With J. Edgar being released in cinemas nationwide last Friday, we thought it was the perfect time to look back at the illustrious career of its prolific director; a man who’s renowned for being not only a brilliant director, but a fantastic producer, an unforgettable star, and one of the most iconic western stars of all time; Clint Eastwood.
Now in his 82nd year on the planet, Clint Eastwood is known for not only being one of the most iconic on-screen cowboys of all time, but portraying a diverse range of characters that have included cops, lovers, loners, and even orangutans in his time, and, despite smoking in a number of his more prolific roles, he remains a life-long non-smoker.
Clint began acting back in 1955, but it was almost two decades later (a full 40 years ago, in 1971, when he reached the age of 41) that he directed his first movie, Play Misty For Me, and began an illustrious career both in front of and behind the camera; a career that has brought him widespread critical acclaim, studio-pleasing Box Office numbers, and a number of highly prestigious awards.
Since 1992 Clint’s mantle has been graced with some highly sought after awards; including four Oscars, and three Golden Globes; in some of the most widely coveted categories imaginable (including Best Director and Best Picture):
Academy Awards:
- 1992 – Best Director – Unforgiven – Won
- 1992 – Best Picture – Unforgiven – Won
- 1994 – Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award – Won
- 2004 – Best Director – Million Dollar Baby – Won
- 2004 – Best Picture – Million Dollar Baby – Won
Golden Globes:
- 1989 – Bird – Won – Best Director Motion Picture
- 1993 – Unforgiven – Won – Best Director Motion Picture
- 2005 – Million Dollar Baby – Won – Best Director Motion Picture
War has featured heavily in Clint’s on-screen career; with films featuring the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and Vietnam; and he’s known for striving to maintain the authenticity of his films at all costs; including limiting rehearsals and preferring to shoot most scenes in a single take.
Background details are also often trimmed from any of the scripts Clint works on in order to allow the audience to become fully immersed in the film he’s creating, and as he rarely uses storyboards and has a unique style of directing (developed with a desire to eliminate any aspect of filmmaking that annoyed him as an actor), Eastwood’s style is now famous, and has led to him being known for both the speed and efficiency at which he can complete a film; something which makes him a director and star who’s constantly in demand.
Luckily for Warner Bros. however, the studio has managed to maintain a healthy, mutually beneficial, and highly profitable relationship with Clint Eastwood for the past 37 years, and their partnership has led to the production of a huge number of classic and unforgettable films, consisting of the following:
1. Where Eagles Dare, 1968
2. Kelly’s Heroes, 1970
3. Dirty Harry, 1971
4. Magnum Force, 1973
5. The Enforcer, 1975
6. The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976
7. The Gauntlet, 1977
8. Every Which Way but Loose, 1978
9. Bronco Billy, 1980
10. Any Which Way You Can, 1980
11. Honkytonk Man, 1982
12. Firefox, 1982
13. Sudden Impact, 1983
14. City Heat, 1984
15. Tightrope, 1984
16. Pale Rider, 1985
17. Heartbreak Ridge, 1986
18. Bird, 1988
19. The Dead Pool, 1988
20. Pink Cadillac, 1989
21. White Hunter, Black Heart, 1990
22. The Rookie, 1990
23. Unforgiven, 1992
24. A Perfect World, 1993
25. The Bridges of Madison County, 1995
26. Absolute Power, 1997
27. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, 1997
28. True Crime, 1999
29. Space Cowboys, 2000
30. Blood Work, 2002
31. Mystic River, 2003 (Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon)
· Won two Academy Awards, Best Actor (Penn) and Best Supporting Actor (Robbins), while Eastwood was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture
· The London Film Critics Circle and the National Society of Film Critics named Eastwood Best Director of the Year
32. Million Dollar Baby, 2004 (Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood)
· Won two Academy Awards, Best Director and Best Picture, and the Golden Globe for Best Director
33. Flags of our Fathers/ Letters from Iwo Jima, 2006
34. Gran Torino, 2008 (Clint both directed and starred in this film)
· Despite being controversially left out of the 81st Academy Awards, Clint’s performance earned him a Best Actor award from the National Board of Review
35. Invictus, 2009 (Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon)
36. Hereafter, 2010 (Matt Damon)
37. J.Edgar 2012 (Leonardo DiCaprio)
Clint’s latest movie, J. Edgar (the biopic which stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the titular, late, FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover,) can be seen playing at cinemas nationwide now (you can see the film’s official trailer here), and for another look back at Clint’s impressive and illustrious career you can also pick up the box set Clint Eastwood, 35Years, 35 Films (currently priced at £48.99 on Amazon.co.uk, and available to buy directly from the links below), or download classic Clint Eastwood films and award winners from iTunes now.
