Strictly average movie

Best movie ever!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

"Die weisse Massai" or "The White Massai" is a German movie from over 10 years ago and mostly known today because Nina Hoss plays the title character and she has turned into quite a star recently, especially in the United States. Well, "star" may be a bit much, but she has appeared in some high-profile films and series that most German actors can only dream of. The movie here is written and directed by Hermine Huntgeburth, who adapted Corinne Hofmann's novel for the big screen here. The film makes it past the 2-hour mark and tells us about a Swiss woman who travels to Africa and falls in love with a local tribesman. She decides to leave everything and everybody behind for that, even her boyfriend who she has been with a long time.Almost the entire two hours is about her and how she (not) tries to adapt to life in the Massai tribe. The strict regulations, especially in terms of gender roles constantly clash with her personal identity and also her self-confidence as the modern woman she has been so far in life. It really is a 180° turn for her. Will it work out regardless in the end. Watch for yourself. This is by no means a perfect film and there is a weakness here and there, yet the solid script and strong acting (especially by Jacky Ido who you may know from Tarantino's World War II movie) makes this one worth a watch. The good outweighs the bad overall in my opinion and I recommend watching it. Thumbs up for "Die weisse Massai".

I had low expectations for this picture, and boy was I surprised. This is really gripping picture. Every frame riveted my interest. It is about two people from two extremely different cultures trying to make a go of it. Both do their best. Both confound each other by failing to explain their cultural expectations.You would think this fish out of water plot would generate a comedy with lots of African music. But it doesn't. You feel the anger and frustration of both parties over their anger at their partner refusing to behave "sensibly".I don't think I have ever seen a film that even attempted to give me an idea of what is is like to be an African living in a hut. It was quite gut wrenching.In one sense she failed, but her life was ever so much richer because she dared to follow her heart. Be prepared; the film is 131 minutes.

What strange thing is the attraction between two human beings. It is a mystery hard to explain. In the case of Carola Lehmann, a successful shop owner from Switzerland, on a holiday in Kenya with her boyfriend, it is the chance encounter with Lemalian, a handsome Massai youth that catches her eye. Carola, who is about to go back home, has second thoughts about returning to a normal life in what is considered a civilized country, and decides to stay behind for an uncertain life with a somewhat primitive African man.Carola, who has no other friends in Kenya, except Elisabeth, the wife of a black man, makes the trek to a remote part of the country to the Massai enclave where Lemalian hails from. The shock she receives when she sees the primitive society where she has decide to settle with her man, is somehow ameliorated by the love in her heart. Their lovemaking is not exactly the way she expects it; to make matters worse, she witnesses a young woman subjected to a ritual that involves the cutting of a part of her sexual organ.Trying to get out of the poverty she experiences, Carola decides to go back home to sell her shop. With the proceedings, she sets up a store that she sees as a service to the community. The only thing is that everyone wants credit. Her life changes dramatically when she delivers a baby girl. Eventually she becomes disillusioned with the ways Lemalian has changed. She asks for his permission to take the girl back home. Lemalian, reluctantly, gives her the permit and both mother and daughter depart for a new life.Director Hermine Huntgeburth did a marvelous job in recreating a story that is based on the real Carola's experiences in Africa. The film never fails to surprise because of the candid account it has for the viewer. It shows a courageous woman who gets beaten by the customs and the environment. In trying to make a family life, she is overwhelmed by the primitive ways of the people she wanted to help.Nina Hoss, who plays Carola is marvelous. She exudes intelligence in her approach to the character she is playing. Jackie Ido, on the other hand, is somewhat stiff. Never having seen anyone of the actors before, we approached the film with an open mind knowing full well the limitations Ms. Huntgeburth must have encountered while filming in such a primitive setting."The White Massai" will stay in our memory for quite some time.

I may be at a disadvantage because I have not read the book and perhaps there were other issues which were not played out in the movie that caused the Swiss woman to behave in the manner she did and ultimately lead to the destruction of the love through a combination of naivety and stupidity. Of course she was always going to be extremely challenged in embarking on such a risky and impetuous liaison with a Massai warrior and attempt to embrace the culture of her husband without putting her own values on the culture in which she found herself and attempting to apply those values. The relationship for me seemed to start to disintegrate when she attempted to become an independent woman in such a society and relegate her proud husband to almost a subservient role when she established the shop. Also this enterprise seemed to introduce alcohol into the equation without her even realizing that would come with consequences. I suppose I would like to hear the story as told by her husband to attempt to get some balance in this story. The sudden relationship problems and his suspicion of her taking a lover all seemed to be attributable to her steadfast determination to change the culture of the tribe and assert her female independence about which she was warned well before she entered into the relationship. Having said that I did enjoy the story for what it was and the insight into such an African tribal culture was very interesting but ultimately not surprised at the outcome. Perhaps she was fortunate that she was able to take her daughter back with her as it would seem to me that it could easily have turned out to be quite different. Whether that is going to better for the child in the long run is one of the unanswered questions to come out of this movie