Out of Africa

He even took the gramophone on safari.

Three rifles, supplies for a month,

and Mozart.

He began our friendship with a gift.

And later, not long before Tsavo,

he gave me another. An incredible gift.

A glimpse of the world through God's eye.

And I thought,

"Yes, I see."

"This is the way it was intended."

I've written about all the others,

not because I loved them less,

but because they were clearer, easier.

He was waiting for me there.

But I've gone ahead of my story. He'd have hated that.

Denys loved to hear a story told well.

You see,

I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.

But it began before that.

It really began in Denmark.

And there I knew two brothers.

One was my lover, and one was my friend.

It's too cold for champagne.

It's too cold for anything but.

You said you'd be at Klampenborg.

I thought I'd come, but then I didn't.

Was it fun?

Tanne.

Tanne, come on.

It's not as though you loved him.

You'd like to be a baroness, that's all.

He lied to me.

Of course.

Would you be in bed with him otherwise?

My brother's only dull, but not stupid.

Pretend it's Hans.

Where would you go?

Anywhere.

America. Ceylon. I would even go to Australia.

Perhaps not Australia. But I've got to be away from here.

I'll give you all I've got.

That should get you into town.

God, it was fun. Money.

You could marry me.

I have to marry a virgin. I can't stand criticism.

For the money, I mean.

Probably.

Listen to me. I've got no life at all.

They wouldn't teach me anything useful, and now I've failed to marry.

You know the punishment for that. "Miss Dinesen's at home."

And you've gone through all your money.

You're off seducing the servant girls. We're a pair, you and I.

I mean, at least we're friends. We might be all right,

and if we weren't, at least we'd have been somewhere.

You don't think you're being too romantic?

Am I supposed to think you're serious?

I had a farm in Africa.

I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.

I had a farm in Africa.

Good morning.

Have you had trouble?

Now and then. Have you?

I'm traveling to Nairobi.

You caught the right train then.

Get away from there!

Shoo! Shoo!

Shoo?

That's all my crystal, my Limoges.

Ah.

They didn't know it was Limoges.

You plan to stay then?

I've come out to marry Baron Blixen. Do you know him?

Bror? Yes.

We plan to start a dairy.

Are you quite famous? They stopped the train for you.

It's rude not to here.

A dairy? Isn't it a bit soon for that? Milk at the door?

Aren't you boarding?

I'm going on.

On? To where?

Mention the ivory to Berkeley Cole. Bror knows him.

I'm Baroness Blixen!

Not yet.

Finch Hatton, Denys!

I am Farah Aden. We can go now.

Where is Baron Blixen?

He is at Muthaiga. Please come.

Where is Muthaiga?

Muthaiga is a club where British go for drinking. Please.

Listen, on the train are my crates with china and crystal.

Do you know china?

Yes. China, it can break.

Stay.

Excuse me, I'm looking for Baron Blixen.

I wondered if you might tell me...

Memsahibs must not be here.

I'm simply looking for someone...

Memsahibs must not be here.

Where have you been?

Where have you been?

Arranging things. How was the trip? You can tell me later.

Would you like to change?

My luggage is still on the train.

Room "D." Head of the stairs.

I haven't gotten a ring. Do you care?

Did you think I wouldn't come?

I thought you wouldn't want to spend the money.

You will love it here. The servants are wonderful.

Shall we get a drink?

We've got almost one hour before the wedding.

One hour?

Is this all right?

I wondered what color you'd choose.

It's ivory. God, I've got this man's ivory.

Whose ivory?

I'm Sarah, Lady Belfield. Shall I stand up for you?

Short or long, Blix?

Long, please. Give me time to adjust to it.

Settle down, all.

By the authority of His Majesty's Government vested in me,

I declare that the Baron Bror Von Blixen, citizen of Sweden and...

What's your name, my dear?

Damn it, Henry, I told you her name.

Karen Christentze Dinesen.

Karen Christentze Dinesen, a female subject of the King of Denmark,

are henceforth united man and wife.

God save this company, God save the King.

God save the King!

Thank you for this.

"Did you hear about Shuttleworth?" "No," I said.

"He's living up country," he says, "in a tree with a baboon."

"Male or female?" I said to him. "Female, of course," he says.

"There's nothing queer about old Shuttleworth."

Where's your muddleheaded husband?

The Governor's at the punch bowl,

thank you, hoping to avoid you.

Would you like to meet the bride?

Or did you come just for the whiskey?

Not for the company, God knows.

Lord Delamere, may I present Baroness Blixen.

Baroness Blixen, Lord Delamere, such as he is.

Baroness. A Swede, are you?

No, Danish, actually.

The little country next to Germany.

If it comes to war, where will Denmark stand?

On its own, I hope. We do have that history.

Is there something we can call you

that gets round this Baroness?

What do they call you?

D, if I'm lucky.

My stupid name's Felicity, but I do like your dress.

Thank you.

It's not much of a hat.

It's meant to be stunning.

We die of sunstroke here.

At least I'm safe from the mosquitoes.

The big ones.

You nervous?

Should I be?

You know, wedding night and all that.

So they're both of them naked and not a shrub in sight.

Have you met Vicky Gresham?

Hello, Baroness, I'd curtsy but I'm drunk.

May I see you, please?

Excuse me.

If you want any friends, Tanne,

I'd make them here. There is no one else.

I want to see my house.

You may want to change. It's a two-hour ride.

Excuse me.

My God, these people drink.

I'm sorry, I was just...

It's all right.

I'm afraid you've caught me snooping.

It's not my room, it's Denys', and Denys won't mind.

It's a thing about Denys, he doesn't mind.

Are you Cole?

I brought the ivory with me on the train.

Well, thank you.

Are you taking your quinine?

Oh, yes.

He has got lovely books. Does he lend them?

We had a friend, Hopworth.

He got a book and didn't return it. Denys was furious.

I said, "Denys, you wouldn't lose a friend over a book, would you?"

And he said, "No!"

"But he has, hasn't he?"

Did you come out through London?

From Rome actually.

I thought you might have a newspaper.

No, sorry.

Nothing in them anyway.

I had a friend who I used to take to the dances at Oxford.

They were in June by the river.

She always wore a new silk dress.

I think you're wearing her perfume.

No, it's very nice, but it's not the same.