White Hunter, Black Heart

White Hunter, Black Heart is a solid and serious piece of film-making which nicely captures the style and feel of late 1940s and early '50s films that were fascinated with the Dark Continent.

The central character is based on John Huston during the filming of The African Queen (1951), and as the screenplay is co-written by veteran screenwriter Peter Viertel whose 1953 novel of the same name was about his experiences on that shoot we can rest assured that it is truthful enough. That Eastwood, another director with his own reputation for machismo, is playing the lead role only adds to the pleasure particularly for those who like film about film-making.

 

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