Clint Eastwood

Analysis of Clint Eastwood films
Institution
Date
Analysis of Clint Eastwood films
Clint Eastwood Jr. is an American director, producer, actor, political figure, and musician. Having been born in 1930, Eastwood has been a very successful actor and director in Hollywood. However, his acting career has overshadowed his directing roles because he has directed most of the films he starred in. Since the 1970s, Clint Eastwood has produced, directed, and acted in at least 50 films since he started his filming career. Eastwood became an internationally famous actor for his roles in the “Dollars” trilogy by Sergio Leone during the 1960s and the “Dirty Harry” films in the 70s and 80s. The “Dollars” trilogy comprised of “A Fistful of Dollars,” “For a Few Dollars More,” and “The Good the Bad and the Ugly.”
Short Biography
Clinton “Clint” Eastwood Jr. was born on 31 May 1930 to Clinton Eastwood-the senior a migrant steelworker and Margaret Ruth Eastwood, an International Business Machines factory worker. Clint is blessed with a younger sibling, Jeanne, a sister born in 1934. Although the family kept moving from location to location on the west coast due to his fathers’ constant work travels, Eastwood’s family later settled in Piedmont, California. Clint joined Piedmont Junior high School but was denied entrance to Piedmont High School after tearing up the schools’ wet turf while riding his bike. Later he joined ‘Oakland Technical High School.’ Later Clint joined Seattle University. On completion, Clint joined the United States Army.

While working at Fort Ord in California as a swimming instructor and lifeguard for the army, Clint was introduced to the directors of Rawhide a series being shot in Fort Ord by universal studios (then universal-International). Later Clint joined a drama school to work on his acting skills and since then Clint has not turned back.
Early Career
Eastwood’s acting career commenced with a small-uncredited appearance in “Revenge of the Creature” where he played the role of a laboratory assistant. In the following three years Clint had uncredited appearances in other movies such as Escapade in Japan, Never Say Goodbye and Lady Godiva of Coventry. Clint later took a remarkable role in Rawhide television series later in 1959. Clint made his film directing debut in the Rawhide television series but he was only around to direct the trailers but not any full episode. However, it was not until 1971 that Eastwood’s first film with him as a director was released. “Play Misty for Me” was a movie about a Disc Jockey named Dave (Played by Eastwood) and a casual affair that he had with a certain listener called Evelyn (played by Jessica Walter).
During the 1970s and the 1980s, Clint mostly concentrated on acting and directing films at the same time. In most of these films, Eastwood was not only a director but also an actor as well. Eastwood’s directing career had mixed responses with films earning him both critical and popular acclaim. The formation of his production company, Malpaso Productions, Eastwood was able to increase his influence on the films that he starred, produced, or directed. However, it was not until the release of “Unforgiven” in 1992 that Eastwood was recognized as a major director in Hollywood. The film earned Eastwood the highest returns for him as an actor and director more than any other film that he had done in his career.
Analysis of Eastwood’s’ films

Films by Clint Eastwood have received mixed reception by viewers and critics alike. Some of the highest grossing films by Eastwood include American Sniper (2014), Million Dollar Baby (2004), and Unforgiven (1992). Of these, the Million Dollar Baby and American sniper had advanced special effects and Camerawork. Eastwood entered the film industry in the mid-1950s and since then he has participated in the creation of numerous films either as an actor, a producer or as a director. Fortunately or unfortunately, Eastwood’s’ acting roles have tended to overshadow his roles of director and producer because most films in which he has directed or produced, Eastwood also took part as an actor. As a director, Eastwood has won four Academy Awards and three Golden Globe awards.

Among his most notable films to win awards are Unforgiven, Mystic River, and Million Dollar Baby. Other films that have made Eastwood an iconic figure in not only Hollywood but also the world over include American sniper, released in 2014; letters from Iwo Jima, released in 2006; Changeling, released in 2008, and Invictus. Having directed more than 30 films since his directing debut in 1971, Eastwood has become one of the most prolific directors in the world today. Some of Eastwood’s other films have also won awards in different categories and by different organizations such as the American Film Institute and Bafta.
Eastwood’s last film American Sniper was nominated for some Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards but never managed to win the categories it was nominated in. Regardless of this, the film did set filming records such as being the highest grossing film in America for 2014 raking $350 million; it is also Eastwood’s highest grossing film to date, without forgetting that it is also the highest grossing war film.
Unforgiven was a film released in 1992 that won four academy awards. It is one of Eastwood’s most successful films and won Oscars for best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Film Editing. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Effects, and Best Original Screenplay. This is an indication that not only did the film have a good theme but it was also nicely crafted. For instance, Eastwood can use excellent stunt works to ensure that all the scenes resemble actual real-life circumstances. The selection of the music that accompanies several of the films’ suspense episodes is fitting for a western film, as had been the case with other previous western films that had won Oscars. Joel Cox also played an important role in editing the film in such a way that he won an Oscar for Best film Editing.
The film applies special camera works to recreate the setting. Being the story of a former outlaw who decides to take on one last assignment, Eastwood perfectly fits in that role and this helped to reduce the need for additional special effects. Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman also were perfect fits for their roles and this made it easier to spruce up the films Cinematography. The title also befits a film of this genre and this helped to achieve a near-universal acclaim from major reviewers. For instance, the film earned a rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Lennie Niehaus also played a part in improving the film by selecting the best music to accompany the film. Because of this, Vern Poore, Les Fresholtz, Rob Young, and Dick Alexander to be nominated for the Best Sound Oscar for the film.
“A Million Dollar Baby” just like most of Eastwood’s other films also follows ‘Eastwood’s policy.’ This policy revolves around a preference of less Special effect, a preference for location-filming rather than studio works, and focus on a lean budget. Through this policy, Eastwood has been able to produce award-winning and high-grossing low budget films. The film was also Eastwood’s best picture winner that was released on high-definition DVD the only other one being Unforgiven before the introduction of Blu-ray technology. To ensure efficiency, Eastwood has chosen to include a small but efficient crew for most of his films. For instance, he has maintained same editor, director, stunt man, and cinematographer. By maintaining a lean crew, Eastwood can ensure that Malpaso Productions not only function as an extended family, but every crewmember feels wanted, as they know what roles to play for their various projects. Lastly butdefinitely not least, Eastwood ensures that the location chosen for each film plays an important role in adding to the aesthetic value and landscaping experience of the film.
Conclusion
Clint Eastwood continues to play an important role in the film industry. Within a career that spans almost six decades, Eastwood has composed, starred, produced, and directed many award-winning movies. His last movie, the “American Sniper” released in 2014 is the film-makers’ highest grossing film of all time. This is an indication that even at over 80 years; Eastwood is still capable of producing award-winning and high-grossing films.
References
Eliot, M. (2009). American Rebel: The Life of Clint Eastwood. New York: Harmony Books.
Johnstone, I (2007). The Man with No Name: The Biography of Clint Eastwood. London: Plexus
McGilligan, P. (1999). Clint: The Life and Legend. London: Harper Collins.
Schickel, R. (1996). Clint Eastwood: A Biography. New York: Knopf.
Whitman, M. (1982). The films of Clint Eastwood. New York: Beaufort Books.