From Crime to War, These 5 Clint Eastwood Movies Reveal a Legacy of Masterpieces
A career across roles
Eastwood’s directing career spanned a little more than half a century, and included work across many kinds of films. He also directed two Best Picture winners, while remaining well known for performances in movies he did not direct.
The five selections include two films in which he acted without directing, two that he both acted in and directed, and one he directed without appearing as an actor. The article identifies Dirty Harry, Million Dollar Baby and Letters from Iwo Jima among them.
Dirty Harry’s lasting appeal
The 1971 crime thriller Dirty Harry follows Harry Callahan as he pursues the Scorpio Killer, a murderer described as a stand-in for the Zodiac Killer. Eastwood’s performance helped make Callahan one of his most recognizable non-Western characters.
Beyond its action, the film examines policing and the limits of pursuing justice. It can also be watched as a crime story about fighting fire with fire. Magnum Force, its first sequel, receives an honorable mention, as does Eastwood’s Escape from Alcatraz, directed by Don Siegel.
A difficult sports drama
Eastwood directed Million Dollar Baby, released the year after Mystic River. The sports drama turns away from a straightforward tale of triumph, examining how effort can fall short because others may be better or luck may not go a person’s way.
The film’s direction, screenplay and performances make it especially powerful, with Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman also singled out for their work. It is described as potentially as harrowing as Raging Bull, rather than an uplifting choice for viewers seeking a sports movie.
War from another perspective
Letters from Iwo Jima is the second film in a duology that begins with Flags of Our Fathers. Both revisit the Battle of Iwo Jima, but Letters from Iwo Jima centers on the Japanese perspective, while its companion focuses on the American one.
The films also differ in emphasis: Letters from Iwo Jima gives more attention to the lead-up to the battle, while Flags of Our Fathers focuses more on its aftermath. The account describes the film as a powerful anti-war work marked by hopelessness and death.
Key points
- Eastwood’s final film as director was Juror No. 2, released at the end of 2024.
- Dirty Harry follows Harry Callahan’s pursuit of the Scorpio Killer.
- Million Dollar Baby challenges the expectations of a conventional sports drama.
- Letters from Iwo Jima tells the Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective.