Eastwood has been in and made probably more great movies than any living actor/director. I can’t say he’s the best actor–his range is definitely limited–but his intensity and consistency is something for the best in the business to be envious of.
Best role: I personally favor High Plains Drifter, but it’s a hard choice; I thought he brought a lot of pathos to White Hunter Black Heart and In The Line Of Fire as well. Unforgiven is a great twist on “The Man With No Name”, but it was really an ensemble effort and it would be unfair to single it out as an Eastwood-dominated movie. My favorite of the movies he directed but didn’t act in is his biopic of Charlie Parker, Bird. It seems to be almost unheard of but a really great film. Bronco Billy was a bit of a miss, but a credible swing; although Eastwood periodically goes back to his roots, he was never afraid to take a risk at doing something new, which is the hallmark of a great director. He’s the closest think the US film industry has to Akira Kurosawa, and also has a reputation as being a great, unassuming actor and director to work with.
My absolute least favorite would have to be A Perfect World that he both directed and co-starred in. Kevin Costner was great in this and his half of the movie was good but the Clint Eastwood side with Laura Dern and it’s attempts at being a comedy just flopped. How do you mix a cold creepy child abductor with a runaway RV complete with banjo music?
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - no contest. I love Unforgiven and many others, but that one knocks it out of the park.
It’s funny - the boyfriend had never seen it, so I finally showed it to him last weekend and he was kind of “meh” about it. Then we watched Dirty Harry which neither of us had seen previously and were surprised at how good it was.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - This one stands out so far ahead of any others, it’s not close. For me, at least. I’ve seen the long. complete version about 20 times, and I have it on dvd. It’s also my favorite movie to fall asleep to, so I’ve had it on in the background countless times.
If I had to pick a runner up, I’d have a bunch of number 2’s. Before submitting my list, I’d just like to say that if Sondra Locke hadn’t slept her way into all of the movies she did when they were together, his movie list would be first rate. But she was a terrible actress, and came very close to ruining a few of his movies. The first three in my list suffer from Sondra Locke syndrome.
Bronco Billy - Has a number of very good laughs in it. Josey Wales - a great quote movie Any Which Way But Loose - another good movie spoiled by the bug-eyed stick figure, Ms. Locke Dirty Harry - The first (and best) heavy-handed cop movie, put out right around the Zodiac killings in SF. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - Not a movie many remember, but a great crime caper. Escape From Alcatraz - No idea why, but if I’m channel surfing and this pops up, I will stop and watch it.
Numbers 1 and 2 change depending on my mood. Today it happens to be The Unforgiven and High Plains Drifter in that order, somedays it’s the other way around. Dirty Harry is number three.
The thing about Bronco Billy, to me at least, is it was such a non-Clint Eastwood type role. And he really made it work for him.
I still laugh out loud every time he gets mad in the truck during the driving rainstorm and punches the horn, stops the truck and throws Miss Lily out of the truck. The look on his face is priceless.
Acting and directing: Pale Rider. He improved the eponymous high plains drifter by making him a more selfless, moral man who nevertheless shot a lot more people.
Directing only: Either Bird or that documentary about Thelonius Monk. Clint is an artsy jazz musician, but his secret is safe with us.
Acting only: On any given night, I can’t think of a movie I’d rather watch than The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
Recently rewatched the Dirty Harry’s, they’re fun but no big deal; and the Any which Ways, and they don’t hold up well at all. Hard to believe the first one was the 2nd highest grossing of '78.
My first real date was with a hottie with long brown hair, (down to her waste) and we saw Every Which Way But Loose. That one remains high in my heart. (I so flubbed up that relationship. I was so clueless … thereby setting the tone for my lovelife for the rest of my life. :))
How about Beguiled, Clint trapped in a gothic mansion full of women aged 12 to 50 who all come on to him but he makes the mistake of choosing unwisely.
