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For the first time on DVD! An English farmer who has settled in Kenya is forced to fight the Mau-Mau tribe as their terrorism and racial hatred threaten the lives of those he loves. The recent Mau Mau uprising in Kenya served as story material for the 1955 British film Simba. White farmer Dirk Bogarde and his neighbours are targeted for extermination by the zealously nationalistic Mau Maus. Native doctor Joseph Tomelty, whose brother had earlier been killed under questionable circumstances, endeavours to help the whites escape the hordes, only to discover that his own father is the local leader of the insurrectionists. Given the cruelties of colonial rule in Africa, it is hard for any film to make the Mau Mau total villains, despite their own well-documented brutal treatment of their enemies. Simba downplays side-taking and ideology, choosing instead to concentrate on the adventure and suspense elements.
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Mono ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Interactive Menu, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Alan Howard arrives in Kenya to work on a ranch owned by his brother, and is met at the airport by an old friend, Mary Crawford. He finds his brother has been murdered by the Mau Mau, a native organization determined to drive out the whites. Howard decides to stay, influenced by his love for Mary as well as other considerations. She refuses to believe that all the natives are bad, while Crawford is suspicious of all, especially Dr. Karanja, for whom Mary once worked as a nurse. Crawford suspects he is Simba, leader of the local Mau Mau. When Mary's parents are slain by the sect, Dr. Karanja reveals to the police that he believes Simba to be his own father. Crawford is marked for death, with his farm deserted, the telephone wires cut, and his car burned. Mary and Dr. Karanja show up, with Karanja attempting to talk the attackers out of their deeds until his father forces them on. Crawford kills Simba, and the attackers fatally wound Karanja before the police close in. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, ...Simba (1955) ( Simba - Mark of Mau Mau! )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A welcome release on DVD to fill a gap in many Bogarde collections, Simba is unusual for a 1950's film in that the violence is quite graphic for its time. The terrorist activities of the Mau Mau against the British settlers are shown in detail, with several gruesome murders.
This is an exciting, well produced film, with all the actors giving good performances. The prejudice felt by Alan(Bogarde) is gradually replaced by a better understanding and although we feel sympathy for the plight of some of the other settlers it is hard to sympathize with some of their racist attitudes which are quite shocking by today's standards.
Virginia McKenna is most beautiful as Mary, who is very emotionally controlled and her relationship with Alan is sensitively developed. Earl Cameron gives an excellent performance as the doctor Mary works for and who is incorrectly suspected of being Simba, the terrorist leader.
The location photography is very attractive, only let down in one scene by a very badly back-projected lion!
The ending is left deliberately open and we cannot help but fear for the future of Alan and Mary if they decide to remain.
This is an exciting, well produced film, with all the actors giving good performances. The prejudice felt by Alan(Bogarde) is gradually replaced by a better understanding and although we feel sympathy for the plight of some of the other settlers it is hard to sympathize with some of their racist attitudes which are quite shocking by today's standards.
Virginia McKenna is most beautiful as Mary, who is very emotionally controlled and her relationship with Alan is sensitively developed. Earl Cameron gives an excellent performance as the doctor Mary works for and who is incorrectly suspected of being Simba, the terrorist leader.
The location photography is very attractive, only let down in one scene by a very badly back-projected lion!
The ending is left deliberately open and we cannot help but fear for the future of Alan and Mary if they decide to remain.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie was first released in 1955(2005)2011, in Eastmancolour, full screen 1.33.1 and runs 87 minutes. The sound and picture quality in very good. Alan Howard (Dirk Bogarde) arrives in Nairobi, Kenya, in a BOAC flight to work on his brother David's farm and is met at the airport by Mary Crawford (Virginia Mckenna). She drives him to the farm situated under the shadow of beautiful Mt Kenya. He finds the police (Donald Sunden) at the farm and David shot by SIMBA, possible leader of 'Mau Mau'. Mary Crawford works at the dyspensary. A meeting is held by the whites to decide action against the Kikuyu and the Mau Mau.
More killings take place. The Black doctor admits that his father, the chief, is Simba. The chase is on to arrest the chief, who runs into the forest. The chief makes a master plan, to attack the Howard farm at night, while the police is falsely diverted towards the forest. How will it END?
Sir Dirk Borgarde(DEREK JULES GASPARD ULRIC NIVEN VAN DEN BOGAERDE) was born on 28.3.1921 in West Hampstead, London. After school, he served in 2nd World War in 1943. His debut in West End Theatre was in 1939, and after the War, he changed his name to 'Dirk Borgarde'. He had contract with RKO studio and did many films. His final film was in 1991. He made 63 films. He won BAFTA award twice. In 1977, he became an author and wrote novels, books ans autobiographies. He was a life long bachelor and was said to be 'gay'. Being a heavy smoker, he had a stroke in 1987. In september 1996, he under went angioplasty for his heart and had pulmonary embolus as a complication. He was paralysed on his left side and lost his speech and was left in a wheel chair. He died of heart attack on 8.5.1999, aged 78, in London.
The movie is filmed in beautiful Eastman Colour and the acting is good with nice background countryside of magestic Mt Kenya. The audio of the DVD is in German and English. Read books on similar theme:-
(1) Bwana Drum by D. Holman (1964)
(2) Hunt for Kimathi by I.Henderson (1958)
(3) Dark Clouds over Mt Kenya by Hastings (2008)
(4) Kenya Cowboy by P. Hewitt (1999)
(5) History of the Hanged by D. Anderson (2005)
(6) The Myth of Mau Mau by C. Rosberg (1966)
Having born in Kenya, I enjoyed watching this DVD.
Watch and ENJOY.
More killings take place. The Black doctor admits that his father, the chief, is Simba. The chase is on to arrest the chief, who runs into the forest. The chief makes a master plan, to attack the Howard farm at night, while the police is falsely diverted towards the forest. How will it END?
Sir Dirk Borgarde(DEREK JULES GASPARD ULRIC NIVEN VAN DEN BOGAERDE) was born on 28.3.1921 in West Hampstead, London. After school, he served in 2nd World War in 1943. His debut in West End Theatre was in 1939, and after the War, he changed his name to 'Dirk Borgarde'. He had contract with RKO studio and did many films. His final film was in 1991. He made 63 films. He won BAFTA award twice. In 1977, he became an author and wrote novels, books ans autobiographies. He was a life long bachelor and was said to be 'gay'. Being a heavy smoker, he had a stroke in 1987. In september 1996, he under went angioplasty for his heart and had pulmonary embolus as a complication. He was paralysed on his left side and lost his speech and was left in a wheel chair. He died of heart attack on 8.5.1999, aged 78, in London.
The movie is filmed in beautiful Eastman Colour and the acting is good with nice background countryside of magestic Mt Kenya. The audio of the DVD is in German and English. Read books on similar theme:-
(1) Bwana Drum by D. Holman (1964)
(2) Hunt for Kimathi by I.Henderson (1958)
(3) Dark Clouds over Mt Kenya by Hastings (2008)
(4) Kenya Cowboy by P. Hewitt (1999)
(5) History of the Hanged by D. Anderson (2005)
(6) The Myth of Mau Mau by C. Rosberg (1966)
Having born in Kenya, I enjoyed watching this DVD.
Watch and ENJOY.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
General Film Distributors (GFD) presents "SIMBA (aka:Mark of Mau Mau)" (1955) (100 min/Color) -- Starring Dirk Bogarde, Virginia McKenna, Donald Sinden, Earl Cameron, Basil Sydney, Marie Ney, Joseph Tomelty & Orlando Martins
Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst
Another great film from the British Invasion which VCI has restored and brought from their vaults.
The Mau Mau rebellion was an early example of terrorism through brutality and atrocity. Many Kenyans lived in fear of a Mau Mau raid and more than 2,000 were killed by Mau Mau. The blood oaths and secret society of the Mau Mau made the terror all the more extreme.
Although few of those murdered were white, many settlers were extremely scared. They were particularly scared at night, and of being betrayed by their household employees. Racism was prevalent in the white community, a better approach would be to recognize the white settlers' concern for their safety from murder and home invasion.
Simba accurately depicts the fear and tension of the period. There are fine performances and the film is absorbing and exciting.
Still of you're a fan of Dirk Bogarde this is another winner from his illustrious career.
Nominated BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film, Best Film from any Source, Best Screenplay (John Baines)
For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review
BIOS:
1. Brian Desmond Hurst (Director)
Date of Birth: 12 February 1895 - Castlereagh, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Date of Death: 26 September 1986 - London, England, UK
2. Dirk Bogarde [aka: Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde]
Date of Birth: 28 March 1921 - Hampstead, London, England, UK
Date of Death: 8 May 1999 - Chelsea, London, England, UK
Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]
Total Time: 100 min on DVD ~ General Film Distributors (GFD) ~ (July 19, 2011)
Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst
Another great film from the British Invasion which VCI has restored and brought from their vaults.
The Mau Mau rebellion was an early example of terrorism through brutality and atrocity. Many Kenyans lived in fear of a Mau Mau raid and more than 2,000 were killed by Mau Mau. The blood oaths and secret society of the Mau Mau made the terror all the more extreme.
Although few of those murdered were white, many settlers were extremely scared. They were particularly scared at night, and of being betrayed by their household employees. Racism was prevalent in the white community, a better approach would be to recognize the white settlers' concern for their safety from murder and home invasion.
Simba accurately depicts the fear and tension of the period. There are fine performances and the film is absorbing and exciting.
Still of you're a fan of Dirk Bogarde this is another winner from his illustrious career.
Nominated BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film, Best Film from any Source, Best Screenplay (John Baines)
For product description and editorial review check this out on the Amazon site above my review
BIOS:
1. Brian Desmond Hurst (Director)
Date of Birth: 12 February 1895 - Castlereagh, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Date of Death: 26 September 1986 - London, England, UK
2. Dirk Bogarde [aka: Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde]
Date of Birth: 28 March 1921 - Hampstead, London, England, UK
Date of Death: 8 May 1999 - Chelsea, London, England, UK
Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]
Total Time: 100 min on DVD ~ General Film Distributors (GFD) ~ (July 19, 2011)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
AAAAH ! Virginia Mc KENNA...............
I was really surprised by this really good film about british colonies in 1954. In fact, I was only 6 at this time, so I did not know too much about MAU MAU rebellion in Kenya, but... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Patricia Simeon
Actors to Africa??
This may have been made in 1955, but it still retains a huge punch, and much of what it shows still exists in one form or another in Africa. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. W. Wilson
OLD FILM
I TRAWLED THE WEB FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS TO FIND THIS MOVIE, IT IS NOSTALGIC FOR ME. FUNNILY ENOUGH IT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN A MAGAZINE RAZAMATAZZ, BUT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN I PAID
Published 12 months ago by D. M. Rothwell
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