Great Film overall

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Dian Fossey was definitely a strange person, that much is certain. "Gorrillas in the Mist" aptly conveys that, though it could have been more.The only real problem is the lack of depth. The pacing is great, especially given the long history it's telling. Even though it is a little long as it is, I think that more insight could have been useful, especially when it comes to Dian's relationship with the gorilla Digit. As someone who previously knew some background on Dian, I can't say for certain how the average person would have seen the relationship between Dian and Digit (it was nothing weird at all, if that causes worry), but the short time devoted to the connection between the two probably wouldn't have given it justice, especially when compared to the other parts of Dian's life. I think another person with no prior knowledge of Dian or Digit would have thought her as weird as everyone else who knew her. Maybe that's what director Michael Apted wanted, though I highly doubt it given his attention to Dian's aggressive conservation methods.Finally, the ending is rather peculiar. It makes Dian look like a heroine, which in a way she was, as much of her research did help save the mountain gorillas from extinction. It has the adorable images of gorillas in their natural setting set to heroic memoriam music, the kind that one uses after telling the story of a fallen hero. However, this isn't such a clear cut issue. I realize that recognizing her as that is in the eye of the beholder, but even so, some of her methods were quite cruel, and especially towards the end, she wasn't a likable person at all. Additionally, it leaves a lot of the science part out (though given the target audience, this decision was probably made with good intentions). However, her methods of research were controversial, as most scientists believe that human interference should be avoided at all costs. But Dian took a radically different approach. She studied them in order to get close to them, which gave her a different perspective on their behavior.That being said, there are many parts of this film that do work. Sigourney Weaver is terrific as Dian Fossey, encompassing her soft side and her love of the gorillas, as well as her portrayal of Dian's dark side, with her explosive and near psychotic temperament. But she can't hold this movie alone. The script (especially the character) don't allow for a great deal of sympathy for Dian. In the end, I was left thinking she was a nutcase who did a lot of good things, as well as bad things. Also, she was very successful at conveying Dian's struggle with the atmosphere due to health problems, though the movie doesn't explain why.The supporting cast is great. Bryan Brown is the likable Aussie photographer who makes his relationship with Dian very believable--he loves her, even though he thinks she's a little off her rocker. John Omirah Miluwi is terrific as her sympathetic tracker. He likes her enough that he'll support her through everything, and effectively portrays the character who brings her back to reality when she needs it (which is quite often) without seeming cliché or irritating. Sometimes he seems like a father figure who is happy when his daughter is happy. He's the only person who really seems to understand Dian, which makes it easier to connect with Dian. In a sense, he's the much-needed link between Dian and the audience, so it's good that he shares the screen with Weaver almost 50/50.The production is brilliant as well. Apted makes the scenery beautiful, but he doesn't portray is as exotic as some fantasy safari, which it wasn't. He plays it straight, which is as it should be. This was about all parts of Dian, and just Dian alone. Therefore any weird and inventive camera or other kinds of tricks were not needed and thankfully were not used. The gorillas were the part that worked flawlessly. It was impossible to tell which were real or which were fake without considering that some of the close-ups had to be people in gorilla suits. Still, they moved and acted flawlessly.Even with it's faults, "Gorillas in the Mist" is a great film, with an interesting character study of a woman who is no doubt one of the most influential figures in ape research and conservation.

this movie is based on the life of Dian Fossey and her work with the gorillas in a remote part of Africa."based on" usually means that some of the content is true and parts of it are fictionalized for dramatic effect.for sure Dian Fossey did work with gorillas in Africa and was instrumental in the increase of their population.some of the details may have been altered,but the gist of the story is true.i thought it was a very entertaining,touching and heartbreaking story.i think Sigourney weaver did a great job as Dian Fossey.she really brought some passion to the character.the movie was also thought provoking and i actually became angry more than a few times about some of the incidents that occurred.i find it rare to become so actively involved with a movie nowadays.for me "Gorillas in the Mist" is at a strong 8/10

Honestly, when I found out that we were going to be watching Gorilla's in the Mist for an English activity, I was expecting something overly boring. Geez was I wrong. From the beginning scenes of Sigourney watching with deep interest as Dr. Leakey explains the importance to the heart-wrenching scenes of the attacks on the gorillas, this movie had me hooked. I felt Dian Fossey's pain and anger, and felt the loss when poor Digit got his head decapitated. But the end left me wanting more. When Dian Fossey is lying on her bed looking at photos of the departed members of her ape "family", reminiscing of the good times they had, she is murdered by an unknown figure. Since this is a true story, it actually happened. And the end leaves you with a question: WHO IN THE WORLD KILLED DIAN FOSSEY?!

Every time I watch this film it makes me realise that we take things for granted. I think that Miss Weaver played this part very well and deserved every award that she got for this film. I always cry at the end because it makes me feel very annoyed that the other tribe killed the lady for studying the gorillas. I think that every body played an excellent part in this film. When the gorilla digit died i was very upset and annoyed at the directors of this film, i thought that they could not show this bit and that the film could be shown to a much lower audience. On the whole, I think that this is one of my all time favourite films.