Product Details

• Actors: Katja Flint, Nina Hoss, Janek Rieke, Nino Prester, Jacky Ido
• Directors: Hermine Huntgeburth
• Format: Dolby, Import, NTSC
• Language: German, Swahili
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Metropole Canada
• DVD Release Date: August 14, 2007
• Run Time: 131 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000R7G9II
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,091 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of the Idiot as a Young Woman, September 6, 2007

By 

P. Oski (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The White Massai (DVD)

Four stars is a bit much for this, but it's not bad. I was never bored, but if this had not been based on a real story, I would have knocked stars off for presenting an implausibly stupid heroine and generally shallow characters.
The Swiss woman who gives up her business, boyfriend, family and country because she gets the hots for a young Masai warrior while on vacation is shallow. She can't be portrayed as anything else. The Masai women and a world-weary Italian priest are the only characters who appear to have any sense at all. They're a welcome respite from the generally idiotic cast of characters who inhabit the Kenya and Switzerland of this biographical melodrama.

The acting is good and the locales impressive. There is no plot to speak of other than what I've mentioned, just a collection of episodes. Some are gruelling, others vaguely humorous or touching. Since the two main protagonists are incapable of empathy or learning, the portrayal of their life as a series of isolated events in haphazard sequence is oddly fitting.

There's some steamy sex, a pregnancy gone horrifically wrong and an offscreen ritualistic genital mutilation. We don't learn much about the Masai, but we see the arrogance of Western self-indulgence and the "Noble Savage" version of colonial racism in the objectification of the hapless Masai by the predatory hedonism of his Swiss lover. I suppose we are meant to admire her pluck, but it's over shadowed by her cluelessness.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The White Masai, November 25, 2007

By 

Veronica Dean - See all my reviews

This review is from: The White Massai (DVD)

I was under the impression that the movie had English subtitles but was only able to watch it in German. Luckily I was able to follow along since I'd read the book but am wondering why the English subtitles aren't available.

The movie is missing a lot from the book (too much to fit in a movie) but is still definitely worth watching...there was a great choice of actors for the main characters (especially Jacky Ido!) and the music was excellent (the movie soundtrack to "The White Masai" is also worth getting).

I'd purchase it again if it was available with English subtitles!

5.0 out of 5 stars Book comes alive, December 11, 2011

By 

Sandie Reader - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The White Massai (DVD)

Having read the books I was really keen to see the film. It seemed strange the characters having different names but it is a privacy thing I guess. The film made the book come alive being able to see first hand how she lived rather than just imagine. A little disappointed didn't stick strictly to story line but that's show biz I guess. The book made her appear Brave and strong the film portrayed her as foolish and naive.
I think you should advertise that it is the English version ofThe White Massai because i wasn't sure.When it started off in German with subtitles i was a little worried, but then they started in English Phew!
Excellent, i thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has read the book,or has been to Africa and fallen in love with the culture. I have given it to my eighteen year old daughter to read before she goes to work in Africa for a year :)