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| Mountains of the Moon | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bob Rafelson |
| Screenplay by | William Harrison Bob Rafelson |
| Based on | Burton and Speke by William Harrison |
| Produced by | Daniel Melnick Mario Kassar |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
| Edited by | Thom Noble |
| Music by | Michael Small |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Tri-Star Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 136 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18 million[1] |
| Box office | $4 million[2] |
Mountains of the Moon is a 1990 Americanbiographical film depicting the 1857–1858 journey ofRichard Francis Burton andJohn Hanning Speke in their expedition to Central Africa, which culminated in Speke's discovery of the source of theNile River and led to a bitter rivalry between the two men. The film starsPatrick Bergin as Burton andIain Glen as Speke.Delroy Lindo appears as an African whom the explorers meet.
The film was directed byBob Rafelson based on the 1982 novelBurton and Speke byWilliam Harrison.
The original music was composed byMichael Small, who incorporated genuine traditional African music into a traditional orchestral palette. The soundtrack album was released onPolydor Records, but is long out of print. There are two major themes, one for Burton and the other for Africa. There is also a love theme for Burton's relationship to his wifeIsabel Burton (portrayed in the movie byFiona Shaw).
The film was released in apan and scanVHS edition from awidescreenlaserdisc and is currently available as both apan and scan andwidescreen DVD.
Imprint Films released the film on Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio along with special features on February 28, 2024.
Peter Travers describedMountains as "an epic of sweep and intimacy",[3] andSiskel & Ebert gave it two thumbs up.[4] Ebert wrote, "It's the kind of movie that sends you away from the screen filled with curiosity to know more about this man Burton."[5] InNewsweek, criticJack Kroll wrote, "The exploits of Sir Richard Francis Burton makeLawrence of Arabia look like a tourist."[6]Mountains of the Moon holds a rating of 67% onRotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews.[7]