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White Hunter, Black Heart

White Hunter, Black Heart

Adventure · Drama · 1990

Renowned filmmaker John Wilson travels to Africa to direct a new movie, but constantly leaves to hunt elephants and other game, to the dismay of his cast and crew. He eventually becomes obsessed with hunting down and killing one specific elephant.

Movie details

White Hunter, Black Heart

“An adventure in obsession...”

1990 Adventure · Drama 1h 52m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

Renowned filmmaker John Wilson travels to Africa to direct a new movie, but constantly leaves to hunt elephants and other game, to the dismay of his cast and crew. He eventually becomes obsessed with hunting down and killing one specific elephant.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over White Hunter, Black Heart?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Clint Eastwood

Written by

Peter Viertel · James Bridges · Burt Kennedy

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

John Wilson

Jeff Fahey

Jeff Fahey

Pete Verrill

George Dzundza

George Dzundza

Paul Landers

Alun Armstrong

Alun Armstrong

Ralph Lockhart

Mel Martin

Mel Martin

Mrs. Macgregor

C

Clive Mantle

Harry

Timothy Spall

Timothy Spall

Hodkins

Court is in session

Put White Hunter, Black Heart on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.