Top 10 Clint Eastwood - Director

Famous for his gun-slinging swagger and steely stare, Clint Eastwood is a legend in his own right. As an actor Clint has starred in over 60 films, a number which is near impossible to whittle down. So before we take on Clint the actor, we have decided to take a look at his career from behind the lens. It wasn’t an easy task, but we give you the best of Clint Eastwood’s directing career…

His Top 10 Films

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Having broken through the directing barrier with a short; The Beguiled: The Storyteller, and claiming a Golden Globe nomination for Play Misty for Me, Clint came into his stride as a director with High Plains Drifter. Influenced by collaborators, Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, Clint combined the classic spaghetti Western with a splash of sci-fi, resulting in a revisionist piece of filmmaking. Clint approached Western heavyweight John Wayne to star in the picture, but Wayne declined.

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The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Originally adapted from the novel by Forrest Carter, Clint has cited the Oscar-nominated Outlaw of Josey Wales as one of his favourites. In the initial stages of filming director Philip Kaufman and Clint were rumoured to have come to blows over a woman. When Kaufman walked, Clint stepped in to direct the film but the move came at a price. The Directors Guild of America (DGA) implemented a ban on any star supplanting a director in that same film – a clause which has since been labelled the “Eastwood rule”.

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Heartbreak Ridge (1986)

In 1986 Clint had numerous responsibilities riding on his shoulders. In between working with the local towns folk as the mayor of Carmel, California, Clint managed to deliver yet another Oscar-nominated feature. The film – which oversees the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, West Indies – was partly filmed on location, adding to the plot’s authenticity. The true character of Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway, was depicted in a grey light, causing the US Defense Department to drop their support for the film.

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Bird (1988)

A tribute to the life and music of jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker , Bird marks a personal and professional high note in Clint’s career. As a huge jazz fan, Clint jumped at the chance to direct, but studio politics delayed the film’s release for eight years. Columbia had originally intended to release the picture but Clint persuaded them to sell the rights to Warner Bros. in exchange for a Kevin Costner project entitled, Revenge.

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Unforgiven (1992)

Written by Blade Runner’s David Webb Peoples, Unforgiven is the third Western in history to win an Oscar for best picture behind Cimarron and Dances with Wolves - marking Clint’s colossal achievements as a director. It was no mean feat either, as the script allegedly floated around Hollywood for 20 years before being given the green light. Proving his diverse talents, Clint was also nominated for best actor, but lost out to Al Pacino for Scent of a Woman.

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Mystic River (2003)

Complete with heavyweight cast and Clint in the director’s chair, Mystic River was nominated for eight Academy Awards. Unfortunately on this occasion Clint didn’t claim the prize, but his cast members; Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, won Oscars for best actor and best supporting actor. Michael Keaton was originally approached to play troubled cop Sean Devine, but after a dispute with Clint he walked away from the project, leaving it open for Kevin Bacon to step in.

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Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Clint packs a punch both on-screen and from behind the camera, with the telling story of female boxer Maggie Fitzgerald, played by Hilary Swank. Writer Paul Haggis – who at the time was directing Crash – was originally signed on to write and direct Million Dollar Baby but he soon stepped aside when he heard Clint wanted the job. The move ultimately paid off, acquiring his second Oscar for best director.

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Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

In 2006 audiences got two Clint films for the price of one; Letters from Iwo Jima and Flags of Our Fathers. Both films retell the Battle of Iwo Jima from different viewpoints. Letters from Iwo Jima gives the Japanese’s perspective, while its sister film offers an American standpoint. Where Flags of Our Fathers failed to impress at the box office, Letters from Iwo Jima had more success. Critics praised the film, which received three Oscar-nominations and one win.

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Changeling (2008)

Based on the true story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, Changeling was originally meant to have Ron Howard attached as director, but scheduling conflicts paved the way for Clint. Howard suggested Angelina Jolie for the part of Christine Collins for “her look”, over Reese Witherspoon and Hilary Swank. Changeling is Clint’s fifth film to premiere in competition at Cannes Film Festival. It also scooped three Oscar nods and eight BAFTA nominations

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Invictus (2009)

In 2009 Clint Eastwood employed the help of Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman to tackle his retelling of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. With Freeman in presidential duties as Nelson Mandela and Damon as team captain François Pienaar, the film proved a hit with audiences and critics, claiming two Oscar nods. At a meager 5”10 Damon is much smaller than the 6”3 rugby star, so Clint pulled out some impressive camera trickery to add inches to the actor’s height.

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Jennifer Trevorrow