When people talk about Clint Eastwood's astounding filmography, one
title that is often overlooked is a project that was very near and dear
to him,
White Hunter, Black Heart. This unique effort is a thinly veiled take on legendary director John Huston and the making of
The African Queen.
Eastwood plays John Wilson, a maverick filmmaker and a larger-than-life
figure who plays by his own rules. The fact that he does so in a
profession that requires a considerable amount of teamwork presents
numerous clashes and complications, and things only grow more difficult
when this cranky director becomes obsessed with killing an elephant
while on location in Africa. The early stages of
White Hunter, Black Heart
make it clear that the picture Wilson is set to direct is critical to
his financial well-being, yet this stubborn and thoroughly entertaining
rebel never prioritizes it over anything else that catches his fancy, to
include women, fisticuffs, incessant verbal sparring with his producer,
and hunting. It's the hunting that presents the most problems for the
making of the movie within the movie, as Wilson's obsession is maddening
to even those who understand him the most. In one of the film's most
revealing moments, it becomes clear that Wilson himself is a bit
disturbed and confused by his intense desire to kill an elephant. While
Eastwood is front and center throughout, looking and sounding
completely different than we've come to expect, Jeff Fahey is also on
hand to balance things out as the only person involved in the production
who seems to genuinely like or understand the crazed director. Yet
even he is pushed to the brink as Wilson becomes more and more desperate
to bag his trophy and the production of the film becomes more and more
volatile as a result. Fahey's character, Pete Verrill, is based on
Peter Viertel, who wrote the first-hand account of the making of
The African Queen that
this picture is based on. An able performer who I'm exceptionally fond
of, Fahey's performance here will surely lead audiences to wonder why
he was seldom offered roles of this stature in major studio efforts. In
the end, this unruly and quixotic movie belongs to Eastwood, who also
served as director, and I think it stands as one of his most engaging
and challenging offerings. It is a meditation on passion, madness,
individuality, and filmmaking, and it raises many potent questions on
its way to a fascinating conclusion.
Final Grade: B+
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5zmgSqqUQoHPNiGIKPlWpTQtAf4f-i6fTIbCndf62HEUX_OIndfDNQcUzTxgpUo7UZfecRK9Eckbi_MHEs4hrAU91V3mbiKzoXiDmEescShaqG7h93i9Bmxp7FO2DeXzWARH2SbCtLg/s400/WhiteHunterBlackHeart_Asquith.jpg) |
Clint Eastwood is a man obsessed |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar