Customer Reviews
Little known classic - By: S J Buck, 14 Apr 2006 
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 & 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...
An unusual facet of Eastwood's talent - By: , 28 Apr 2001 
'White Hunter, Black Heart' has nothing to do with other Eastwood's films, as 'Dirty Harry' or even 'Unforgiven'. If the way of filming has indeed the mark of the talended director, the way Eastwood is acting here is rather unusual... By playing the nearly-demented John Huston, Eastwood shows another facet of is talents of actor. So is he not only capable of playing the enigmatic character of an unknown stranger (e.g.,'Pale Rider'), but Clint Eastwood is a complete actor, capable of developping a full range of emotions, from anger to sadness or (maybe for the first time?) hilarous laughting. 'White Hunter...' is a verry arresting spectacle - buy it!!!
