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Scene from Cinema Paradiso
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With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.
CLINT EASTWOOD
-- Gran Torino (2008) --
Years Active: 1955-present
Films as Director: 33
Oscar Wins: 5
-Best Picture (Unforgiven)
-Best Director (Unforgiven)
-Best Picture (Million Dollar Baby)
-Best Director (Million Dollar Baby)
-Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Who: Ever since his early days when acting in westerns, there was a sense that Eastwood would become an American icon. His gruff, no-nonsense persona eventually translated to directing films which dealt with subjects ranging from cynical westerns to sports films and musicals. He is a man whose films continue to grow complex and chronicle the history and aging of his generation in fascinating ways that while not always successful, has been consistently engaging. The best of his work remains timeless genre films that are profoundly mature and complicated in their morals.
POINTS TALLY
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| Scene from Million Dollar Baby |
Flickchart Ranking: #158 (750 points)
IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)
Perks: None
Total: 820 points
-- Million Dollar Baby (2004) --
Flickchart Ranking: #399 (550 points)
IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)
Perks: None
Total: 620 points
-- High Plains Drifter (1973) --
Flickchart Ranking: #411 (500 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 560 points
-- Unforgiven (1992) --
Flickchart Ranking: #455 (450 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 510 points
-- Invictus (2009) --
Flickchart Ranking: #731 (300 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 360 points
-- Play Misty for Me (1971) --
Flickchart Ranking: #844 (200 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 260 points
-- Mystic River (2003) --
Flickchart Ranking: #905 (100 points)
IMDb Rating: 4/10 (40 points)
Perks: None
Total: 140 points
-- Flags of Our Fathers (2006) --
Flickchart Ranking: #1000 (50 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 110 points
OVERALL TOTAL: 3380 points
WHY DO I LOVE?
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| Scene from Unforgiven |
It may simply be because I grew up in a household that was fond of westerns and more specifically Eastwood, but there doesn't feel like there has ever been a point where he wasn't revered. While I initially enjoyed his work as an actor, his real strengths is in making an unrelenting style of films that deal with some gritty subject matter in ways that are edgy, but still accessible. Beyond the cowboy films, he became a voice for an aging generation and came to help define what I call AARP cinema (or movies geared towards old people) that was striking and dealt with issues important to them. The fact of the matter is that even when he makes generic films, there is something lively and intriguing about them. He may have made a few awful films, but he is nonetheless an impressive icon who even in his old age manages to make commercial and relevant films more often than most.
UP NEXT: We reach the halfway mark with quite possibly one of the greatest, enigmatic directors to chronicle Californian culture in the past 20 years.
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