Review and impressions of the film "White Lion"

I received the Blu-Ray Disc of the film «White Lion» almost a month ago and have already managed to rewatch it three times. To be honest, it was precisely because of this film that I bought a Blu-Ray drive, so that I could watch a region «A» disc. I'd waited for the film almost 4 years, ever since I first learned about it while looking up information on Kevin Richardson after the news featured a story and the first photos of the lion whisperer.

The film follows the life of the white lion Letsatsi, starting from his very birth. The story is told by an old Shangaan to a group of schoolchildren. His role is played by John Kani, who also appeared in another well-known film about lions, «The Ghost and the Darkness». The narrator's voice is heard more than any other in the film and fits into it superbly; John Kani's voice and intonations captivate the children, the film crew, and the viewer alike.

First I watched «White Lion» twice in the original with English subtitles, then I set about translating them, which I've already written about earlier. It's an interesting undertaking, you just need plenty of time, though you can spend small stretches during breaks at work. After that I watched the film all the way through with a rough draft of the Russian subtitles, correcting them as I watched, so that the information would be easier to take in in Russian. And the last time I watched it with a professional Russian voice-over, which is good, good in that it doesn't drown out the narrator's voice and lets those who don't know the language immerse themselves better in the film, even though it doesn't fully convey the characters' intonations and the meaning of some expressions.

It's worth noting that the film exists mainly thanks to one man, namely Rodney Fuhr, who wrote the screenplay and is the executive producer financing the shooting of the whole picture; this was his dream and he made it a reality. Yes, if it hadn't been for Kevin Richardson — first the animal trainer, and then a producer as well — nothing would have come of it either; thanks to him the lions did what was in the script, and thanks to him the film crew knew what could be filmed and what couldn't. In documentary films you simply won't see the kind of footage Kevin managed to film in close contact with the lions, getting them to obey him. Everything was filmed under the supervision of animal-protection societies, and it's unlikely such footage could have been shot with anyone else without harming the animals, of which there were many: the credits list 24 white lions and 49 golden lions, and there were also hyenas and others.

The story itself, told in the film, is simple; it's a far cry from a Shakespearean drama with biblical motifs transplanted into the African savanna. Letsatsi's story is more true to life, in places naive and simplified — it's still a film about real lions, they don't talk like humans, though they are slightly anthropomorphized in some moments. In places the lion's life path is close to the lives of ordinary people, especially children, and in this way you can feel a greater kinship with the white lion. It's also a far cry from real drama, such as the documentary film «Lions of Darkness», since this is a feature picture and real fights, death, suffering can't be depicted convincingly in it, although there are several touching emotional moments that have a greater effect on children. What can't be fully shown is made up for by music that fits the picture perfectly and opens it up.

Philip Miller's soundtrack is also worth mentioning. Maybe I've rewatched the film too much, but together with the lions' roaring the music makes a strong impression. Some of the compositions keep playing in my head even after watching the film and have grown dear to me. I wish I could get hold of these tracks; an album with the soundtrack never came out, but the composer's album of South African music has come out, maybe there's something on it. It's a shame I don't own a proper sound system and can't fully experience either the lions' roar or the music accompanying it.

Yes, «White Lion» flopped at the box office, was coolly received by audiences and got mediocre ratings from critics. But for me it's one of the best films and I'm ready to give it the highest score. Thank you to Rodney Fuhr for making his dream come true, going all the way, bringing in Kevin Richardson. Not everyone would set out to film a movie for three years in order to capture specifically Africa's summer views, lush with greenery, and to pour an enormous sum of money into it that's unlikely to pay off. This is the kind of film that some people want and dream of seeing; we're unlikely to see anything like it soon, if we ever see it at all.