December is always period for presents and gifts. And if there is some I do love is to buy DVDs for either family and friend or even myself.
Therefore and with the aim of checking offers there might be at HMV Store, I popped in and I found something I couldn’t resist to buy, Gran Torino for a friend of mine whom is a devotee of Mr. CLINT EASTWOOD (in capital letters). And I have to say, I can’t blame him for this worship towards him.
As the day was cold, and in order to check whether the DVD was in right conditions (no skips on it, good excuse anyways…) I put it on my laptop.
And during the movie I forced myself to write something about who I consider the greatest (at least one of them) personalities on the history of the cinema.
Not only because Gran Torino is a master peace with a superb script and an amazing direction-interpretation on Eastwood side, with memorable moments as the barber shop scene… (I did need subtitles to fully enjoy it. However this is one of the most enjoyable moments in cinema in the last years)
And then make us cry a river. Or dialogues as the following, in one of the opening footages of the movie;
“-Get off my lawn-(Eastwood)
-Go back in the house-(Gangbanger)
-Yeah, I blow a hole in your face and then go in the house. And I sleep like a baby. We used to stack fuck like you 5 feet high in
He is a living legend not only for that, but for all he made during the last 50 years as both director and actor.
When talking about Clint Eastwood, the first thing that comes up in mind is his tough character in roles such "Dirty Harry", or the large list of westerns he played all around his entire career. Under Sergio Leone’s and Don Siegel’s umbrellas Clint reached the status of big and bright Start within the spaghetti western with such unforgettable titles as “Il buono, il brutto,il cattivo”, “For a few dollars more”, “A fistful of dollars” or “2 mules and Sister Sara”.
However, would be unfair just to remember him for that.
Because, even though his very best performances have been under these 2 colossus of the 3rd art, and the role that placed him forever within the memory of all those cinema lovers will always be Harry Callahan (directed by Siegel once again); his contribution to cinema has been much more important.
He proved that sometimes words ain’t needed for making a good script, a shocking dialogue. A blood soaked fist whilst smoking peacefully a cigarette is more overwhelming than a 1233 words-conversation with snob and old-fashion words within as regular viewer believes.
He is the finest example of director-actor all-in-one despite attempts I do consider far away form his (Woody Allen as an example).
And instead of loosing efforts on either run o play, he is able to come up with a masterpiece of direction (Million Dollar Baby, Best Achievement in Directing Oscar Award) and a breathtaking performance alongside (acknowledged with a Nomination).
What’s more and to be fair with Eastwood, I should have written two different articles.
One just focused on his achievements as director and other on his awesome performances as a
n actor.
However I did decide to print my admiration towards him with a blend. Cause a fully comprehension of his work is not possible if they both don’t came gathered.
With "Unforgiven" (1992) established what many critics consider the summit of westerns,being nearly impossible to enter again in this genre nowadays without looking back to this piece.
Years later, in 1995, with "Absolute Power" he changed the rules of cops-and-robs movies as known till then, with a thriller not only well built but supported on great performances (Gene Hackman and Eastwood himself).
If all said so far hasn’t proved how meaningful and even necessary has been his contribution to the industry; somehow and beside his appearance of tough guy he shown in roles like "Dirty Harry" (1971) or even Sg. Highway in "Heartbrake Ridge" (1986), he is also able to show up with touching stories like "A perfect world" (1993), "Gran Torino" (2008) or "Mystic River" (2003) which without any doubt was the film that brought him the worthy acknowledge of both public and critics.
His prolific career still keeps him on the cutting edge (I hope for a long, long time) with a film per year. The amazing of this is that none vary substantially in quality from its previous.
And this is something to bear absolutely in mind when speaking about this art.
None has been able to cover all genres with same success Clint Eastwood has done. He is “god” when speaking of Westerns (always without ruling out other “gods” in
But above all is a genius in the widest sense of the meaning.
Because this is the only definition I can think of when mentioning for the man who brought or upgraded such must-see and never outdates films like "Mystic River", "Unforgiven", "Il buono…", "Flags of our fathers" and "Changeling" to the category of master pieces.
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