Objectively Describing "Gorillas in the Mist" Nearly

Objectively Describing "Gorillas in the Mist" Nearly thirty years ago, the film Gorillas in the Mist was released. It is a dramatic narrative with the protagonist Dian Fossey, a real person, who traveled to Rwanda, Africa, in her ambitious efforts to save the gorillas native to the area. Fossey is played by Sigourney Weaver, who is famous for her numerous roles, including this one and from the Alien movie series.

The story the film tells is as much about Fossey's personal challenges, as it is about the challenges of the gorillas she is trying to desperately save, as well as the challenges of the nation of Rwanda, the continent of Africa, and others who follow in her legacy of intense dedication to the preservation of animal species. The film addresses and closely examines issues on a micro and macrocosmic scale, including issues of sexual inequality, war, and environmentalism.

One section of the film that is particularly striking to this author, is the section that graphically depicts the effects of poaching. From the American perspective, or any country's perspective where poaching is not as booming an industry as it is in Rwanda, the scenes are incredibly startling and graphic. They are in stark contrast to earlier moments where Fossey is living in peace with the gorillas. For example, the gorillas that have been poached most obviously are dead, but they are also in pieces.

We see the gorillas' bodies in pieces, such as their skins, heads, and hands. There is no majesty and no tranquility to see the gorillas in this way. Poached for their pieces, the gorillas are no longer beings and lifeforms with a wholeness; they are products and commodities. To speak to the exact opposite, the scenes where Fossey has been welcomed by groups of gorillas are notable as well. The younger gorillas climb on her and cling to her as they do their mothers and other elder gorillas.

Fossey cradles, holds, and hugs young gorillas. She engages in play with them; she learns and observes how they amuse themselves and spend their time outside of necessary activities such as eating and socialization. Fossey is able to participate in the same kinds of activities as the gorillas and this insight proves useful in her efforts to save them from ultimate destruction. The scenes where she encounters the Rwandan natives are tense. She is first accused of being a foreign spy.

Early in the film after her arrival in Africa, she is greatly discouraged and considers returning to the states. Some of the Rwandans offer her support and encouragement to remain and continue her studies. Other Rwandans combat her -- they meet her with confusion and anger because she is interfering in one of their primary industries, and as the country is quite poor, the people adamantly express the need to survive by any means possible, especially by the profitable industry of poaching. Gorillas in the Mist.