October 13, 1996 -- There are some surprises in the film "The Ghost and the Darkness."

The surprises are in the story, not in the way it is presented. The story is as simple as can be. It is one of the three basic plots (man against nature, man against man, man against God). It is just man against nature.

Based on a true story, the film centers around an engineer (played by Val Kilmer) trying to construct a bridge over a river in Africa. He is stopped by two lions who kill over a hundred railroad workers until they flee the site in terror.

The railroad hires a famous hunter (Michael Douglas) to kill the lions. He soon discovers that these lions are unique. They kill for sport and they have adapted their amazing hunting talents to become very adept at killing people. The hunter has become the hunted.

It is as if Nature has drawn a line at the river and dared mankind to cross it. The lions seem bent on stopping the men, punishing and killing them without mercy. The hunter and the engineer begin to wonder if the lions aren't really demons, as the natives believe they are.

There's nothing fancy here. It is just raw courage and testosterone as the men go against the lions. Despite the rifles the men carry, it is about an even match because of the lion's keener night vision, plus their greater size, power, speed and hunting ability.

The suspense in this film, directed by Stephen Hopkins, is unrelenting. There are some drawbacks. The dialogue could have been better and the animal attacks could have been a little more realistic, but on the whole it is a good film. It rates a B. For one thing, Kilmer and Douglas and some of the other characters are solid actors. All of them are quite believable and compelling.

What is surprising is that the story unfolds in this way. In recent Hollywood films, animals and nature are never portrayed as evil. They are always portrayed as good, while man, the pillager of the natural world, is always portrayed as evil. Here, it is just the opposite. It's a wonder this film was ever made. It is a real throwback to films made 40 years ago and more, before the environmentalists and animal rights people took over in Hollywood.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 1996 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.