Clint Eastwood’s 15 Best Movies, Ranked

The best Clint Eastwood Kino showcase that he is considered one of the Most prolific and successful actors in film history. Now a 93-year-old filmmaker, Eastwood is focused on directing and is famous for the speed at which he develops new movies at this stage of his life. While Clint Eastwood has directed some great films dating back to the 1970s, he is best known for his acting roles, rising to fame in the 1960s as a charismatic, tough leading man in movies like. The good, the bad and the ugly And later these Rude Harry Series.

Eastwood’s acting is recognized for being synonymous with the western genre, or more specifically, the spaghetti western and revisionist western subgenres. Sergio Leone Man with no name trilogy is iconic, and Eastwood continued to develop the genre with films like The bandit Josie Wales And Unforgivenwhich he directed and starred in. Clint Eastwood has been in some of the best Western movies ever made, but he’s sure to expand his career into other avenues with movies like Million dollar baby And A perfect world.

15

In the Line of Fire (1993)

Director Wolfgang Petersen

As Clint Eastwood grew older in Hollywood, he began to embrace roles that suited his age but also allowed him to continue playing the tough and cool action hero. In the line of fire is one of the best examples from the 1990s with Eastwood playing Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, one of the men on duty when JFK was assassinated. Horrigan comes out of retirement and returns to his post when there is a new threat to the life of the current president.

In the line of fire is a learned and intense thriller with a terrific pace. Eastwood is great in the lead role, playing a hero past his prime but determined to prove he’s still the best man for the job. However, the best aspect of the movie is John Malkovich’s villainous turn as the would-be murderer. He is creepy yet captivating when he becomes fascinated with Horrigan. Malkovich earned a rare Oscar nomination in an action movie.

14

Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Director Brian G. Hutton

Clint Eastwood starred in a number of war movies throughout his career, but the best was the World War II adventure, Where eagles dare. Based on the novel by Alistair MacLean, the film stars Richard Burton as a British officer who leads a team in Bavaria to a German mountain base in order to rescue a captured American intelligence officer. Eastwood plays the lone American soldier who is recruited to the team.

It’s a lot of fun to see Eastwood in a supporting role in a movie like this. however, His star power shines through in the smaller role, bringing charisma and humor to the heroic role. The adventure unfolds with great action and intense sequences on the mountainside location, including the thrilling climax in cable cars. It is a great mix of fun and action in the vein of the war adventure movies of the time, vi The Dirty Dozen And The Great Escape.

13

Escape from Alcatraz (1979)

Director Don Siegel

Escape from Alcatraz Marks the fifth and final movie Clint Eastwood made with Don Siegel, bringing to an end one of the most important collaborations of the actor’s career. As it happens, it’s a terrific final note for the duo to end on. Escape from Alcatraz is one of the best prison escape movies with Eastwood playing Frank Morris, a career criminal with a penchant for escaping custody. He was transferred to Alcatraz, one of the most notorious and seemingly unstoppable prisons in America. There, he shows his final plan for breaking out.

The simple story is beneficial for the movie and for Eastwood’s performance. He has already proven many times before that he has a lot of screen instructions without any words and he proves it once again here. The thrill of the movie is seeing the meticulous planning that goes into Frank’s escape And the anticipation of seeing it set in motion.

12

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Part of the reason Clint Eastwood became a Western legend as he was willing to play with the genre. He became a star at a time when the standard John Wayne western movies started to grow a little boring for audiences. Eastwood was the perfect antidote to this and High Plains Drifter is a prime example. The Darker Western movie stars Eastwood as a mysterious drifter who arrives in a mining town and begins to deliver his brutal band of justice to the corrupt locals.

The movie boldly challenges the idea of ​​the quintessential Western hero, with Eastwood playing more of an antihero with far less endearing qualities than these roles typically have. There is also a hint of a supernatural aspect to the movie that helps it stand out even more. The result is a terrific Eastwood performance that plays against convention and an even better display of his directing skills.

Directed by Michael Cimino

It’s not often Clint Eastwood shares the spotlight with another actorBut the buddy action movie Thunderbolt and Lightfoot Showcases just how much fun it can be with the right partner. Eastwood plays Thunderbolt, a criminal looking to pull off his next big job when he crosses paths with a fun-loving, reckless, but charismatic young man named Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges). The two form a quick bond as they set out to draw out the score.

Bridges’ get the blaster role to be sure with him scoring an Oscar nomination. However, the chemistry between the two lead actors is really what sells the movie. The speed with which the outlaws become best friends and the bond they share is charming, with a surprising sadness towards the end. However, the movie is just a fun comedy caper from start to finish with some great laughs that still hold up decades later.

10

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Directed by Sergio Leone

With the iconic success of The good, the bad and the uglyMany have forgotten that this is actually the third installment of a trilogy of films. THe Dollars Trilogy is a series of spaghetti westerns directed by the legendary Sergio Leone, although all three can be viewed as standalone movies with no connected plot. The connecting point in all three is Eastwood’s Man with No Name, one of the best Western movie protagonists ever.

A fistful of dollars Marks the first movie in the trilogy and follows the man as he manipulates two rival gangs into warring against each other. As the premise suggests, it is An independent adaptation of Akira Kurosawa YojimboBut brought to life with Leone’s own iconic filmmaking styleA unique and special adventure. Eastwood is consistently fantastic as the cool, ambiguous, anti-hero character in all three movies in The Dollar TrilogyAnd Ennio Morricone’s score is a highlight of the first film.

9

A Perfect World (1993)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

in A perfect worldWestern legend Clint Eastwood directs and co-stars with another Western legend, Kevin Costner. The film is a crime thriller where Costner plays an escaped prisoner named Butch, who kidnaps a young boy. Butch and the boy form an unlikely bond when they go on the run together, but Eastwood’s Red Garnett, a Texas Ranger leading the chase, must bring them both in.

The film explores a complex relationship, with Costner giving one of his most underrated performances as the flawed yet charming character who develops a bond with his young hostage. Eastwood is terrific in his role, while many critics also praised it as one of his finest achievements. It’s a gritty crime story with some dark and haunting aspects, all balanced wonderfully by Eastwood and elevated by the performances..

8

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood has had a feud with John Wayne over the years, with Wayne taking exception to the changes that Eastwood’s movies have made to the Western genre. In particular, Eastwood seemed more interested in challenging movies with flawed protagonists rather than picture-perfect heroes. One of Eastwood’s earliest directed films, Boss Josie Wales, is a great example of that.

Wales is a complex, violent character who seeks revenge on Union soldiers during the Civil War who killed his family. Initially arriving in the Confederate army to carry out his revenge, he refuses to take matters into his own hands after the war is over. The bandit Josie Wales is a nuanced, sprawling Western that explores the post-Civil War era, with Eastwood giving a powerful performance. The fact that Eastwood was also able to deliver one of his own best Western movies as a director showed that he had an impressive filmmaking career ahead of him.

7

Gran Torino (2008)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Gran Torina is one of Clint Eastwood’s most successful 21st-century movies, following a Korean War veteran named Walt Kowalski. Kowalski is an angry, bigoted man who forms an unlikely alliance with a local Hmong teenager named Thao. He becomes an unlikely hero when he confronts gang violence in his neighborhood. The film Earned praise for its thematic exploration of racism and redemption in contemporary America as Kowalski attempts to overcome his prejudice..

While it’s not a particularly deep movie, it was a lot of fun to see Eastwood back in his tough guy mode, especially in a role like Walt that took full advantage of his age. There are even some fans who saw Gran Torina As an unofficial Rude Harry Sequel, imagine how the legendary cop’s life was after retiring from the police force. But, on its own, it remains a thrilling yet grounded and intimate action movie that shows Eastwood can still be intimidating.

6

Dirty Harry (1971)

Directed by Don Siegel

After his success with Sergio Leone in the spaghetti western genre, Clint Eastwood’s star blossomed in America with his role as detective Harry Callahan in the Rude Harry Film series. Rude Harry is the first of five movies that sees Callahan in pursuit of a psychopathic sniper called the Scorpio Killer, inspired by the real-world case of the Zodiac Killer.

The film’s timeliness in capturing the intrigue of a major cultural event and its gritty portrayal of urban crime allowed it to become a cultural phenomenon. The tough cop character of Dirty Harry was a monumental influence in crime thriller films Since. Although he was a controversial movie hero throughout the franchise, Eastwood helped to sell the roughness of the character with charm. even the sad”Well done, punk“Scene is delivered with Eastwood’s iconic smile.

5

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

A film that showcases Clint Eastwood’s diverse abilities as a director, The Bridges of Madison County is one of his only ventures in the romance genre. Eastwood plays Robert Kincaid, a photographer hired to capture the historic bridge landmarks of Madison County. There, he meets Meryl Streep’s Francesca Johnson, a married woman whose family is away on a trip. The two have a passionate romance, with the film excellently exploring the emotional depth of their characters.

Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep have remarkable chemistryCreating a great romantic drama with two film legends. It’s the kind of sweeping romantic story that can be both engrossing for audiences and heartbreaking, as it shows the many complications that middle-aged lovers face. Streep was nominated for an Oscar for her role, but it also features one of Eastwood’s most subtle performances.

4

For A Few Dollars More (1965)

Directed by Sergio Leone

Clint Eastwood returns as The Man With No Name For a few dollars moreReuniting with Leone for another incredible western film. The film sees the man hunting a vicious criminal known as El Indio and forming an unlikely partnership with Lee Van Cleef’s Douglas Mortimer, a rival bounty hunter. Although the two are driven by their own motives, their temporary working relationship is an exciting spectacle and the best aspect of the film.

Being dropped into the unique and somewhat surreal world of one of Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns is always a thrill. Although it is often An underrated entry in the trilogyIt stands comfortably with A fistful of dollars And The good, the bad and the ugly Like a truly great western adventure. Eastwood helped turn bounty hunters into Western heroes, while Van Cleef steals many scenes going toe-to-toe with the Man with No Name.

3

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood has won four Oscars in his career, with Million dollar baby It earned him two for Best Picture and Best Director. The sports film sees Eastwood as Frankie Dunn, a boxing trainer who reluctantly takes on his first female fighter (Hilary Swank). Her enthusiasm and respect for him as a coach allows them to grow a bond that makes him confront the mistakes of his past and allows her the confidence to be a competitor.

Eastwood’s direction and performance are some of his best, allowing the film to be a critical and commercial success. Million dollar baby is a powerful story that transcends the norms of the sports genre. It turns into a beautiful father-daughter story with a heartbreaking conclusion that is beautifully delivered by the entire team. Swank won the Oscar for Best Actress while Eastwood scored his first Oscar nomination for acting.

2

Unforgiven (1992)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood’s other two Academy Awards were won for Unforgivenwhich also won Best Picture and Best Director. The 1992 classic is Clint Eastwood’s most important contribution to the western genre as a director, Set a gold standard for the bleak, revisionist Westerns of recent decades. Eastwood plays a former gangster who has settled into a family life only to take one last job after being hired by a group of sex workers to kill the man who scarred one of them.

As his last true western in Clint Eastwood’s storied career, Unforgiven Deconstructs the mythology of the Western film genre, following morally complex characters who are far from heroes. The film explores violent, cowardly, morally complex people, giving a true taste of what the Wild West looked like. It’s a dark and brilliant movie with some of Eastwood’s best work behind and in front of the camera.

1

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

Directed by Sergio Leone

The good, the bad and the ugly Not only is Clint Eastwood’s best movie, but it’s also one of the best movies of all time. It is the Definitive epic westernFinished The Dollar Trilogy With her greatest story. The movie follows three dangerous and deadly men in the Old West during the Civil War who converge on a journey to find buried treasure.

Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach deliver iconic performances, and Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy of Gold” theme has become one of the most recognizable film scores ever created. There are so many iconic moments, with the climactic standoff scene in contention as the greatest sequence of filmmaking in history. The good, the bad and the ugly Should be considered essential viewing for everyone, but especially for those who love Clint Eastwood Movies.