White Hunter, Black Heart
A filmmaker's African shoot becomes a dangerous obsession with hunting one specific elephant.
Where to watch online
Official services. The link goes straight to this film.
Availability data by JustWatch
About the film
An adventure in obsession...
What it’s about
John Wilson, a renowned director, travels to Africa to make a film. He brings along his friend, writer Pete Verrill. But Wilson keeps abandoning the production to hunt big game. His fixation on killing a particular elephant alarms everyone around him.
What hooks you
Clint Eastwood directs and stars as John Wilson, a character based on legendary director John Huston. Jeff Fahey plays Pete Verrill. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Eastwood took a five-day break from another production to attend its screening.
Who it’s for
It will appeal to those who enjoy character-driven dramas about obsession and artistic ambition. It will also resonate with viewers interested in classic Hollywood history and African safari settings.
- Country
- United States
- Year
- 1990
- Running time
- 1h 52min
- Age rating
- 12+
- MPAA
- PG
- World premiere
- May 16, 1990
Ratings
MOVIE․ONE · 527 votesCreative team
All 13-
01
Clint Eastwood
John Wilson
-
02
Jeff Fahey
Pete Verrill
-
03
Charlotte Cornwell
Miss Wilding, Wilson's Secretary
-
04
George Dzundza
Paul Landers
-
05
Norman Lumsden
Butler George
-
06
Alun Armstrong
Ralph Lockhart
-
07
Mel Martin
Mrs. Macgregor
-
08
Edward Tudor-Pole
Reissar - a British Partner (credited as: Edward Tudor Pole)
-
09
Clive Mantle
Harry
-
10
Roddy Maude-Roxby
Thompson, British Partner
-
11
Timothy Spall
Hodkins
-
12
Richard Warwick
Basil Fields, British Partner
-
13
Catherine Neilson
Irene Saunders
Trivia
- The prototype for Eastwood's character in the film was the legendary director John Huston, director of The African Queen (1951).
- Clint Eastwood agreed to direct the crime drama "The Rookie" (1990) only in exchange for Warner Brothers' promise to let him make a film of his own choosing, and Eastwood made "White Hunter Black Heart."
- The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Clint Eastwood took a 5-day break from shooting "The Rookie" to personally attend the screening of "White Hunter Black Heart" at Cannes. It is said that the delay cost him $1.5 million.
- The speech of Clint Eastwood's character here differs from how his characters speak in other films. Eastwood deliberately imitates John Huston's speech, drawing out the vowels in words.
- The film company Warner Brothers insisted on shooting the scenes on the steamship The African Trader on a soundstage, but Clint Eastwood went against these wishes and shot everything on location and amid real rapids, and he himself was at the helm during the filming of this scene.
Reviews
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The Power of One
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White Hunter, Black Heart (1990)
White Hunter, Black Heart
1990
White Hunter, Black Heart
1990
White Hunter, Black Heart
1990