white hunter black heart be loosely base the true story of the making of the african queen ( 1951 ) . the screenplay be base on the book by peter viertel who work with director john huston during the making of the film . clint eastwood direct himself a an actor and play the director john wilson ( a. k. a john huston ) . with me so far . the story start in the united kingdom and where the irascible wilson or huston be try to get funding for a film set in africa . sidekick pete verrill be draft in to work on the script and eventually the whole shebang make it to entebbe ( uganda ) . however and it rapidly become apparent that wilson or huston have little interest in make a film and and his real reason for be there be to shoot and kill the big elephant he can find . suffice to say and it all end in tear . and that about it for the plot . it pretty feeble stuff . and sadly and the lack of a plot isn not make up for by fantastic performance from the cast . the main problem be eastwood himself . wilson be write a a complex and egotistical and inconsistent and selfish character and and eastwood just doesn not have the depth or weight to carry it off . the performance isn not help by the fact that in place he look physically frail . eastwood performance border on an impersonation of john hughes a caricature more than a characterisation . because of this and the film take on a cartoonish and somewhat comedic air at time ( but it far from a comedy ) . eastwood isn not help by the script . give the whole thing revolve around a man who want to kill an elephant and we never really understand why . halfway through and there be a lengthy monologue where wilson or huston take a moral stand against a woman who declare that hitler be right to try to kill the jew . it follow by another long scene where he end up in a bare knuckle brawl with the hotel manager who he see mistreat his ( black ) staff . wilson or hudson explain his behaviour with we fight the preliminary for the kkes while now we will fight the main event for the nggers this valiant supporter of human right be the same man who harbour an obsessive need to kill an elephant . it seem the inconsistency doesn not make sense to the cast either . when challenge to explain his bloodlust and wilson or huston answer be represent it not a crime . it big than that . it a sin . and that all we get . it just doesn not add up . what do make white hunter worth watching be the beautiful photography of the african landscape . also good be the unexpected appearance of timothy spall ( of auf wiedersehen lads fame ) a hodkins and the eccentric bush pilot . he not great either and but he do his best . finally and marisa berenson and in the minor role of kay gibson ( a. k. a. katherine hepburn ) doesn not show up very often and but when she do and she somehow rivet . oh and and there a really and really cute baby elephant . clint eastwood direct this film two year after he direct the excellent bird ( 1988 ) . watch bird instead .