White Hunter Black Heart
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Movie Reviews of White Hunter Black Heart
Movie Review: A look into the heart of greed
Summary: 5 Stars
I think that there aren't too many movies that can come even close to perfect. White hunter, black heart is one of them.
Before I started this review, I had just finished watching this film for the first time in a couple of years. It is visceral is an intellectual way -- Huh? -- meaning that one must use both head and heart to really get the most of it.
The film is wrapped around John Wilson, a fictional John Huston at the time he was filming "African Queen,"The African Queen also a favorite of mine, as witnessed by Peter (Peter Viertel), the film's screenwriter.
Wilson, like Huston, looks at things through a director's eye, analyzing everything to death. But, once analyzed, he acts emotionally -- witness the scenes with the pretty "god-damnest ugly [...]"," the hotel manager, and Kivu, the chief hunter. However, he formed relationships that were superficially intellectual, never really showing his emotions, but still always managing to be deep and lasting. He relished being colorful, and the people around him had to be as colorful as he, himself, was, otherwise they would bore him.
This combination of traits fascinates me. And Clint Eastwood's dead-on "impersonation" of the great man is loving and humorous. The other characters (fictional versions of Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall) -- with the exception of Peter -- are merely window dressing.
Show you see this film, and perhaps purchase it for your collection? Of course. But don't take it so much as a look into the making of a film -- take it as a portrait of a great man with equally great imperfections.
Movie Review: An overlooked gem by a maverick film maker.
Summary: 5 Stars
WHITE HUNTER BLACK HEART is perhaps Clint Eastwood's most underrated and overlooked film - made in 1990 and shadowed by Clint's Academy Award winning (and ultimate Western) Unforgiven.
Still, those who have enough sensibility will easily put this film as one of Clint's best, as he tells the story of maverick film maker John Wilson's obsession of hunting a big elephant while starting production of his big extravaganza to be shot in Africa during the 30's. As everybody knows, John Wilson is, in fact, a fictional version of John Huston during the shotting of The African Queen.
Everything here is a fictionalization of real people and real events... from Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall traveling together and Katherine Hepburn's manerisms to John Huston's erratic, suicidal and enigmatic behavior.
But there's more than meets the eye as Clint gives us an unique look into the unknown reasons that drive a man... and the consequences of those impulses.
The film is superbly acted, photographed, edited... and one might wonder why it was so overlooked during its release. Trully a film to be discovered. A journey like no other by a master film maker.
Movie Review: Little known classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is loosely based on the making of The African Queen. Eastwood plays John Wilson (Huston) a cantankerous man who is more interested in big game hunting than shooting the film. In my view this is Clint Eastwoods greatest acting performance. He doesn't impersonate John Huston (maybe he couldn't) but he does capture something of Hustons distinctive drawl. To be clear on this if you want to watch Clint Eastwood being Clint Eastwood as in Dirty Harry, Good the bad and the Ugly etc (which I love as well) this may not be for you.
John Huston endearing trait of sticking up for the down trodden. In one example he picks a fight with the white Hotel owner for abusing a black waiter, in another he castigates a woman for being racist. This latter scene is wonderfully done, with Wilson/Huston turning what was going to be lovely hand drawing of the lady concerned into Hitler.
This film wasn't a great success - it should have been. The ending is very good, although whether its true or not I don't know. John Wilson says in the film "Hunting Elephants isn't a crime, it's bigger than that, it's a sin". Well he does pay for his sin...
Movie Review: Very pleased
Summary: 5 Stars
My husband and I were very pleased with the product and quick shipment of the item.Movie Review: On Safari With Clint...
Summary: 4 Stars
This review refers to "White Hunter, Black Heart" DVD (Warner Bros)...
It won't take long for film lovers to realize that this character study is a thinly veiled look at the strong willed movie Director John Huston. Clint Eastwood portrays John "Wilson", who is about to set off for Africa to film what appears to be "African Queen". He's going to do it his way, at any cost. He's arrogant, always going against the grain, using exaggerated methods, and exasperating those who he employs and those who employ him as well. And through it all, always seem to land on his feet.
Wilson will not hear of filming anywhere but on location in Africa. Authenticity for the film?..maybe..but most of all he has dreams of bagging the big one. An elephant. He becomes obsessed with his mission. First delaying the film production, making the cast and crew wait for him, and finally to the point of a horrible tragedy.
Eastwood digs deep for this one. Although the story is "loosely" based on Huston, we get the feeling that this is what Huston is all about and this is the way it actually happened. His superb talent as he goes through the range of emotions and character traits flawlessly, has the audience loving and hating Wilson at the same time. One moment we are cheering him on for being a defender of humanity, then smiling at his boyish charms and antics, and the next, we want to shake him as he is on his quest to kill an elephant at any cost. Eastwood brilliantly portrays the bigger than life "Wilson" as a man obsessed, but who has not come to terms with his own obsession.
A marvelous job of Directing by the multi-talented Eastwood as well. Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza, amd Marisa Berenson add their wonderful talents as well.
An excellent transfer to DVD by Warner Bros. Filmed in Zimbabwe and London, the widescreen takes in all the splendor and sights of the locations. The DD5.1 surround puts the sounds of Africa right there in your living room. There are subtitles in several languages including English, French and Spanish, and may be viewed in French, Japanese and Portuguese as well.
Travel to Africa with Clint and enjoy....Laurie
also recommended;
The Gauntlet/True Crime
Winter Kills
Luzhin Defence (Full Screen Version)
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