Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey

A film about Diana Fossey, a zoologist and expert on the lives of the gorillas she spent her life studying. I wonder how Sigourney Weaver felt when she had to film with real gorillas. Yeah, actors don’t have it easy. (07/03/2002)

A controversial anthropologist who managed to save a dying species anyhow. And that is refreshing... Although this biographic picture is a little idealized, that changes nothing about its overall quality. The atmosphere, camerawork, Sigourney, the production design - everything’s just perfect. But the main attraction here are the incredible “acting" performances of the gorillas. Thanks to them, this is a movie that will be hard to forget. (02/25/2007)

We have an endangered animal species on the brink of extinction, difficult living conditions in central Africa, and a brave woman who does not hesitate to sacrifice her current life and give up the comforts of civilization in favor of fighting for animal rights... Is it possible to find someone who would give only two stars to a film with such a subject? It is indeed possible. The film is as thin in its plot as stool after a salmonella infection, it is overly long, which I unfortunately prolonged even further by falling asleep three times in the first half and having to watch that part of the film again. The screenplay is very average and overall, Gorillas in the Mist heavily relies on the message of the film and the myth surrounding Dian Fossey. Her life story is exactly one of those romanticizing fairy tales that are so enjoyable to listen to thousands of kilometers away from the actual events, in the absence of knowledge of reality. Dian Fossey was actually a highly contradictory person, and while the screenplay lightly touched on some of her eccentricities, it by no means depicted them in their entirety. She was a self-centered individual who fell in love with gorillas with the uncritical love of an animal lover who lets their pets sleep in their bed and eat from the same bowl. She did not care about the problems of the countries where she resided and moved within the local community with the ease of an elephant in a china shop. The omnipresent poverty and malnutrition of black children excited her much less than the death of a single gorilla from the group she observed. Because she sacrificed her personal life for her passion, gorilla conservation became an obsession for her, and she waged a private war against poachers, which she eventually paid the price for. By the end of her life, she had become essentially difficult to get along with. Sigourney Weaver, of course, humanizes and improves her character. The actress already had a few highly successful commercial hits at that time and was earning hefty pay; however, as it goes, she longed for festival success and Academy recognition. However, those are usually not given for lead roles in sci-fi horror films. The lead role in this autobiographical drama of this caliber was a deliberate calculation for her journey to an Oscar. As far as I know, she at least received a nomination. My overall impression, 45%, is influenced by my relationship to the actual character of Dian Fossey, although I do not deny her contribution to saving a species. Supporters of Greenpeace and retouched biographical narratives can easily add two stars. By the way, there was nothing mysterious about Dian Fossey's death. I even get the feeling that the killer is known today. (01/21/2010)

This is another of those films where the main message and idea overshadows its actual quality. The simplistic screenplay was probably written in no time, and everything is overshadowed by the beautiful scenery, the great performance by Sigourney Weaver, who is very believable in her role, and the humanity, which is truly abundant, but never slides into sentimentality. The scenes with the gorillas are captured quite impressively and are among the best things in this film. As a biopic, it’s not bad and Dian Fossey will definitely not be ashamed of this work, but in my opinion, it is rather an average and relatively unremarkable attempt. For nature lovers, especially gorillas, it must be at least one extra star. (05/06/2006)