INTERPRETATIONS

Memories of Africa

Musical analysis of the film Out of Africa starts with the so-called spoken leitmotif of the film: ’I had a farm in Africa.’ And although one would expect that leitmotif treatment of one subgroup of sound — speech, would imply leitmotif treatment of another subgroup of sound — music, Out of Africa does not rise up to our expectations. John Barry rather composed music that was primarily ambiental, vast and melodic (like the scenery in which film was shot), and much less thematic. Among the themes, one discerns the main theme, which parallel to the spoken leit-motif ’I had a farm in Africa’ covers the beginning and the end of the film — memories. Apart from Karen’s theme (symbol of the writer’s loneliness), there are also Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s compositions with their proper subtext linked to Denys. Despite these themes, the film is dominated by a series of ambiental sequences (among which particularly stand out those linked with Karen’s travels, especially the trip to the lake Natron and safari with Denys). Finally, there is also the traditional African song Siyawe — a beautiful directing point of the illness, first Cole’s, and than Denys’s death, but mostly a reflection of what John Barry considered the most important — musical interpretation of Africa and its beautiful nature.

Irena Paulus