Yet Clint's talent behind the camera is much the more dexterous and legacy enhancing, his films are at times narcissistic (especially when directing himself) and macho but there can be no doubt that Eastwood has the cinematic guile and verve to capture edge, emotion, and energy in his glorious and still bulging Back-catalogue. Be it the triumph of Invictus, the inward inflections of Hereafter to the battlefields of Heartbreak Ridge or the wild west of Pale Rider and Unforgiven Clint pleases both fans and critics like few directors can. Executing Cat and Mouse games such as Sudden Impact (the only time he directed Harry Callahan) and Absolute Power, with even the very well judged peculiarity that is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, his skills are sharp enough for any directorial challenge that at this stage in his career he chooses.
Here is my top 5
5. Play Misty For Me (1971)Feature length debut in which Eastwood also stars, sees a casual one night stand from Clint's DJ lead turn into a murdering psycho bitch. Meshing Hitchcockian terror and dread with romance and music creating a memorable experience.
4. Gran Torino (2008) Moving story of racial and cultural differences, again Eastwood self-stars as a bigoted, widowed war hero who finds friendship in the faces of those he once despised, particularly a young teenager dealing with the temptations and peer pressure applied by a neighbourhood gang. A film about family, faith and friendship which engages boldly with difficult social topics.
3. Changeling (2008)An extraordinary story symptomatic of the times in its treatment of woman and children in the American 20's and 30's. A Woman who's son is abducted and replaced by an imposter faces a battle with the police, institutionalism and a harrowing search for the truth. Eastwood again uses faith as a device in the narrative as well as corruption and bravery in this amazing tale, Angelina Jolie is terrific in her performance.
2. A Perfect World (1993)
A story of Stockholm Syndrome which finds a young boy raised a Jehovah's Witness snatched from his mother by Kevin Costner's escaped Texan convict. The proceeding journey is one of both enlightenment and self discovery, the pair grow closer to each with the same steps guiding their friendship to oblivion. Eastwood plays the Texas Ranger attempting to track the pair down in what is a brilliant part road movie part psychological thriller.
1. Mystic River (2003)
This is Eastwood's finest work, the story is Shakespearian in its sense of drama and injustice, toying with it's characters feeding them crumbs of information whilst the audience must watch on in near full knowledge cruelly powerless to stop the agony unfold. Following 2 generations of a Bostonian community whose lives are touched by secrets, murder and debilitating memories that scar the psyche.
The River is in essence a metaphor for the cleansing powers of holy water, stayed and prevalent in the lives of Boston's catholic community. The Film itself plays out like the holy trinity The father - the family in this case the dynamic of kinship it brings. The Son - children the vessel of transcending virtues of the former and the Hollow Spirit - here the truth and its illusive, less tangible qualities. The characters likewise in this masterpiece, crimelord Sean Penn is the father powerful and ominous, victim Tim Robbins the sacrificial son and cop Kevin Bacon the sanctifying spirit - Truly amazing picture.
