Rated R (inter-species violence only, but lots of it, and quite graphic)
More reviews by —
TITLE:
RATING:
If you're reluctant to believe that this somewhat fantastic story is true, consider this:
According to a Chicago newspaper, you can use your movie ticket stub to get a discount at the Field Museum in Chicago. There's a a newly refurbished exhibit there featuring the stuffed bodies of the villains of the piece, two rogue male lions who killed over 130 people who were trying to build a railroad in eastern Africa in 1896.
Douglas' character, an eccentric but effective "great white hunter," is apparently a rather fanciful composite. But all the other characters, and most, if not all, of the events depicted actually happened.
Just because a story is true, of course, doesn't mean it will be interesting, or that a movie made of it will be good. But in this case, The Ghost and the Darkness is both. It's exciting and well-acted, but graphically violent enough to cause varying degrees of discomfort among the audience.
The somewhat stylized cinematography, and the fact that we hardly ever actually see the lions, also keeps us guessing about exactly what kind of movie this is. Realistic African history/adventure? "X-Files"-type science fiction? Bizarre buddy picture? The Ghost and the Darkness perhaps goes a bit too far in keeping the audience off-balance.
But this is Kilmer's best movie in a while. He looks great in the period costumes, and creates a strong, yet sympathetic character. He's the engineer brought in to build a railway bridge who ends up having to kill the lions in order to finish the task.
Douglas is in his best wild-eyed, Romancing the Stone form as the hunter. But Kani practically steals the show from both of them as their liaison with the local tribes. He has a great laugh.
Filmed in South Africa, the scenery is something to see, too. But don't go on a full stomach, or if your cat's been acting a little weird lately. The Lion King, after all, wasn't a true story.
October 23, 1996