Taglines: An adventure in obsession…
White Hunter Black Heart movie storyline. In the early 1950s, world-renowned film maker John Wilson (Eastwood), travels to Africa for his next film bringing with him a young writer chum named Pete Verrill (Jeff Fahey). While there, he becomes obsessed with hunting elephants while neglecting the preparations for the film.
This leads to a conflict between the men on several levels, most notably over the idea of killing for sport such a grand animal. Even Wilson concedes that it is so wrong that it is not just a crime against nature, but a “sin.” Yet he cannot overcome his desire to bring down a giant bull, a “tusker” with massive ivory tusks. Wilson’s final realization that his is a petty, ignoble pursuit comes at a late point and with a tragic price, as the local expert guide Kivu (Boy Mathias Chuma) is killed protecting him from an elephant Wilson decides not to shoot.
White Hunter Black Heart is a 1990 American film, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, based on the 1953 book White Hunter, Black Heart by Peter Viertel. Viertel also co-wrote the script with James Bridges and Burt Kennedy. The film is a thinly disguised account of writer Peter Viertel’s experiences while working on the classic 1951 film The African Queen, which was shot on location in Africa at a time when location shoots outside of the United States for American films were very rare.
The main character – brash director John Wilson, played by Eastwood – is based on real-life director John Huston. Jeff Fahey plays Pete Verrill, a character based on Viertel. George Dzundza’s character is based on African Queen producer Sam Spiegel. Marisa Berenson’s character Kay Gibson and Richard Vanstone’s character Phil Duncan, are based on Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, respectively.
White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza, Alun Armstrong, Marisa Berenson, Charlotte Cornwell, Norman Lumsden, Edward Tudor-Pole, Richard Vanstone
Screenplay by: Peter Viertel, James Bridges, Burt Kennedy
Production Design by: John Graysmark
Cinematography by: Jack N. Green
Film Editing by: Joel Cox
Costume Design by: John Mollo
Set Decoration by: Peter Howitt
Art Direction by: Tony Reading
Music by: Lennie Niehaus
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: September 14, 1990
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