White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

Peter Viertel (novel)
Peter Viertel (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 September 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

An adventure in obsession...

Plot:

A thinly fictionalized account of a legendary movie director, whose desire to hunt down an animal turns into a grim situation with his movie crew in Africa.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Africa | Elephant | Monkey | Tarmac

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	John Wilson
Jeff Fahey	...	Pete Verrill
Charlotte Cornwell	...	Miss Wilding, Wilson's Secretary
Norman Lumsden	...	Butler George
George Dzundza	...	Paul Landers
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Reissar, British Partner
Roddy Maude-Roxby	...	Thompson, British Partner
Richard Warwick	...	Basil Fields, British Partner
John Rapley	...	Gun Shop Salesman
Catherine Neilson	...	Irene Saunders
Marisa Berenson	...	Kay Gibson, Film Star
Richard Vanstone	...	Phil Duncan, Film Star
Jamie Koss	...	Mrs. Duncan
Anne Dunkley	...	Scarf Girl in Nightclub Show
David Danns	...	Bongo Man in Nightclub Show

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:T | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Norway:10 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

His work on the screenplay became the final film work for James Bridges.

Quotes:

Pete Verrill: [looking at elephants through binoculars] Oh. I've never seen one before, outside the circus or the zoo. They're so majestic. So indestructible. They're part of the earth. They make us feel like perverse little creatures from another planet. Without any dignity. Makes one believe in God.
[chuckles]
Pete Verrill: In the miracle of creation. Fantastic. They're part of a world that no longer exists, Hod. Feeling of unconquerable time.
Hodkins: You certainly have a way with words, Pete. No wonder you're a writer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Day the Earth Froze (#5.22)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

SATIN DOLL

A Great character study

"White Hunter, Black Heart" is very much a character driven film. The plot is easy to give a summery of: a movie director named John Wilson (Clint Eastwood) wants to shoot a film in Africa so he can hunt down an elephant.

The very first time I saw this movie, my first impression of Eastwood's performance was that it seem a little odd. I wasn't sure what he was doing there. But as the film went on, I realized that he was lost in his performance. The performance seems to take over at some point. I think it's a great performance from Eastwood, and as a director, it's another strong film from him. With each viewing of this film, I seem to like it even more. My rating: 9/10