Movie Reviews Special: Clint Eastwood

Actor, director, cultural icon, and former mayor of US city, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Clinton Eastwood Jr. – or Clint Eastwood to you and I – is easily one of the biggest film stars of all time. Not only has he wowed audiences on screen in films such as Dirty Harry (1971) and The Gauntlet (1977), he’s impressed audiences from behind the camera too as director of pictures such as Mystic River (2003) and Changeling (2008).

Eastwood’s career has spanned decades, running all the way back to the 1950s where he appeared in small (often uncredited) roles in films such as Tarantula (1955) and Ambush at Cimarron Pass (1958). This was after he got his first big screen acting gig as a lab technician in 1955’s Revenge of the Creature.

But it was the 1960s where Eastwood’s career really began to take off. On TV it was via hit Western show, Rawhide, and in film through the Man with No Name Trilogy (1964 – 1966).

From here Clint Eastwood’s star status began to grow, and his life as well as the film industry has never been the same since. And the industry continues to be impacted by Eastwood, who has maintained a strong work ethic, delivering film after film, after film, with his most recent directorial gig being 2024’s Juror #2. 

This month marks a very special occasion for Clint Eastwood. He turns 95. 

To celebrate this momentous milestone, this edition of Movie Reviews Special is dedicated to the man himself, with a look at some of his past pictures. To offer a flavour of what Clint Eastwood has brought to the screen over the years, this Special will cast its eye over films from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s, and the ‘10s.

Reviews include Where Eagles Dare, Escape from Alcatraz, Pale Rider, Unforgiven, Gran Torino, and The Mule.

—

Now streaming…

Where Eagles Dare (1968)

First up, is the action-adventure picture, Where Eagles Dare. Directed by Brian G. Hutton, and based on Alistair MacLean’s novel of the same name, the film stars Clint Eastwood, alongside Richard Burton, Mary Ure, Derren Nesbitt, and Michael Hordern.

Set during World War II, Where Eagles Dare is a rescue film which centres its story around a Special Ops team tasked with an important mission. The team must infiltrate the largely inaccessible and Nazi occupied, Schloß Adler Fortress in Bavaria, in order to rescue an American soldier.

Problem is, things don’t quite go to plan. It appears someone may be feeding the enemy some important information.

Now, when it comes to war movies they can often be a bit hit-and-miss. Either they are stuffy affairs, which lack the right amount of action to keep them interesting, or they get too bogged down in gung-ho patriotism to function and/or be entertaining.

Thankfully, Where Eagles Dare manages to sidestep both of these traps. The film has decent action sequences, including some strong staging and set pieces which keep things moving, while the elements of patriotism are largely kept to necessary story beats and don’t distract from the storytelling.

However, the real strength of Where Eagles Dare lies in the on-screen combination of Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood who are marvellous in the picture. The former takes on the part of Brit officer, Major John Smith, a brave and determined hero; while the latter takes on the role of Lieutenant Morris Schaffer – an equally dependable American soldier working with British forces.

The pairing of Burton and Eastwood is a masterstroke. Both bring something unique to the screen and the film is stronger for it. 

Burton excels, taking the lion’s share of the action (this is essentially his movie), and is a captivating lead. He plays Major Smith as an ever-dependable guy who won’t stop until the job is done.

Meanwhile Eastwood is effortlessly cool as the sharp-shooting Lieutenant. He can take out Nazis without breaking a sweat, and does so on more than one occasion.

Eastwood’s role in this movie is sort-of co-star, sort-of support (he’s a bit of both), yet irrespective of his status he nails everything he is given to do. He plays every scene with a calm confidence, as well as a steely demeanour, turning Lieutenant Schaffer into a star player in the picture.

Chuck in some additional support from the likes of Mary Ure and Michael Hordern, as well as a fab turn from Derren Nesbitt on fine form as Gestapo agent, Major von Hapen, and you have a film which continually delivers in the acting department. It also delivers in the production department too, with some wonderful sets (the fortress, cable cars, snow covered mountains, etc) adding a tactile feel to proceedings.

OK, so the movie does suffer a bit from being a trifle longer than it needs to be, but hey, most movies are. The good thing is, the film has all the right elements it needs and there are a couple of well-placed twists which keep the pace up, including a brilliant one midway through the picture.

Upon release, Where Eagles Dare was a big hit at the box office, taking $21 million from a budget of between $6-$7 million. Audiences enjoyed the film, and critics did too, which quickly made it a firm favourite.

In the UK, the film then took 11 years to make it onto TV screens (that’s how things worked back then, folks), airing on Boxing Day in 1979. However, the lengthy gap from cinema to home viewing did nothing to dull the film’s appeal, and Where Eagles Dare has remained a firm TV favourite ever since.

In fact, it pops up in the schedules with consistent regularity. It’s probably on BBC2 or ITV4 right now.

However, should you wish to check it out without having to wait for the TV schedulers to line it up, Where Eagles Dare is currently available to rent or buy through digital video-on-demand platforms. If you’re a Burton and Eastwood fan, and you like wartime classics (of which this is one of the best), watching the film is a no-brainer.

—

Now streaming…

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Up next is prison drama, Escape from Alcatraz. Directed by Don Siegel, and based on the book of the same name by J. Campbell Bruce, Escape from Alcatraz stars Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau, and Larry Hankin, and tells the real-life story of the Alcatraz breakout.

In the movie, the year is 1960 and career criminal Frank Morris arrives at the maximum security prison on Alcatraz Island. Frank has form for escaping from other facilities, but as this one is deemed inescapable, it appears as if he’ll be here for the long haul.

Yet despite the challenges he faces, Frank is determined to get out. He just needs the right plan of action and the right opportunity.

After formulating his plan, Frank recruits his fellow inmates to join in his escape attempt. Together they aim to do the one thing no one else has achieved – to escape from Alcatraz!

During the course of his acting career, Clint Eastwood worked with director Don Siegel five times, beginning with Coogan’s Bluff (1968), and running through Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), The Beguiled (1971), Dirty Harry, and finally Escape from Alcatraz. The majority of these collaborations were successful, with Dirty Harry being a particular highlight.

However, despite Dirty Harry’s notable achievements (it spawned four sequels starting with Magnum Force), Escape from Alcatraz is also up there. Not only as one of the great Siegel/Eastwood collabs, but also as one of Eastwood’s best movies.

From the opening moments of the film, as Frank Morris (Eastwood) is brought into the prison, through to his interactions with the inmates (good and bad), and then to the titular escape, Escape from Alcatraz doesn’t put a foot wrong. Not one single step is out of place.

Escape from Alcatraz is nothing less than a superb movie. The film is jam-packed with great characters; filled to the brim with drama and tension; and has a solid performance from Eastwood.

The key to the movie is making Frank a somewhat sympathetic character. Yes, he’s a criminal, and in prison to pay his dues, but the conditions he finds himself in are cruel, and some of the people, treacherous.

Early into the film, Frank becomes the target of the prison rapist, Wolf. After refusing Wolf’s ‘proposition’ to become his boyfriend, Frank becomes a target, which puts him in continual danger throughout the picture.  

And then if Wolf wasn’t problem enough, the prison Warden, as played by Patrick McGoohan, is shown to be both heartless and petty. He takes any opportunity he can to rob inmates of their self-worth, which in turn makes it clear Frank’s life under his watch will only continue to worsen.

Under these conditions, as well as Frank’s own desire to flee, escape is the only option. Not just because it says so in the title, but because Frank and his peers have little hope otherwise.

What follows is a thoroughly engaging breakout. It’s suspenseful stuff, with Siegel demonstrating a masterful control of the action, and Eastwood steering things on screen.

Should you wish to watch Escape from Alcatraz, the movie is currently streaming on Netflix. And of course, if you haven’t watched it before, then you should.

Eastwood has been involved in some excellent films, and Escape from Alcatraz is certainly one of them. It might be over 45 years old, but it is still going strong.

—

On disc…

Pale Rider (1985)

Onto movie number three, which is the first of two Westerns in this Movie Reviews Special. This one is the 1985 film, Pale Rider, which not only stars Clint Eastwood but is also produced and directed by Eastwood too.

The picture begins with a prospector settlement being ransacked, the people harassed, and a young girl witnessing her dog being killed. Moments later, while she buries the animal, the girl prays for help to protect her and her family from a disgruntled mining baron.

A short time passes and a stranger – later identified as ‘Preacher’ – rides into town. It’s possible this Preacher could be the answer to her prayers and the saviour she needs.

With a cast which includes Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Richard Dysart, and Richard Kiel, Pale Rider is a marvellous Western. Beautifully shot, with breath-taking cinematography from Bruce Surtees (a regular collaborator with Eastwood), the film is a fine example of what Eastwood can achieve both on screen and off.

As the ‘Preacher’, Eastwood exudes swagger, drawing upon some of his past performances – specifically within the genre. Meanwhile, as director, Eastwood delivers a Western that is not just expertly put together, but one which originally debuted at a time when Westerns were dead in the water, which takes some confidence.

In the mid-‘80s, the genre was out of fashion, yet Eastwood didn’t let this faze him. Instead, he delivered the film he wanted to deliver, and made it a hit.

Produced on a budget of just under $7 million, Pale Rider went on to gross over $41 million, taking in almost six times what it cost to make. This resulted in Pale Rider being a success in ‘85, and more significantly, it was the highest grossing Western of the 1980s.

Decades on and Pale Rider remains a beloved film and one which has an almost timeless quality to it. It certainly doesn’t feel like an ‘80s movie.

It’s possible this is down to how good it looks; or because it was produced in a decade that was defined by sci-fi and fantasy films rather than Westerns; or because Eastwood is simply a damn good filmmaker. It’s possible it’s all of the above.

Either way, Pale Rider is peak Eastwood. It’s a gorgeous piece, which harks back to the golden era of the genre, and should you wish to check it out, the movie is now available to buy on 4K in the UK.

—

Now streaming…

Unforgiven (1992)

From one Western to another. And this time it is a multi-Academy Award winning Western.

The film is Unforgiven; another picture directed by, produced by, and starring Clint Eastwood. Here he appears alongside Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, and Richard Harris, in a tale about an aging outlaw who steps away from his peaceful life to take on one more job.

In the movie, the year is 1880 and while busy working on his hog farm in Kansas, retired outlaw Will Munny is approached by a so-called bounty hunter with a proposition. He wants assistance in bringing two cowboys to justice for a vicious crime, and wants to hire Will for the job.

At first Will is reluctant to accept the offer, as he is keen to put his past behind him. However, with his farm failing and the future of his two children in doubt, he decides to take up the offer.

Extending the proposal to old friend Ned Logan, the pair catch up with the bounty hunter and prepare to capture the cowboys. However, Will and Ned don’t have all the facts about the cowboys and their crime.

As noted above in the discussion about Pale Rider, Westerns had fallen out of fashion by the 1980s, and by the time Unforgiven hit screens in 1992 the general interest level in the genre was low. Yet that said, Unforgiven was met with overwhelming praise when it arrived on the big screen and was a hit at the box-office, taking over $159 million from a budget of $14.4 million.

The reason? Because it’s a damn good film!

If you’re looking for a great Western, heck one of the best Westerns of all time, then Unforgiven is the picture you seek. Eastwood gathers together a top cast (Hackman! Freeman! Harris!); an expert cinematographer in Jack N. Green (another regular Eastwood collaborator); and a strong script from David Webb Peoples, and the result is captivating cinema. 

As with Pale Rider, there is a timeless quality to the film which pushes beyond the confines of the 1990s. Unforgiven also offers up a fine performance from Eastwood, who leans into his age and plays the character accordingly.

Shortly after release, Unforgiven was nominated for a whopping nine Academy Awards, taking home four. The awards included Best Film Editing for Joel Cox, Best Supporting Actor for Hackman, Best Director for Clint Eastwood, and the much sought-after Best Picture. 

All the awards were deserved – especially Best Director and Best Picture. Unforgiven is arguably one of Eastwood’s best films, and a must-see for fans of the actor/director.

Should you wish to take a look, Unforgiven is available to rent or buy on video-on-demand platforms.

—

Now streaming…

Gran Torino (2008)

A change of pace now, and something more contemporary via the impactful drama, Gran Torino. Directed by and starring Eastwood, the film focuses on a gruff 80-year-old American, who becomes an unlikely protector to his neighbours.

In the movie, recently widowed Korean War vet and former factory worker, Walt Kowalski is getting tired of the world. He has little time for his family (who have little time for him); he’s fed-up with his neighbours the Vang Lor family; and his whole neighbourhood has become a playground for gangs.

One of the few bright spots in Walt’s life is his car, a 1972 Ford Torino. He loves it so much that he has to protect it with his gun when his next door neighbour, Thao attempts to steal the vehicle as a result of gang pressure.

The next night, the gang turn up at Thao’s house causing further problems. This prompts Walt to pull out his rifle once again, to scare the gang away.

After getting the gang to back down, Walt becomes a hero to the local Hmong community. But can he cope with all the praise and attention he is suddenly receiving?

Over the years, Clint Eastwood has played more than his fair share of no-nonsense, cantankerous heroes, including plenty of characters who shoot first and worry about the details later, but none are quite so cantankerous as Walt Kowalski. This is a man who has put in the hours, put in the work, and is trying to live out the rest of his days in peace, but everyone and everything just pisses him off.

Some times he is at fault, other times it’s someone else, but either way it is a cycle of anger and frustration he can’t break. Yet, when he befriends Thao and members of the Hmong community, he is given the opportunity to adjust his outlook and see things from a new perspective. 

This becomes the catalyst for significant change for his character and is essentially what is at the heart of Gran Torino. The movie offers up a tale about altering viewpoints and opening up to the wider world, and ultimately it is about breaking down barriers.

And all of this is presented by a director and actor who knows how to tell such a story in his sleep. Eastwood takes all of his experience, all of his skills and achievements, and pumps them into this film, and what a fab movie it is.

Highlights of the film include Walt’s developing relationship with Thao; his brilliantly barbed comments; and his character’s integrity. Sure, Walt is an old grump, but Eastwood plays the character at just the right level so he remains likeable, even when he’s saying something most people would roll their eyes at.

The movie also benefits from good cinematography, a decent supporting cast, and a solid script from Nick Schenk. The beauty of the film is the journey Walt goes on, and a lot of this comes down to good writing.

At the time of its release, Gran Torino was being touted as Eastwood’s final picture. As it turned out, Gran Torino was not his acting swan-song, nor the end of the road for his directing career, but if this was the end it would be a fine way to close the door.

Gran Torino is something special. The film demonstrates the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone and it is thoroughly enjoyable and truly engaging.

Gran Torino is currently streaming on Now/Sky in the UK.

—

Now streaming…

The Mule (2018)

And finally, Eastwood is back in the director’s chair again for this 2018 offering, the touching crime drama, The Mule. Based on Sam Dolnick’s New York Times article, ‘The Sinaloa Cartel’s 90-Year-Old Drug Mule’, the film follows the story of a former horticulturalist who becomes a drug courier.

In the movie, horticulturalist Earl Stone is down on his luck. His business has gone belly up and the bank has foreclosed on his house.

Unable to make ends meet Earl takes a job as a mule, transporting packages for a cartel. Due to his advanced age, he draws no suspicion and therefore proves to be a valuable mule. 

Over time, Earl is given more jobs which allows him to earn thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, the authorities begin to close in on the cartel.

You would think that if you’ve been in the business as long as Clint Eastwood has, you’d reach a point where you’d be happy to just put your feet up and relax. Certainly by the time you reach 88 (the age Eastwood was when he released The Mule) you’d be past caring about all the hard work it takes to make a film.

So, Eastwood’s determination to keep making movies should be commended. But the fact he’s the director and star of such a great little movie like The Mule takes things one step further.

Eastwood and The Mule are proof there are still skilled filmmakers with vibrant stories to tell. The Mule is a quirky picture, and a real breath of fresh air, and Eastwood serves up yet another terrific performance.

Plus, a role like this one suits him well. He’s not playing an ancient action hero, copping off with a young romantic lead, he’s playing a part which perfectly fits the story being told and he gives it his all.

The Mule is a brilliant entry in Eastwood’s portfolio, with tender and emotive moments, as well as some well-placed dashes of light humour. As director he keeps things interesting, and as an actor he is a joy to watch. 

If The Mule has passed you by, be sure to seek it out. The film is now streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

—

Star Movie 

So, all the reviews are in and it’s time to pick the Star Movie, which is a tricky thing to do, because all the films are enjoyable (The Mule is a gem), and at least three films deserve the prestigious title. Gran Torino is excellent, as is Escape from Alcatraz, and any day of the week they would be top picks, but the Star Movie has to go to Unforgiven.

At one point in time, Westerns were hugely popular, and pretty much ruled the roost when it came to the movie industry. However, by the time Unforgiven came along this was no longer the case.

So for Clint Eastwood to produce, direct, and star in one of the best Westerns to be made, long after their heyday, it is an achievement to be recognised. But then, if anyone can do it, it’s Eastwood.

Anyway, Unforgiven is the Star Movie in this Movie Reviews Special. And if you like Unforgiven, you may also like: 

• The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) – Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this acclaimed Western about an outlaw pursued by bounty hunters.
• The Quick and the Dead (1995) – Gene Hackman stars alongside Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Russell Crowe in this Western from Sam Raimi.
• High Noon (1952) – Gary Cooper takes on the role of a Marshal who must decide if to face a gang of killers or skip town with his wife.

—

And that’s it for this edition of Movie Reviews Special, I hope it proved useful. Don’t forget you can still catch up on previous editions which have focused on ‘00s Thrillers, the 1990s Box-Office Top Five, the Bridget Jones movies, the Fantastic Four films, and the movies of Tom Cruise.

Plus, there’s plenty of new movies featured in the weekly edition of Movie Reviews 2025. So, be sure to keep checking back for all your movie needs.

Alex

—

—

Thank you for taking the time to read this Movie Reviews Special on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.