The Ghost and the Darkness

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

A beautifully shot, well-acted adventure that glosses over the moral issue surrounding colonialism and ivory trading. Colonel John Patterson (Kilmer) leads his team of British workers hired to build the first railroad across Africa so England can line its pockets with profits from the ivory trade. The project becomes a race as the Germans and French have the same intention. But two ferocious lions threaten the plan, having killed 130 workers in only a few months. Frustrated with the lack of progress, Patterson's boss hires mercenary Remington (Douglas) to kill the lions, which the natives have named Ghost and Darkness, believing them to be supernatural demons.