White Hunter, Black Heart cover art

White Hunter, Black Heart Details

Certificate TBC
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 483 members

Drama based on the novel by Peter Viertel which tells the story of Peter Viertel's relationship with John Huston whilst on location in Africa filming 'The African Queen'. Read more

Starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, Norman Lumsden, Charlotte Cornwell
Director Clint Eastwood
Genres Drama

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White Hunter, Black Heart

Drama based on the novel by Peter Viertel which tells the story of Peter Viertel's relationship with John Huston whilst on location in Africa filming 'The African Queen'.

Starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, Norman Lumsden, Charlotte Cornwell
Director Clint Eastwood
Studio WARNER HOME VIDEO
Certificate Certificate TBC
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 24 Nov 2004
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (3) of White Hunter, Black Heart

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    Clint Eastwood's ambitious film is a thinly veiled account of the making of John Huston's The African Queen, already well documented in books by Katharine Hepburn and screenwriter Peter Viertel. As “Huston”, Eastwood is just marvellous — aristocratic, bombastic and so obsessed with hunting and killing an elephant (not a crime but a sin in the biblical sense) that his movie-making is left on the back burner. He's a monster with enormous charm and charisma. Beautifully filmed on location in Zimbabwe, with decent representations of Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn and producer Sam Spiegel, the movie has pace, drama, a genuine sense of adventure and an astutely critical eye for the vestiges of British imperialism.

    • Radio Times
  • 2 stars out of 4

    Based on a novel about John Huston making The African Queen, by a writer involved in that film, it emerges as an entertaining account of Hollywood egotism.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of White Hunter, Black Heart

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  • 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars

    Good but not great

    Not as good as Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby or even Mystic River but it does have a good central performance from Clint and a strong performance by Jeff Fahey. It's let down a bit by a downbeat ending but for any fan of Clint it's well worth a watch.

      • Simon from London, England
  • Most recent members' review of White Hunter, Black Heart

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  • Rated - 3 stars

    An interesting slant on a piece of cinema history

    The `great` John Huston, seen through the eyes of a novelist, relating a true story about the eccentricities of this Hollywood legend. Clint Eastwood, as always, does a highly competent job of portraying the vagaries of this clearly unusual man. The era and names have been changed to, presumably, avoid a row with the surviving relatives, but Katherine Hepburn et al are unmistakeable.

      • A customer from Hampshire
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Rating breakdown

483 Member ratings
  • 100
27
  • 90
27
  • 80
63
  • 70
78
  • 60
130
  • 50
65
  • 40
47
  • 30
20
  • 20
17
  • 10
9

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    • White Hunter, Black Heart
      Drama based on the novel by Peter Viertel which tells the story of Peter Viertel's relationship with John Huston whilst on location in Africa filming 'The African Queen'....