We have an expression in prize fighting: "Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit." Well my friend, you’ve just been hit. The getting up is up to you.
--- Charles Remington, The Ghost and The Darkness
Lions don’t do this. Lions... never had a lair like this. They’re doing it for the pleasure.
--- Charles Remington, The Ghost and The Darkness
Remember this... even the most impossible parts of this story really happened.
--- Narrator, The Ghost and The Darkness
The top critics did not like this movie. I choose to disagree with them. I didn’t have any expectations; good or bad when I sat down to watch this one. When it finished I have to say, I was bowled over; it was such a brilliantly executed thriller. The movie is a hypnotic, thoughtful adventure. Like I said, the critics did not like this movie. But I choose to disagree.
The film is loosely based on real life experiences of an engineer, Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson as recounted in his book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo, written in 1907. These incidents took place around the year 1898 while the engineer was leading the construction of a railway bridge over the Tsavo River in Kenya. There are several theories as to how and why the lions developed a taste for human flesh and supposedly killed a massive 135 rail road workers before they were both taken down.
The film, directed by Stephen Hopkins, opens in East Africa in the year 1896. It is narrated in a voiceover. The British are building a rail road there to support their ivory trade. Col. John Patterson (portrayed by Val Kilmer), a military engineer, is hired by Sir John Beaumont to build a bridge over the Tsavo River at the end of the line. What Patterson doesn’t know when he goes to Africa leaving his pregnant wife behind, is that this trip would profoundly change everything for him.
When he arrives at the rail road camp, the camp doctor David Hawthorne tells him that a lion has been snatching the railroad workers from their tents at night. That same night Patterson manages to kill a lion thus gaining the respect of the workers who agree to stay and continue the work. Only when the attacks do not stop does everyone including Patterson realize that the killed lion was not the man eater. During a horrific daylight attack, a worker is snatched away by the lion and Patterson and others try to rescue him. It is then understood that the killings are not the work of a single lion but by a pair of lions. This further scares them because lions usually do not hunt in pairs.
As the lions continue to hunt and kill in what appears to be an almost supernatural cunning, the superstitious workers soon start calling the two lions as ‘The Ghost’ and ‘The Darkness’ as they believe they are an embodiment of the devil. As the lions kill not out of hunger but for sheer pleasure, gradually the construction comes to a stand still.
Meanwhile, the workers are threatening to leave for fear of their lives. It is at this time that a legendary American game hunter Charles Remington (portrayed by Michael Douglas), hired by the rail company, arrives at the site and convinces the workers to stay, albeit by pointing a gun at their leader, Abdullah (played by bollywood veteran Om Puri).
Remington and Patterson join forces in their common mission of putting an end to the seemingly invincible man eating lions. The film is a tremendously thrilling ride from here on.
In the battle between man and the beast, how many men have to lose their lives before the beasts lose theirs?
On a personal note:
Visuals of the African setting are outstanding. I shivered while watching the tall savannah grass moving in the wind, not knowing when a lion would leap out of them. I regret not watching this on the big screen.
The fact that the script was written by William Goldman, the same person responsible for the script of Misery, another one of my favorite movies, only made the film’s appeal stronger.
Performances by the lead actors Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas are first rate. Douglas especially steals the scenes in the latter part of the movie whenever he appears on screen. Val Kilmer plays the subtly confident and brave Patterson to perfection. All the other actors in their supporting roles performed well. Especially good is John Kani as Samuel, Patterson’s African aide.
Powerful music provided by Jerry Goldsmith complements the scenes. The film deservedly won an Oscar for sound editing. I’m thinking of buying the music CD. I especially liked the sound of kettle drums and other ethnic African musical elements.
Director Stephen Hopkins manages to pull off the difficult task of not straying from the story while providing the necessary chills and thrills.
Panoramic shots of the beautiful African vistas just took my breath away. The tall savannah grass as I mentioned before is simply glorious. Various scenes show the bright African sun in all its beauty and intensity.
This film will keep you on edge of your seat trying to guess when a next attack occurs. Watch it if you haven’t already.