Haggard's Lack of Humanity

Have you actually READ the book? This movie has little connection with the book. For one thing, there is no female. & in the book there were several times when Umbopa was deemed smarter than the white man. & Allan Quartermain himself wasnt such a 'hero' as seen in this movie. In the book he's much more of a coward & is in awe of the native's gallantry.

I've read it several times, its one of my favourites, & frankly, the way that HRH depicts the natives were with respect most of the time. The only times that he seems to take the 'white man good/black man bad' approach is with the people he is with in the beginning-that is the thieving rascal types who he meets in his trades. Also, I admit, there are times when he try's to maintain his dignity above the blacks like ignoring them when they speak etc, but in general I'd say it could have been worse. & when he's with the Kukuana's, the reason he had to assume he's higher than them was because they would have killed him & his companions otherwise. Even then, they were mostly awed by the Kukuanas & respected their people (except Twala of course, but thats coz he was a brute).

Another thing, even if the book WAS really racist, what would you expect from something set in that time period? They would write about how things were back then. You cant expect someone to write about ancient china & have their women be liberated & independent can you? Stick with the story dude, there's a reason it is as it is. Who do you think you are to know better than the author?

& by the way, what you said about it not touching on humanity is total bull. Alan quartermain was really very humble & quite an old fellow. & his thoughts on life & men were depicted quite clearly & it shows how he thinks of humanity. & the emotions of everyone-including the blacks-were clearly described & I should say very touching. This movie is NOTHING like the book. Next time read the book before making such ridiculous comments on it.

What you are saying is as far from the book as the movie itself is. The only thing in common this movie has with anything in Haggard's book is the name of the main character. Furthermore, the book tends to present the land of the Kukuanas as sort of a lost paradise that should not be spoiled (and by the way Ignosi in the end insists in keeping it so) rather than a craphole full of savages. Even their people is depicted as both noble and physically beautiful.

I don't know who conceived the stupid plot of the movie, but one thing is for certain: it bears NO RESEMBLANCE WHATSOEVER to Haggard's book.

I hate to tell you slick but Haggard wrote the first all-black, novel for public consumption in the late 19th century. Nada, the Lily portrays the Zulus and his beloved Umslopagaas in a very heroic light and tells a very nice love story. Certainly a book filled with humanity.

Even though its easy to slam past ideals and common views, you can't look beyond the fact that Haggard wasn't just another imperialist. He even writes Quartermain as a person who isn't much of a fan of the Empire, but is right at home with Africans and Africa. He treats most of them as equals. A far cry from what you'll read even well into the 20th century.

Again, he was most certainly a product of his times in a general sense, but had a great love for Africa and its people.

D

In Wikipedia"-

Quatermain is an English-born professional big game hunter and occasional trader in southern Africa. While not precisely anti-colonial in his outlook, he favours native Africans having a say in how their affairs are run, a rather progressive outlook for a Victorian. Quatermain is a quintessential outdoorsman who finds English cities and climate unbearable, and thus prefers to spend most of his life in Africa, where he grew up under the care of his widower father, a Christian missionary. In the earliest-written novels native Africans refer to Quatermain as Macumazahn, meaning "Watcher-by-Night," a reference to his nocturnal habits and keen instincts. In later-written novels Macumazahn is said to be a short form of Macumazana, meaning "One who stands out." Quatermain is frequently accompanied by his native servant, the Hottentot Hans, a wise and caring family retainer from his youth whose sarcastic comments offer a sharp critique of European conventions.

See some key-word:-

he favours native Africans

a rather progressive outlook for a Victorian

finds English cities and climate unbearable


The movie got nothing to do v Haggard's book. Simply a spoof of Indy series n may be reference from also popular "Romancing The Stone" in early / mid 80s.

BOO HOO HOO! Get over it. Are you brain-damaged? Britain was more advanced than any of the equatorial nations.

Humanity shmanity, it's an adventure story, not a morality play.

There's nothing more boring than a bunch of liberals looking for reasons to be offended or so self-righteous and so filled with liberal intolerance that they are incapable of comprehending the difference in values and beliefs of a different time.