Editing Out of Africa (film) (section)

==Historical differences==
While ''Out of Africa'' is based on [[Karen Blixen]]'s memoir of the same name, the film takes several creative liberties, incorporating elements from other sources and omitting or altering aspects of Blixen's life and experiences in [[Kenya]].

The film opens with the line, "I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills," directly quoting the beginning of Blixen's book.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Dinesen |first1=Isak |url=https://archive.org/embed/outofafrica0000dine |title=Out of Africa |date=1938 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |page=3}}</ref> Additionally, Karen recites, "He prayeth well, who loveth well both man and bird and beast," from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's ''[[The Rime of the Ancient Mariner]]'', which becomes the epitaph on Denys Finch Hatton's grave marker.

However, the film omits significant events from Blixen's memoir, such as a devastating locust swarm, local shootings, and her detailed accounts of the German army's activities during [[World War I]]. The portrayal of her farm is also minimized; in reality, Blixen managed a 6,000-acre coffee plantation employing around 800 [[Kikuyu people|Kikuyu]] workers and utilizing an 18-oxen wagon. The film simplifies this by depicting a smaller operation with fewer workers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Coleridge |first1=Samuel Taylor |url=https://archive.org/details/poeticalworksst02colegoog |title=The poetical works of S.T. Coleridge [microform] : including the dramas of Wallenstein, Remorse, and Zapola. In Three Volumes. Vol. II: The Rime of The Ancient Mariner. In Seven Parts. |date=1828 |publisher=William Pickering |location=London |pages=37}}</ref>

Regarding her personal life, the film shows Karen owning only one dog, whereas she actually had two Scottish deerhounds named Dawn and Dusk, gifted to her as a wedding present. The romantic relationship between Karen and [[Denys Finch Hatton|Denys]] is also altered; they met at the Muthaiga Club in [[Nairobi]], not in the plains as depicted. Denys was absent from Kenya for two years due to military service in [[Egypt]], a detail omitted from the film. Furthermore, while the film suggests a continuous romance, historical accounts indicate that Karen experienced at least one [[miscarriage]] during their relationship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kundu |first=Tamal |date=2021-08-20 |title=Is Out of Africa a True Story? |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/is-out-of-africa-a-true-story/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=The Cinemaholic |language=en-US}}</ref>

Denys Finch Hatton was an English aristocrat, the son of the [[Henry Finch-Hatton, 13th Earl of Winchilsea|13th Earl of Winchilsea]]. This aspect of his identity is downplayed in the film, particularly through the casting of American actor [[Robert Redford]]. Director [[Sydney Pollack]] and Redford decided against using a British accent for the character, believing it would be distracting for audiences. Redford reportedly had to re-record some lines to remove traces of an English accent from earlier takes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bitfactory |date=2018-11-05 |title=Out of Africa: a dubious film {{!}} Charlie's Travels |url=https://charlies-travels.com/en/africa-film-what-is-wrong-with-out-of-africa/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=charlies-travels.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

The film's depiction of the railway journey from [[Mombasa]] to Nairobi shows the train traveling through the [[Great Rift Valley, Kenya]] on the steep backside of the [[Ngong Hills]]. In reality, the railway is located on the higher, opposite side of the Ngong Hills. The passenger car featured in the film was a small combination office/sleeper originally used by supervisors during the construction of the [[Uganda Railway]]. This car was notably the site where a man was taken and killed by a marauding lioness, an event not depicted in the film.