Review of White Hunter, Black Heart (1990) by Tom B — 13 May 2011

Clint Eastwood plays a thinly-disguised John Huston in Peter Viertel's story of how THE AFRICAN QUEEN was nearly derailed by its director's obsession with killing an elephant. As with any roman-a-clef, it's fun trying to figure out who is who (although Marisa Berenson and Richard Vanstone are pretty easy to peg as Hepburn and Bogart), but the guessing game doesn't get in the way of the drama.

Will "John Wilson" finally kill his elephant? Will "The African Trader" actually ever get made? The answers aren't as predictable as you might think. Excellent cast, with Jeff Fahey as a standout as the screenwriter's (and original novelist's) avatar.

Gorgeous African location photography, with some spectacular wildlife footage. Eastwood's direction is as assured and classicist as always -- this is good ol' fashion professional Hollywood showbiz entertainment at its richest; I'd bet John Huston himself would have approved.