The Ghost and the Darkness

I wish I could it on Blu-ray this is an incredible true story made extremely well worth every penny

I have always liked "The Ghost and the Darkness", ever since I first saw it in the theater. For me, it harkens back to the old black & white "African Safari" films of the 30's and 40's, but with better acting, story and realism. I love wildlife, so I could never watch a movie where wild animals are killed by hunters just out for something to take back home and stuff! This story isn't about that, its about human survival against two predators who were known to have killed 135 human rail-workers just for the pleasure (we know that Lions will kill baboons just because they hate baboons, so to me, this is believable) of it in 1898. I think Val Kilmer is one of the most underrated actors of his generation. He does a great job portraying a real life Victorian era Irish engineer, John Henry Patterson, believable brogue and all, and creates a character you like and can relate to. Even Michael Douglas' self-indulgent creation of the fictional character "Charles Remington", whom Douglas created for himself (Douglas was also Executive Producer on the film) is a great addition to the story and is well portrayed by Douglas. The friendship that develops between Patterson (Kilmer) and Remington (Douglas) is believable and when Remington becomes the lions next victim, he is truly missed. The supporting cast is wonderful, even if many of them don't survive to the films climactic end. One of the standout elements of The Ghost and the Darkness was the score composed for it by, the now late, Jerry Goldsmith. Jerry Goldsmith always had a penchant for scoring for African/Desert themed films and this score is no exception. It is powerful, moving, frightening and lends the exact right flavor to the film and compliments its visuals perfectly. I usually don't get too weepy when watching films, but when Goldsmith plays his sweet, sweeping "resolution" theme when Patterson sees his wife at the Tsavo train station and meets his newborn son for the first time at the conclusion of the film, I can't help but get choked up by the scene! The scene of Patterson's burning of the fields after Remington is killed is powerfully accentuated by Goldsmith's music! As mentioned in the film, the two actual male Lions who were the man-eaters in the real event are on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. I have visited the museum and saw the two lions myself. Although the lions are maneless, which is a trait of Tsavo lions (they were portrayed in the film as HAVING manes), they are HUGE and one can see the power and ferocity that was there once. The film itself is HIGHLY underrated and tends to get maligned, mostly by people who admit that they never actually sat down and watched the film from beginning to end. I think this low opinion of the film is completely unjustified, because, even IF you don't like the film's subject matter, this incident REALLY occurred, the acting is wonderful, the cinematography is beautiful, the locations are great, the music is magnificent and the story is gripping and moving. Technically, the DVD is not the best quality transfer that it could have been and I hope they re-release it on DVD and Blu-Ray someday soon with a higher resolution transfer. The Ghost and the Darkness DESERVES to be seen in its best form! I give "The Ghost and The Darkness" 5 stars without hesitation.

Great movie. Good twist and turns

Great movie. One of those edge of your seat films.

Some scenes are filled with a lot of blood and such; however, with this being based on actual events, one would expect that there was quite a bit of blood. Excellent actors, and an excellent film.

A Chilling Survival Tale That Turns Nature into the Ultimate Predator. The Ghost and the Darkness is a powerful and suspenseful film that blends historical drama with survival horror, creating an experience that feels tense, haunting, and memorable. Based on true events, the movie is set during the construction of a railway bridge in late 19th-century Africa, where workers are terrorized by two man-eating lions. From the start, the film establishes an ominous tone, making it clear that the environment itself is as dangerous as the creatures lurking within it. One of the film’s greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The African landscape is beautifully shot, with sweeping daytime vistas that contrast sharply with the suffocating fear of the nighttime scenes. Once the sun goes down, the movie transforms into a near-horror experience. The darkness feels alive, and the lions are portrayed not just as animals, but as intelligent, relentless hunters. Their attacks are sudden and brutal, creating moments of genuine shock and dread that linger long after the scene ends. The performances help ground the story in realism. Val Kilmer delivers a strong, determined performance as an engineer slowly pushed to his limits, while Michael Douglas brings a rugged confidence and charisma that adds balance and momentum to the narrative. The supporting cast does a solid job of portraying the growing fear and hopelessness among the workers, making the stakes feel personal and emotionally charged. The film also does well in showing the psychological toll of constant fear. As the death count rises, paranoia and desperation begin to seep into every interaction. This emotional strain adds depth to the story and keeps it from being just a simple man-versus-beast tale. The score enhances this tension, using subtle, haunting music that reinforces the sense of impending danger without overpowering the scenes. Where The Ghost and the Darkness falls slightly short is in pacing and character depth. Some sections move slower than necessary, and a few characters could have benefited from more development. While these issues don’t derail the film, they prevent it from reaching true classic status. Overall, The Ghost and the Darkness is a gripping and atmospheric survival film that excels at building tension and turning a true story into a chilling cinematic experience. With strong performances, striking visuals, and unforgettable antagonists, it earns a solid 4-star rating and remains a compelling watch for fans of historical thrillers and survival dramas.

Really great movie! VAL KILMER,MICHAEL DOUGLAS, great actors. This is based on a true story.

Great movie to watch with a bowl of popcorn. And a true story! And Val Kilmer! And Michael Douglas!, And oh yes, two lions.

El producto ha llegado super protegido y bien embalado. El doblaje es en castellano de españa, algo que agradezco mucho. Muy contento con la compra. Tuve un pequeño problema con el envío y desde la tienda me ayudaron muchisimo. Repetiré en esta tienda sin duda. Gracias.

Meine erste DVD von diesem wahnsinns Film, hatte ich vor ca 10 Jahren gekauft, breite Köpfe- egal welches Bildformat ich auch eingestellt hatte...daher dachte ich, hey Blu Ray ist definitiv die beste Entscheidung. ich könnte behaupten, ich könne da schon mitspielen, weil ich den Film liebe, aber das ist nur eine Redensart ....sooft hab ich den schon angesehen... Leute, holt euch Blu Ray, 10000%ig extrem realistische Bildqualität

I have wanted a Blu-ray copy of this film for a long time. I hadn't bought it before because there's reviews advising that its German language only which are probably from previous releases. However when i looked at this up-close i could see a white bubble saying "inkl. deutscher und englisher Tonspur , putting this into google translate as i don't speak German! it says including German and English Soundtrack , so i took a gamble and ordered it. Watched last night and picture is good 4 to 4.5 out of 5,( this is from1996) there was no sign of the white veil others reviews have mentioned. So picture good to very good, no flaws i saw watching on a 50" pioneer plasma, English language with no subtitles displaying whilst watching ( unfortunately there is no English subtitle option) and no sound issues. It is slightly cut as another reviewer has mentioned. So if like me you really want this and buy this version from Amazon you should be happy, i think unless they reissue this films its the best version( the only version!) available.

Muy buena película recomendable con audio latino muy buena imagen pero la paquetería horrible la mandaron por servicio postal mexicano no por Amazon paquetería

Deze film is deels gebaseerd op waargebeurde feiten. Kolonel Patterson (Kilmer) heeft echt geleefd en werd geplaagd door een koppel "mensen etende" leeuwen, bij de aanleg van de spoorweg door Tsavo (Kenya).