“Hunting is a very very basic thing in mankind. Man, the hunter, goes back to the mists of time”, claims Guy Wallace, the main character of ‘The End of the Game’ (David Graham Scott, 2017), THE WHY’s film of the month.

The other main character of the movie is its director himself, the dedicated animal rights activist, David Graham Scott: “From an early age I felt repulsed by the slaughter of animals and decided to adopt a vegan lifestyle”.

The documentary follows passionate hunter Guy Wallace, a relic of colonial times, as he embarks on his final big game hunt in South Africa, targeting a Cape buffalo. But what sets this 2017 film apart is not just the ethical questions it raises about hunting and conservation, but the surprising connection that forms between the main character, a big game hunter, and the filmmaker, a vegan animal rights advocate.

Despite being natural enemies, these characters accept and respect each other, and end up forming a surprising relationship of tolerance. “What fun is there in making a movie about people you like when you are leaving the whole other half of the world, all the ones who don’t think like you, out of it”, Scott explains in an interview with THE WHY.

Rather than portraying himself as the moral hero and Wallace as the villain, Scott allows the documentary to explore the complexity and ethical boundaries of their relationship. Scott questions not only the ethics of hunting but also his own stance: “Though I did not agree with [Wallace], there was some level where I connected with him. And if I’ll be honest, I did like him. The film is a portrait of  Guy Wallace, and it’s much beyond just the vegan versus game hunter story”, asserts Scott.

Empathy towards an enemy

It was empathy, Scott says, that brought him closer to Wallace: “Guy seemed such a relic of a bygone period. He seemed like a man out of time and out of place. He was an unusual person who lived in the middle of nowhere, in the Scottish Highlands. There was nobody he could really argue with, apart from me when I was there; he was alone, and I felt empathy towards him”. 

Scott highlights the various dangers they faced during the trip to Africa, which he believes also strengthened their bond: “When I pulled apart the various things that I didn't particularly like about him, like hunting, I realized that we were just two human beings going on this journey,” he explains.

Bridging the gap between animal rights advocates and hunters comes at a cost. Scott notes that the vegan community was critical of the film and disapproved of his involvement. Additionally, “the film’s audience and marketing potential are limited, as many people won’t watch it the moment they hear it’s about dead animals. The irony is that not many people have condemned Guy Wallace, but a lot of them think I’m a fool,” Scott reflects.

As our Film of the Month, ‘The End of the Game’ can be streamed for free in October through our YouTube channel.