Choose a major modern director i.e. one who has come to prominence in the past 40 years. Provide a comprehensive overview and discussion of this filmmaker’s work with particular reference to the creative forces that shaped and influenced the work:
The Evolution of Filmmaker Clint Eastwood from 1970’s – 2000’s
The aim of my dissertation is to investigate and discuss Clint Eastwood’s role as a filmmaker from early 1970’s to the mid 2000’s by selecting four major films influenced by Classic Hollywood Directors that are not only the creative forces behind Eastwood’s career, but what also make Eastwood one of the last great American filmmakers today. Using clips, quotes and stills from various films and interviews, I will analyze Play Misty for Me in comparison to Alfred Hitchcock. The Outlaw Josey Wales in relation to John Ford. Bronco Billy and the similarities to Frank Capra’s filmmaking methods and finally the back to back feature Flags of our Fathers / Letters from Iwo Jima in relation to John Huston and how Eastwood became the product of a mature filmmaker from his own influence.
To understand Eastwood’s development as a filmmaker, I will also look at how the directors have shaped Eastwood’s decisions on visual style, themes and approach to filmmaking, as well as discussing his acting career influence from Directors such as Sergio Leone and Don Siegel and how they influenced his on set attitudes, his loyalty to collaborating with a cast and crew for the next 20 – 30 years and his understanding of developing personal and intimate details on storytelling and character portrayal.
I chose to study Clint Eastwood in particular because of the impact he has had on me as a student from choosing individual and thought provoking stories.
During his time on Rawhide, Eastwood developed an interest in directing having taken the opportunity to learn his craft from an extensive squad of directors, such as Jack Arnold and Ted Post as well as being lined up to direct an episode, but Eastwood was knocked back after another actor directed a rival programme and failed to attract audience numbers. After the filming of the 3 iconic Spaghetti Westerns, Eastwood formed the Malpaso Production Company in 1968, which has helped him to fulfill his drive to overshadow every creative aspect of his films, which he has been involved with. This control ranged from selecting and developing material that companies overlooked to the approval of cast and crew.
Already an established actor in Hollywood, his first taste of directing came from a close colleague based upon an obsessed woman (Jessica Walters) stalking a Californian Radio DJ (Clint Eastwood). In 1971, Play Misty for Me is the story about the misinterpretation of commitment and where Eastwood would play a character, which is essentially victimised, but on a darker level. Creative comparisons to the Hitchcockian qualities are Eastwood’s level’s of energy, shock and suspense, which was portrayed through the relentless pressure from Evelyn’s emotional and physical demands, leading to Eastwood’s character being unsettled, humiliated and shown as weak and powerless. One of Hitchcock’s major themes was certainly invoked in the movie, ‘the intrusion of violently irrational disorder on a serenely untroubled universe’ (1)
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The role of Evelyn in Eastwood’s first film was pivotal.Two of Eastwood’s biggest influences Billy Wilder and John Huston included the actors’ ideas on their film sets through the 1940’s and 1950’s, and by the 1970’s method acting had a huge contribution from some directors in their performances, which was also something Eastwood believed in and directing Jessica Walter, Eastwood wanted a performance that showed women could be as realistic in a role as a man could.From Walters 1st speech, we are seduced by her like Eastwood is; she’s as authentic and completely human as Eastwood could be. Walters is the exact opposite to Eastwood character – impulsive where he is controlled, passionate and sensual where he is content, innocent, yet corrupted in this intense love story.
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Walter’s is as much the protagonist as Eastwood is, a woman hell bent on a masculine style of revenge and manipulation and to a degree achieving it.This was an influence from Eastwood growing up ‘My preferences for strong roles for women stems from when I was a kid.I grew up on pictures in which women played very important roles.’(2)
Eastwood’s directing style for Play Misty for Me is cool, calm and collected as well as giving a strong sense of real time influenced heavily from Don Siegel films like The Beguiled. Like Siegel, Eastwood was effective in his filming of violent, action scenes. The story was told with tight direction; Eastwood tightened his grip on audiences when it was needed and forced them to be on the edge of their seats once the film got going. He lured them into a false sense of security and then displayed Evelyn’s madness with sharp, sudden cuts that startled and shocked audience alike. Shot with Panavison equipment, Eastwood wanted to make sure he had superior zoom shots, the final scenes of Dave and Evelyn fighting captured this, by using fast cuts and moving the camera into the heart of the brawl between both of them capturing the intensity with a furious montage of fragmented bodies and barely seeing the knife, much like Hitchcock’s Shower scene capturing the same feeling of revulsion and pain.
Clip 3 The sounds and reactions from both characters add to the tense final encounter when Evelyn is punched over the cliff, again Eastwood creatively styled the sequence much like the Detective falling the down the staircase. The film was shot in the Carmel area (where Eastwood would later become Mayor of), not a single studio shot giving the films spectacular aerial photography of the scenic environment taken from his experiences from working with Sergio Leone on the Spaghetti Westerns as well as John Ford’s western.
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The landscape played an important part in his first film, specifically; the scene where Eastwood and his girlfriend Tobie (Donna Mills) share a love scene accompanied by the song“The first time ever I saw your face”.This tender moment showed a raw and emotional side to Eastwood’s character with a Garden of Eden type setting giving a passionate feel to the movie, but still reminding the audiences of Evelyn’s presence in the wide shot of her hand creeping in bringing tense, overbearing feel to a calm situation.
The shoot lasted only four and a half weeks and was the beginning of Eastwood’s style of incredible organisation taken again from the influence of Don Siegel’s approach to filmmaking - shooting one or two takes, coming under budget and on schedule.
“Don could be anything but extravagant.He was always grumbling but, my, he was efficient!He knew what he wanted and he knew how to take decisions.He kept to is budget and to his schedule.His frugality rubbed off on me”. (3)
Eastwood's next film as a director brought him back to his western routes with High Plains Drifter in 1973, a mythical anti-hero out to save a corrupt town. Eastwood shared with Leone a rebellious desire to tumble the old Western values and presented audiences with a new, more mystifying piece of supernatural storytelling utilizing close-ups to great effect and shooting the film in sequence, a tactic used so the actors could grow into their roles. Eastwood began to achieve a level of artistic respect he never quite managed as an actor. Although, what Eastwood had learned from Leone was literally abolished for one of Eastwood’s most successful westerns in 1976 The Outlaw Josey Wales. Leone’s style and mannerisms of his Westerns were never influenced while on set and as a director, Eastwood preferred to deal with dramatic narrative rather than special effects: his films tended to be bleak, compelling stories with several strands of intimate character details, shot in rich, textured shady light as well as still renowned for his low budgets, humble attitude and limiting rehearsals.
Eastwood portrays Josey Wales; an innocent farmer who is torn apart after his family is murdered. A loner for several years, Wales is driven into a life of vengeance and desire for revenge, but ends his inner torment by reconnecting with civilization, freed from his self-destructive path as the Native Americans take him in. Seen as a political parable to the Vietnam War and it’s aftermath, The Outlaw Josey Wales is historically set in the Civil War and again Eastwood removes the sparkle of the Western, presenting his version of a rugged and desolate vision showing the negative effects of war and the affects and sacrifices made by the people caught up in it.
The Outlaw Josey Wales main themes are to ‘inflict considerable “mayhem” in purist of peace’(4) In connection to John Ford filmmaking approach, particularly from The Searchers. The theme plays a massive part in both characters. As Josey Wales and Ethan Edwards embark on a mission of vengeance and redemption, from their opening scenes of Josey Wales’s family being brutally murdered to the Comanche’s attacking the home of Ethan Edward’s brother. Eastwood stylized the opening scenes from Josey Wales point of view showing the painful reactions to his family murder, much like Edwards reactions to his family home being burned. The emotions and the hurt suffered from Edwards character was a trait Eastwood used for his character in the opening scene. The score played an important role too for both films enhancing the moment of immanent threat.Although the aftermath reveals narrative comparisons, the two films are ultimately very different in meaning and conclusion.
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Josey Wales is motivated by grief whereas Edwards is motivated by racism (hatred of Native Americans). The portrayal of Native Americans was crucial too, the different Native American companions Josey Wales encounters each teach him life lesson from Lone Watie who instructs Wales in the ways and thoughts of the Cherokees to Little Moonlight, a Navajo girl who suffers injustice from the white man’s civilization.Wales tries to pass his self-sufficient qualities onto to them showing respect and survival in the harsh environment.
“A reticent –type person, he doesn’t want relationships.The more he doesn’t want them, the more they keep imposing themselves upon him. Working on, manipulating, that shred of good nature that is still present in him, until at last without his ever overly acknowledging it, this little commune heals and restores him to the human family” (5)
Although in contrast, Eastwood related to what Ford had achieved and tried his own perspective on the Western genre. Ford deeply believed in the civilizing impact on society, for example: Ford’s dusty towns usually have a church or school with the frame of the building standing against the raw landscape, compared to Eastwood’s westerns about the darkness were evil is avenged though the wounds are rarely healed; these films conclude by finding inner peace within themselves. Although in The Outlaw Josey Wales, the final iconic scenes with Ten Bear’s and Edwards encounter with Scar is very similar. The way which the two characters handle their individual situations demonstrates the different cultural conditions in which both films were made. The Outlaw Josey Wales is made in a far more interchangeable way for the 1970s, revising the classical pattern, giving the hero a greater emotional range and compassion compared to Ford's Edwards. Eastwood’s message is clear, they have no choice but to live together in peace and harmony whatever race or colour. Whereas, Edwards is literally and visually closed away from a newly united family ultimately failing to fit in.
“His heroes.... may appear simply to be loners, outsiders to established society, who generally speak through action rather than words. But their conflict with society embodies larger themes in the American experience." (6)
The Man who Shot Liberty Valence, another John Ford film, which relates to The Outlaw Josey Wales theme because of the reputation, which precedes Eastwood’s character. Josey Wales has a liability about him with people wanting to make a name for themselves by challenging him. With The Man who Shot Liberty Valance, James Stewart is recognized for the removal of the gunslinger in a frightened town. As Stewart goes into a political career, John Wayne’s character who did the deed sinks into depression and obscurity. Once the truth is out, those in the know agree to lay it to rest. Ford and Wayne believed the lie or myth in helping people to live their lives, especially through the Western saga. Josey Wales escapes that and doesn’t live the lie. Josey Wales may have a satisfying life in the end, but requires a new tough persona, avoiding the falsehoods around him to become ‘heroic’ as Eastwood presented him. The theme of reconciliation plays a huge part in The Outlaw Josey Wales too.
At Malpaso, Eastwood was able to use the same actors, for example: Sam Bottoms and Sondra Locke, making them feel comfortable in their roles as well as having a large association with his projects much like John Ford's Stock Company were Ford made Western after Western using the same cast from John Wayne to Ward Bond and Jack Pennick.
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On set, a trait from Ford, which Eastwood developed was never using storyboards and composing the pictures in his mind, but the influence of John Ford’s My Darling Clementine using the muted colour tones on sets designs and shooting as if it was black and white led to Eastwood superbly desolate and dark tone. Again the murky, harsh, low key lighting and distorted camera angles gives a quality to The Outlaw Josey Wales by never redeeming any of its characters. As well as being Inspired by the atmospheric use of expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker on The Third Man, Cinematographer Surtee’s was able to backlight the shadow figures and evoke the seedy locations, especially Josey Wales entrance into the bar taking on two bounty hunters in an attack.
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Lighting played as much of a part as the natural landscape and time of year, expressing the development of narrative and Eastwood’s character plot. The films mood changed with the lighting. A heavenly light introduced us to Josey Wales, then it became a very somber tone when Josey Wales becomes motivated by vengeance. This type of lighting would play a huge part in Eastwood epic 1992 western Unforgiven.
In 1980, Eastwood directed Bronco Billy, the heartwarming tale about a New Jersey Salesman impersonating a Cowboy in a Wild West Rodeo show.Like Every Which Way but Loose, these films shows a softer, more comedic quality as both Director and actor.Bronco Billy shares a lot of similarities with the underdog in the films of Frank Capra.
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With Capra films usually carrying a definite message about the basic goodness of human nature as well as showing the true value of thoughtfulness and hard work, that the different person is always the right person, for example: Mr Deeds giving money away. These distinctive traits were represented through Eastwood’s character as a shoe salesman who shot his unfaithful wife, served time in jail and eventually meets his future members of his traveling Wild West Show.From his jail sentence, the audience believe Billy McCoy came out a stronger person believing he can make a difference to people’s lives and doing his best to bring honesty and integrity by the rules, which he lives by.
This can also be shown through Sondra Locke’s character – again, Eastwood shows the value of women in his films and Locke is a dramatic contrast as Antoinette Lilly, stuck up, rude and almost the exact opposite to Eastwood’s sincere and gentle character.Sondra Locke is effective as the cold newcomer who slowly changes from a mean-spirited, sarcastic woman to a caring person who ends up falling for Billy.
Eastwood communicated motivation for the characters through position and angle of the camera rather than vocal cues.He found their identities by finding what the material means to the actors, what connects them both physically and emotionally to the role – a characteristic Eastwood learned from Capra.The rest of the Billy’s gang have their flaws too.For example, Bill McKinney plays a hand hooked fraudster, but the strong theme, which relates to Capra about the redemptive possibilities of the ‘All American Dream’ - that everyone in Bronco Billy’s show have troubled pasts and have recreated themselves as better, more positive individual in his show.The Rodeo performance is where Billy belongs; the dream of performing to low-key crowds, orphanages and mental institution is what keeps their dream alive, inspiring the less fortunate, but enduring the failures within his group. The scene were Billy shoots the robbers in the bank is both heartwarming, yet sad because Billy McCoy represent an individual who is out casted in modern society, yet as the audience sympathizes for Billy, they understand his child like ambition to be a somebody rather than disheartening his group.
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Again, the location was key to Eastwood creative style; Boise was practical for allowing the background to change, as they needed to be to invoke the wayfaring of the travelling show. Another reason, which links to the Capra’s theme is the open spaces revealing the protagonist needs for freedom, Billy’s escape from one room tenement in New Jersey or the Prison Cell block was crucial for Eastwood character to be challenged in the outside world in normal circumstances.
Another crucial factor for establishing Eastwood mood was the cinematography. Eastwood choose a cinematographer who can adapt to the changes, which were happening to Billy’s shows. David Worth’s crisp, lush colours brought out distinct styles for the show whenever the camp was depressed or happy. For example, the scene where Eastwood and his group chase after the train trying to rob it, both Director and the Cinematographer worked together creating the frustrations of the travelling show, but also showing Billy’s true cowboy fantasy as audience laugh and sympathize with Eastwood’s character.
‘I try to get the cinematographer involved with the story, I tell him what I want to accomplish and try to convey a feeling for what I think it should look like, because the style grows out of the material’ (7)
During the 1980’s came one of Eastwood best attributes, his loyalty to using the same cast and crew in many of his projects, an influence from his late father.The late Henry Bumstead, Art Designer had worked with Eastwood for more than 30 years, Joel Cox, Eastwood’s main Editor, Bruce Surtees, the gifted Cinematographer dubbed ‘The Prince of Darkness’ and Eastwood recent Director of Photography Tom Stern are just a few who still works with Eastwood today.One of the connections that shares the Malpaso Company with Bronco Billy is the loyalty that Eastwood helps create and develop both in front and behind the camera.
After his successful Academy Awards wins for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby, Eastwood returned to directing in 2006 for the back-to-back features Flags of our Fathers and Letters of Iwo Jima. Eastwood’s biggest influence on the two features was John Huston’s The Battle of San Piertro, detailing an account of the battle’s gritty realism as well as Lewis Milestone’s All Quiet on the Western Front, a German perspective on World War I. As a young solider in Fort Ord, Eastwood screened John Huston’s Documentary many times as a projectionist. This was a film that had a lasting affect on Eastwood's future work referring to the realities of war and the internal battles that soldiers are faced with.The World War II filmsshowed how Eastwood became the influence of his own filmmaker asFlags of Our Fathers details the horrific sacrifice that was part of a victory in a ‘just war’, whereas the Letters from Iwo Jima describes a tragic story of defeat and the devastation to a society.
For Flags of our Father, Eastwood introduced us to three main characters and examines the personal toll on the survivors rather than setting the audience in the heart of the action. John ''Doc'' Bradley, doesn’t believe in taking full credit for the battle because of one picture, Rene Gagnon, who is willing to prove he is a hero, even though he tries not to get in a real battle and Ira Hayes, a Native American who at the same time made into a war hero is also a target due to his race. The film revolves around the famous picture, as well as how these three men live their lives after the war, with Hayes never feeling comfortable in claiming status as a hero for his involvement, Bradley is haunted by memories of war and his friends who past away and Gagnon celebrating with all the media attention. In Letters of Iwo Jima, Eastwood identifies us to Saigo who doesn't believe in sacrificing himself in battle only wanting to be with his family, whereas General Kuribayashi, again, torn between doing us duties and being with his family, although he feels the need to die for a cause and with dignity, but sees the humanity in the American soldiers.
"They get to know these people, and what they went through, as well as perhaps give the audience a feeling of what it was like in that time, what these people dedicated or donated their lives for” (8)
For Eastwood, his themes are clear: the brutality of war, heroism and the humanities of our enemies. In terms of themes for Flags of our Fathers, Eastwood examines the psyche of the warfare itself. With earlier films such as Unforgiven and The Outlaw Josey Wales, Eastwood portrays an assessment and analysis of heroism and what it means for both those who are labeled heroes and those who did the labeling. This character development is something Eastwood relates to as an actor using his experiences from both Will Munny and Josey Wales to John Bradley as these men are pushed into battle trying to deal with losing close friends as well as fighting for something they believe in. As for Letters from Iwo Jima, Eastwood become’s more fascinated with the Japanese understanding of heroism. For the Japanese soldiers, they have glory and honour and accepting their clear and present defeat with humbleness, but going back to normal life becomes a struggle, for example: Saigo again stands out as someone who represents the values of life than believing in a code of honour in the backdrop of an impending suicidal battle. In contrast, more disturbingly, are scenes when some soldiers embody the phrase "death before dishonour" as some would rather die than get captured and disgrace their Army and Land.
The truest form of classical filmmaking is understanding and interpreting characters as well as physical space. Eastwood cleverly relates his epic war films by constructing a series of approaches to the subject, the concluding event and then building away from it. Given the way physical space is so often filled in depth and meaning through Eastwood style of darkness – the way Eastwood has been influenced from his previous films over the years is the dark toned photography called from all his cinematographers over the years from Bruce Surtees through to Jack Green and now Tom Stern – this without doubt creates a sense of a remoteness and a dying desperation, especially in Letters of Iwo Jima through the isolated locations.
For Eastwood, the war films were his most extensive visual effects pieces he has ever made. Using the desaturated look with the deep-black imagery of Iwo Jima, made the look of these films almost photographic like looking at war images of the battle at Iwo Jima. The surviving photographs from Bob Campbell and Howard W. Whalen were used and heavily influenced in the scenes for the arrival and attacks on Iwo Jima beach. These photos were taken at Iwo Jima February 19th and 20th 1945.
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Eastwood filmed the complex special effects rarely using blue or green screen relying heavily on natural lighting. With filming taking place mostly on the black, sandy beaches, in caves and at night, Letters of Iwo Jima has a far more desaturated look adding a sense of despair and isolation. Only blood, fire, explosions and American / Japanese Flags were in colour giving it clearer clarity with Eastwood intentionally manipulating it to stand out in the darkness.
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Eastwood brings it back full circle relating to his experiences working with Leone on shooting at location. sShot on 35mm, but experimented with HDV Camera systems in certain action sequences giving a digitized theoretical point of view, for example: The attack of Mount Surbachi.
Orson Welles was quoted in 1980 after Bronco Billy was released stating 'I suppose Clint Eastwood is just about the most under appreciated director working in movies today' (9) As a director, Eastwood was influenced by taking risks and being outside the studio system, much like Welles was and with a career of nearly 40 years, Eastwood has experienced the highs of lows of movie making, but he has learnt from the best. Although, he had never worked with any of the great Golden Age Directors, Eastwood’s admiration for directors like Howard Hawks, Raoul Walsh and Preston Struges shows how much Eastwood studied these directors, understanding the way they presented their storytelling methods and characters to visualizing their end product on screen. Eastwood molded himself from working with the crews on Rawhide, highly regarding the work of Hitchcock, Ford, Capra and Huston and finally learning the trade from his mentors Leone and Siegel emerging as a humble, story and character driven director that was motivated to develop genuine and entertaining pieces of work guiding old and new audiences through each scene.
Eastwood still remains notoriously efficient on set as well as bringing out hit movie one after another, disregarding special effects, allowing the story to grow as well as the actors to perform in a natural way, so the audience can connect with Eastwood humane stories. Eastwood uses the environment making the story interesting and appealing to himself and audiences, gripping audiences like the classic Directors of the 1930’s to 1950’s would do allowing the actors to feel for their role. For example, In Inviticus, Eastwood filmed in South African areas like Ellis Park where the 1995 final was held and Robben Island where Mandela was held prisoner. As Eastwood has learned from his projects, letting the actors gradually grow into their roles makes it more believable for the viewer. His casting techniques he learned from The Outlaw Josey Wales influenced his decision for a Hmong cast in Gran Torino.
His diverse body of work has influenced new a generation of genre films, for example: Play Misty For Me set up a new type of sexy, psychological stalker thrillers, like Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct. The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven helped renew the Western revenge story like The Proposition and The Assassination of Jessie James as well as changing the perspective of Native Americans in Oscar winning films like Dances with Wolves and Last of the Mohicans. Few actor / directors have been so prolific in both dynamics. From The Bridges of Madison County to Gran Torino, Eastwood still refers to the methods and processes he learned from Siegel and Leone as well as experimenting with HD technology. His passion for personal movie making projects is still burning, his life long obsession for jazz music led to his Charlie Parker Biopic Bird as well as waiting a decade to make Unforgiven because he felt he should be an older, wiser actor to portray the role. Eastwood also inspires other filmmakers in the classic Hollywood style and story, for example: The Coen Brothers and Paul Thomas Anderson.
In my opinion, Eastwood is an honest, intelligent and original filmmaker with storytelling techniques that are crucial to his filmmaking style. Eastwood’s evolution from a bit part actor in Universal Studios to a much-admired film star and Award winning Director has led to him overcoming his idols and from what Welles said 30 years ago, Eastwood is now the most highly respected and highly praised director working in Hollywood.
“I figure I’m just a guy doing pictures, that’s all. I’m trying to tell stories and I do the best I can with them” (10)
