White Hunter, Black Heart

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White Hunter, Black Heart

PG

1990

1h 52m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Hard-living, macho movie director John Wilson arrives in the 1950s Zimbabwe to prepare for his next film. Accompanied by screenwriter Pete Verrill, Wilson becomes far more interested in shooting an elephant than getting ready for the shoot. Determined, Wilson moves production to a village where a native hunter helps him in his quest. Obsessed with this goal even as filming grows ever more chaotic, the director begins to question the ethics and origins of his fixation.

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Critics Consensus

White Hunter Black Heart is powerful, intelligent, and subtly moving, a fascinating meditation on masculinity and the insecurities of artists.

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

Jul 16, 2025

The movie is well-written, acted and shot and deeply felt.

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Richard Combs

Sight & Sound

Jan 11, 2020

It's as if White Hunter, Black Heart had opened up the gap that exists in any Huston film between the playful surfaces and the depths beneath.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Dec 29, 2014

Eastwood's subject is wasted lives and wasted talent; Wilson's charisma and Hollywood's money prove irresistible, and their sheer power brings noteworthy results-but they emerge from a needless vortex of ruin.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Aug 17, 2025

3/4

This remains one of Clint Eastwood’s more unusual -- and thus most interesting -- pictures.

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Nov 29, 2022

This, despite its irrefutable merits, was completely wrong from the start. [Full review in Spanish]

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Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

Oct 15, 2019

Shot on location in Nigeria, the movie hinges completely on Eastwood's performance, which is strained. The actordirector steps sharply out of character to attempt a baroque and unconvincing impersonation of the cantankerous Huston.

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keven Q

@kevenquinlan Oct 11, 2026

Pete W. is a moron. You can't rate a movie from 1990 and retroactively judge it by the standards of now. Stupid, young people do that. Now, saw this movie in thew theatres, me and my fam were big Eastwood fans. We left the theatre feeling the same way as we did after Firefox. It's not a very good movie and wasn't fun to watch. Now, in 26', I feel about the same way. It's like a crappy Gatsby.

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Pete W

@Pete-W Jun 18, 2026

An ugly, racist film. I don't know what Clint Eastwood was thinking when he signed up to star and direct this heartless movie.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 30, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Alec B

@Alec97 Feb 20, 2024

Love that Eastwood isn't even really trying to disappear into the role, which only serves to heighten the comparisons between him and Huston. Also, its no wonder it was mostly ignored upon release, general audiences would find it boring while critics and industry people were no doubt put off by the fact that this movie isn't even about the making of "The African Queen"

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Eye C

@ECinc Feb 11, 2024

Interesting, although a little slow. Eastwood is great in this kind of jerk. kind of great character, but I think is worth it watching.

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Les N

@Vegas628 Nov 17, 2023

Yeah, struggling to stay relevant.

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Clint Eastwood

Director

Clint Eastwood

John Wilson

Jeff Fahey

Pete Verrill

George Dzundza

Paul Landers

Alun Armstrong

Ralph Lockhart

Marisa Berenson

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Synopsis

Hard-living, macho movie director John Wilson arrives in the 1950s Zimbabwe to prepare for his next film. Accompanied by screenwriter Pete Verrill, Wilson becomes far more interested in shooting an elephant than getting ready for the shoot. Determined, Wilson moves production to a village where a native hunter helps him in his quest. Obsessed with this goal even as filming grows ever more chaotic, the director begins to question the ethics and origins of his fixation.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Peter Viertel, Peter Viertel, James Bridges, Burt Kennedy
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Malpaso Company, Warner Brothers, Rastar Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR

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