The ultimate adventurer: Richard Burton & The Mountains of the Moon.

1. Describe the following characters:

Richard Burton.

Needless to say, Captain Richard Burton is a very intelligent and brave man. To my mind, he is very observant, loyal and daring, but not reckless.

In addition, he is a curious and a patient person who love merging into people from others cultures.

He wants find new places but he is worried about the results of his discoveries.

John H. Speke.

Lieutenant John H. Speke, who left home when he was 17, is a self-sufficient man. He is a doctor.  Besides medicine, he love hunt, too.

In my opinion he is impatient and a little trusting. Moreover, he makes every effort to get what he wants.  

To my mind, he is very impulsive, too. What I mean is that he doesn’t think about the results of his acts.

Isabel Burton.

Richard Burton´s wife, Isabel, is a curious woman. She loves reading and, to my mind, she is obsessed with Richard Burton´s books and with him.

She knows what she wants and she makes every effort to get it. She is daring, too. She is so loyal and she always protects her husband. She wants the best to him.

Lowry.

According to the film, Lowry is a liar man. He loves power and fame. He doesn´t like Richard Burton and he tries to separate him from John. 

2. How would you contrast Burton and Speke? What are their respective motivations to travel and explore? What is their attitude towards others cultures and peoples?

 There are many differences between Burton and Speke.

To my mind, the main difference is that Speke is only interested in the end of the journey, the prize. He wants to arrive as soon as possible. On the other hand, Burton enjoys the journey. He is not only interested in the final objective, but he is interested in the process, too.

About personality, Burton is patient and prudent, while Speke is impulsive and impatient.  Speke is more interested in success and fame than Burton.

Burton is so interested in other cultures. On the other hand, Speke considers that people from other culture´s beliefs are nonsense.

3. How does each one feel about the other? Do their feelings change in the course of the movie?

At first, Burton and Speke become good friends. During their trips they look after each other.

But, when they come back from their expedition, Speke believes that Burton has betrayed him.

They go from friends to adversaries. 

4. How does Burton contrast with Victorian society?

Victorian society doesn´t approve Burton´s lifestyle. For example, Isabel´s parents don´t like his lack of religion, the periods he stayed studying other cultures and things that he studies, like sexual habits.

5. Why is Burton so interested in the slave medicine man? Why does he feel so miserable when he is killed?

Burton is so interested in the slave medicine man because his mind is free, despite being a slave. 

Burton saves man´s life and he feels in debt to Richard. Then, the man wants to go but Burton promises him that he will watch over him. This is the reason why he feels so miserable when the man is killed. 

6. Why doesn´t Burton want to try to go to the lake Speke discovered while he was retained at the African village?

Burton doesn´t want to go to the lake because they haven´t got the equipment necessary to prove that this is the source of the Nile. 

7. What are their divergent conceptions of the sources of the Nile? Who is right?

Speke believes that Victoria Lake is the source of the Nile. On the other hand, Burton believes the Nile has many sources, not only one. Speke is right, and Victoria Lake is the source of the Nile.

8. Would you say that Burton betrays Speke? If so, why does he do it? And why does Burton react with what appears as passivity?


Burton doesn´t betray Speke. He reacts with passivity because he considers Speke his friends and, actually, he doesn´t want to be against him.


9. When, in one of the last scenes of the movie, Burton leaes the Hal of the Geographical Society, Lowry Oliphant tells him that the journals will call him murderer, that he will see to it that they write that. Burton simply replies: "It´s never what they write". What does he mean?

He means that the important thing isn´t what they write. The important thing is what he feels and the fact that Speke has died. Also, hemeans that what they write doesn´t correspond with facts.


10. What is the sifnificance of the film´s last scene?
It means that Burton and Speke have always been friends and journals, finally, haven´t tell the thruth.


11. Can we learn what real travelling is from the movie? Can we learn anything that we can apply to our own travelling?

I have learnt from Burton which a real travelling is. To my mind, the most meaningful learning is a way of travelling without hurry, enjoying the trip and learning from people who you meet during it.