In The Blood

Director: George Butler

Institute History

  • 1990 Sundance Film Festival

Description

Certain to raise heated debate about its subject matter, In the Blood provocatively responds to the arguments against big-game hunting while generating new questions of its own. Director George Butler (of Pumping Iron acclaim) takes a journey into the African grasslands, following a modern-day safari inspired by the 1909 biggame hunt Theodore Roosevelt organized for his son. The film, however, is not a sensationalized or exploitative account of hunting. Passionately arguing that big-game hunting benefits animal-conservation efforts, this film examines the virtues of bunting, its relationship to conservation, and the traditions and values passed down among generations of hunters.

Considerable pain is taken by Butler to provide an articulate and responsible tone that would be foolish to dismiss. The filmmaker brings a rich historical basis to the film by intercutting archival footage of the original Roosevelt hunt with his own footage. There is the added richness of compelling and exciting filmmaking. The African grasslands and the animals that inhabit It are photographed with inspiring grace and respect. This is an amazing account of the hunting experience: it depicts the patience, poise, and code of honor associated with a true hunter.

Giving us entry into a world experienced and, possibly, understood by few, In the Blood provocatively asks: Has man lost the right to hunt? Perhaps it is a privilege rather than a right, but the film offers a perspective, without rhetoric, on those whose opinions are often rejected.


Saturday, January 20 1:00p.m.
Egyptian Theatre

Sunday, January 21 4:15p.m.
Holiday Village Cinema II

Thursday, January 25 1:15 p.m.
Holiday Village Cinema II

Friday, January 26 4:00 p.m.
Prospector Square Theatre

$5.00

Screening Details

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