My Best Film?

[M-Dudz]

The only thing to rival his awards as an actor are those received for his work as a director. Clint is one of the last iconic tough guy movie stars that even now at 80 years old, still looks like he could kick your ass. He's won Oscars, Golden Globes, Grammy's, BAFTA's to name just a few and when you look at some of the films he's been in, it's no surprise.

 

Westerns, actions, comedies, dramas, here are just some of the more noteable Eastwood films:

 

The Good The Bad The Ugly, Where Eagles Dare, Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer, True Crim

 

Every Which Way But Loose, Escape From Alcatraz, Blood Work, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino don't even touch the surface.

 

Which do you think is his best?

 

I'm a huge fan of all his Western work, and I know Unforgiven will get many a vote in this thread, but i'm sticking one in for his later work in Million Dollar Baby. The film was perfect for me and Eastwood's performance was magical. Having by no stretch of the imagination seen all the films he has to offer, i'll look forward to reading some of the suggestions and picks to come forth.

 

Over to you.

[tiger_rick]

Some fucking excellent films to choose from. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a personal favourite. As for best, I'd go with the first Dirty Harry. It's a phenomonal acotr playing a phenomonal character in a phenomonal film.

[Green]

I've actually not seen many of Clint Eastwood's films but I did watch Unforgiven and it was absolutely brilliant in every possible way. So yeah, that.

[Devon Malcolm]

I grew up with Clint Eastwood films. And Laurel & Hardy too. He is a major reason why I love films so much and watching his films with my dad, even films I shouldn't have been watching at such a young age like Dirty Harry and Magnum Force, is one of the happiest memories of my childhood. For that reason, and many others, I'll always be very fond of Clint.

 

As an actor, he's had his critics and I think it's fair to say that he doesn't possess the range that some of his great contemporaries possess. He doesn't often come out of his tough guy comfort zone very often and when he has done that he has tended to struggle a bit - The Bridges Of Madison County springs to mind. But, with some subtle changes to his character, he can flit between genres when the mood takes him and has done well in comedy as well as his iconic western and Callahan roles.

 

But I just like him as an actor and a person and as such he's one of those actors I can watch even with the film is shit, and he has done some shit in his time. My personal favourite ten (because I can't narrow it down any more than that):-

 

1) Dirty Harry - a no-brainer. People like to carp about the self-parodying sequels and their diminishing returns (even though they were all fun, especially Magnum Force and The Dead Pool) but I regard this as a film by itself. An incredible performance really considering the supporting cast isn't actually too hot when you watch it again - he carries the film single-handedly.

 

2) The Beguiled - one of the few films that DID take him out of his comfort zone, although not by too much. A really exceptional film that most people forget, and one of his few 'bad guy' roles, although it takes an amazing heel turn for you to realise it. Almost two brilliant performances in one film, really.

 

3) In The Line Of Fire - has a go at a proper action role, gets some cracking one-liners and an amusing sex scene with Rene Russo (lucky bastard) and helps to make this better, along with a great John Malkovich effort, than it really had any right to be.

 

4) Gran Torino - I have to admit to not rating this, as a film, as highly as some although it is still superb. But if this is his final acting role it really is some way to go out and, in many ways, perfect for him as a person and an actor.

 

5) - Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can - good quality slapstick comedy with some crap romantic sub-plots, but showed he could segue into comedy flawlessly. Right turn, Clyde!

 

6) - The Spaghetti Western trilogy - impossible to separate these, really. Looking back, could you ever imagine anyone else in this role making it as iconic as he did?

 

7) Play Misty For Me - a rare film where he showed some vulnerability, particularly for his earlier roles, and possibly his best overall acting performance. Even he can't match Jessica Walter though.

 

8) High Plains Drifter - probably my favourite of his Western roles. I like to think the Undertaker's recent conversion into a more Western tinged character was based on Clint in this because of the slight supernatural element he has in it. Incredibly good film too.

 

9) Where Eagles Dare - not his toughest role by any means but it established himself as a completely reliable tough guy actor and he doesn't put a foot wrong and has some great exchanges with Richard Burton.

 

10) Unforgiven - say no more, really. Even Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman (DO HIM NEXT!) don't stand a chance against him in this form.

 

I like Clint.

[Dead Mike]

Big Clint fan!

Dirty Harry, Unforgiven & In The Line of Fire are all top notch acting credits. A Perfect World is very underrated IMO. He gets a cracking performance from Kevin Costner & from the young boy aswell an understated support turn from himself. I'm dreading the day when he croaks, I'll cry fo' sho'.

[martyngnr]

Much like Gladstone it's impossible for me to choose just one. I grew up with Clint Eastwood films - still one of the few things my Dad and I can bond over.

In fairness his movies aren't the most challenging to watch but that doesn't detract from some excellent performances.

 

Dirty Harry is just fantastic. Callahan is a truly iconic movie role that survived intact after the weaker sequels.

 

Perhaps not an obvious pick but I love Two Mules For Sister Sara - probably not his best work but an enjoyable film all round.

 

I'd have to pick Gran Torino as my favourite. Yes it's Clint doing what he always did in terms of personality but there is a weakness that he rarely showed in his earlier work. I have to admit to getting a little teary-eyed at what was most likely his last acting role. There has probably never been a more fitting, perfect end to an acting career.

 

Fuck, I've left out so many more I could have added. Clint is just wonderful.

 

No love for Paint Your Wagon.....anyone?!

[patiirc]

Okay this is a toughy erm righty Im going for leftish field ones because they are all brilliant and thats what matters

 

1. Kelly's Heroes- The Eponymous Kelly, planning the greatest heist there ever was and will be right in the middle of World War 2

 

2. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot- Bloody Brilliant film I recommend those that havent seen it do. Clint plays a very understated role as a thief

 

3. Heartbreak Ridge- When you need a gunnery sargent, this is the man to call Oh you bet ya

 

4 High Plains Drifter- Stonking Performance with the 'spiritual' cowboy taking over.

[Loki]

An impossible question, much like Gladstone I'm an enormous admirer of Clint Eastwood. Obviously, he and I have championed Unforgiven on here before, and it's hard to look past it, but for me his best performance is Play Misty For Me which is an incredibly good debut for any director.

 

The other one that always stands out is High Plains Drifter for me. But, basically any of his films are a worthy pick, with the exception of The Gauntlet.

[Halitosis Romantic]

<-- click on 'spoiler' to show/hide the spoiler

It's Unforgiven

 

[close spoiler]

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[neil]

It's definitely Dirty Harry for me. Haven't seen it in quite a while actually, so I'm now feeling the need to go watch it.

 

No love for Firefox? A real guilty pleasure that.

[Devon Malcolm]

The other one that always stands out is High Plains Drifter for me. But, basically any of his films are a worthy pick, with the exception of The Gauntlet.

 

I love The Gauntlet, plus it was about the only film where Sondra Locke put in anything resembling a decent performance. Daft ending though.

[Hyperion]

Spoilt for choice here, I don't think I could choose. Some good postings above really explain why. I echo the fact that Gran Torino would be a really great final film for him. I don't know how the guy played so many similar tough guy roles and was still a joy to watch and made each film stand apart from the last. I don't think I could choose so I'll show love to 2 films that aren't his best but are favourites of mine that I wanna see mentioned.

 

City Heat When I first got a VCR in 1990, this was one of the first movies I taped and watched over and over, still have it now but on Region 1 DVD. Not really a film to be taken seriously but its fun to watch, both Clint and co-star Burt Reynolds are well within their comfort zones even going for self parody and seem to be having fun doing it. Here is my favourite scene.

 

Pale Rider Made after City Heat, been a fan of this since I was a child. Not his best western at all but a fun one. Also has early parts for Chris Penn & Billy Drago. Clint faces the odds without breaking a sweat, he is a ghost after all. Was recently watching Season 2 of Eastbound & Down and Kenny Powers is watching Clints first big scene in the film on TV whilst wanking over a picture of his ex, now thats gonna be in my head every time I watch it now.

[Devon Malcolm]

Pale Rider is great and notable for Richard Kiel in one of his very few non-Jaws roles. Plus lovely Sydney Penny who I had a massive crush on when I was a kid. Delighted to do a Google search for her and discover she's developed into an awesome MILF too.

[Hyperion]

Pale Rider is great and notable for Richard Kiel in one of his very few non-Jaws roles. Plus lovely Sydney Penny who I had a massive crush on when I was a kid. Delighted to do a Google search for her and discover she's developed into an awesome MILF too.

Yeah Kiel was mint in one of my favourite scenes in the film which is this one The helping him back on the horse part makes it great.

I also marvel at the fact Clints aura makes him seem bigger than the man he bails out of trouble and helps in the movie when actor Michael Moriarty is actually 6'4" and clearly bigger than Clint.

[bAzTNM#1]

"A Perfect World" is decent enough too IMO. The middle drags on a bit though, but the rest is perfectly acceptable. Big Clint is chasing after bad guy Kevin Costner who had kidnapped a, eh, kid.