# Clint Eastwood as Composer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031 "2009-03-02T17:32:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/1 "2009-03-02T17:32:36Z")
We watched [Changeling (2008)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/) on PPV last night and I couldn’t help comparing the score with the music from _Unforgiven_ and the old song _I Wish You Love_ (of the many versions on YouTube, Dino’s gets to the melody sooner than most others – [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9\_CBRPNGSc&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9_CBRPNGSc&feature=related) ). Eastwood has taken to doing his own music, with help from Lennie Niehaus, after giving Lalo Schifrin and others quite a few shots earlier on. What do you think of Clint’s musical style? Do you have a favorite of his scores that he did himself? Comments on the movie are welcomed, too. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/2 "2009-03-02T17:43:24Z")
Had he done nothing but make a film about Parker, I’d still be a fan. But I like his music; he knows what space is, something more musicians should learn. About Changeling, I’m still wondering why he made it. The movie itself held my interest, neither his best nor worst. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/3 "2009-03-02T18:22:38Z")
> [@Carson\_O\_Genic](#): > > Had he done nothing but make a film about Parker, I’d still be a fan. But I like his music; he knows what space is, something more musicians should learn. > About Changeling, I’m still wondering why he made it. The movie itself held my interest, neither his best nor worst. Agreed on all counts. Maybe it was to work with Angelina in a role that went against type for her, and maybe it was another of his statements about abused (psychologically anyway) women. (Shades of _Unforgiven_ and _Million Dollar Baby_). Maybe it’s atonement for the monkey movies? 😃 Were you weirded out (and therefore impressed with the acting) with the killer? If I have seen him before I can’t recall where. (This without looking at IMDB for his credits). ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/4 "2009-03-02T19:04:07Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Were you weirded out (and therefore impressed with the acting) with the killer? If I have seen him before I can’t recall where. (This without looking at IMDB for his credits). ``` My wife was very affected by him-painfully- whereas I thought it was effective acting and didn't get creeped out 'til reading up on the purported truth of the movie that the guy's MOTHER served time for involvement! Yes, I've seen the killer before. TV probably. ``` ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/5 "2009-03-03T19:49:58Z")
You’ll get no argument from me that Eastwood is a great appreciator of music and a decent piano player himself. But his film scores are universally mediocre–strictly amateur hour, with a couple simple motifs rendered redundant from overuse and a heavy reliance on previous (superior) work by others. As he’s the director, he can hire whomever he wants for this role, but for an artist known for his instincts with actors, his modest economy in approach, and his simple no-fuss style, it’s uncharacteristically narcisstic of him to think he can write a film score as good as professional film composers. Quite frankly, he can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/6 "2009-03-03T19:57:31Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > You’ll get no argument from me that Eastwood is a great appreciator of music and a decent piano player himself. > > But his film scores are universally mediocre–strictly amateur hour, with a couple simple motifs rendered redundant from overuse and a heavy reliance on previous (superior) work by others. As he’s the director, he can hire whomever he wants for this role, but for an artist known for his instincts with actors, his modest economy in approach, and his simple no-fuss style, it’s uncharacteristically narcisstic of him to think he can write a film score as good as professional film composers. Quite frankly, he can’t. Well said. That’s pretty much how I see his talents. Mediocre is about right in the music area. Lalo worked great for the Dirty Harry franchise, but I can’t see his approach underscoring the mood-driven movies since DH days. One of my favorite Eastwood scores is for _The Gauntlet_ but mainly because of the ripoff of Miles Davis’s _Sketches of Spain_ in the fortified bus ride. Usually Clint’s movies’ music is quite tasty, but after maybe 20 repeats of the _I Wish You Love_ phrase, it started getting in the way. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/7 "2009-03-03T20:03:10Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > One of my favorite Eastwood scores is for _The Gauntlet_ but mainly because of the ripoff of Miles Davis’s _Sketches of Spain_ in the fortified bus ride. Jerry Fielding was one of the great, underrated composers of the 70s, and also wrote the film music for _Escape from Alcatraz, The Enforcer_ and the Oscar-nominated _The Outlaw Josey Wales_. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/8 "2009-03-03T20:29:09Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Jerry Fielding was one of the great, underrated composers of the 70s, and also wrote the film music for _Escape from Alcatraz, The Enforcer_ and the Oscar-nominated _The Outlaw Josey Wales_. Mostly because of the Jerry thing, but I tend to confuse Fielding with Goldsmith. Who is it that sounds so much like John Barry? There are probably 20 or more film composers I will recognize from their styles or instrumentation but will mistake for others with similar styles. The only one I don’t think I was ever wrong on was Henry Mancini. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/9 "2009-03-04T19:32:34Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > … but for an artist known for his instincts with actors, his modest economy in approach, and his simple no-fuss style, it’s uncharacteristically narcisstic of him to think he can write a film score as good as professional film composers. Quite frankly, he can’t. ``` No, he can't compete with professionals. But the "modest economy in approach, and simple no-fuss style " in musical accompaniment complements his efforts and makes a more complete artist's vision. Besides, if he can't do WTF he wants at this point, why bother? ``` ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/10 "2009-03-04T19:59:44Z")
> [@Carson\_O\_Genic](#): > > No, he can’t compete with professionals. But the "modest economy in approach, and simple no-fuss style " in musical accompaniment complements his efforts and makes a more complete artist’s vision. > Besides, if he can’t do WTF he wants at this point, why bother? Oh, the style of music he writes is perfectly in keeping with his directorial style, but it pales in comparison to the quality of craftsmanship he gets from the other artists in charge of the various technical components of filmmaking he doesn’t try to do himself. And of course, he can do WTF he wants–but there’s still an argument to be made that he shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/11 "2009-03-04T20:19:03Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Agreed on all counts. Maybe it was to work with Angelina in a role that went against type for her, and maybe it was another of his statements about abused (psychologically anyway) women. (Shades of _Unforgiven_ and _Million Dollar Baby_). > > Maybe it’s atonement for the monkey movies? 😃 > > Were you weirded out (and therefore impressed with the acting) with the killer? If I have seen him before I can’t recall where. (This without looking at IMDB for his credits). After I saw the movie, I got interested in the case and bought the book [NOTHING IS STRANGE WITH YOU](http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Strange-You-Stewart-Northcott/dp/1436366267/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236197508&sr=8-1), which tells the story of Gordon Northcott, the serial killer. What struck me immediately was how much of a resemblance there is between Jason Harner, the actor, and Northcott; I imagine that was one major reason that he got the role. And man, did he ever do a good job of portraying a nutcase! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-as-composer/488031/12 "2009-03-04T20:21:43Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Oh, the style of music he writes is perfectly in keeping with his directorial style, but it pales in comparison to the quality of craftsmanship he gets from the other artists in charge of the various technical components of filmmaking he doesn’t try to do himself. And of course, he can do WTF he wants–but there’s still an argument to be made that he shouldn’t. Clint is one of those people who has “blue collar” all over what he does. He isn’t asking, and appears not even to care, for a great deal of worship the way some artists seem to. He’s a pretty much “take it or leave it” kind of guy, especially in interviews. Don’t piss him off and you can take or leave his work as far as he seems to show concern for. He’s smart enough to know he has a following, including me from his early work, of those who admire the craft in what he does. I’ll never see Clint in the same way I see Scorsese or Coppola, but then I don’t think he does either. His stuff works, and that’s what I like about it. Not great art so much as damn good film making. His music is just a bit predictable, and that was my main issue in this thread, although the other aspects of Eastwood’s work are fair game, too.