The name Clint Eastwood is one of the most recognized worldwide, not only for his work as an actor, but also as a director and producer of high-quality films, which have marked history in the different periods of cinema.
Eastwood began his career as an actor in the 1950s, and 10 years later, he made a series of films in Italy (Spaghetti Westerns) that catapulted him to fame. With 15 years in the world of cinema, he made his debut as a director with the film Play Misty For Me. With this step he had more creative control, adding to his filmography some of the most important titles in cinema. At 90 years old and 65 years of work, he has hours and hours of productions that will remain forever among the best and some of them can be found on Netflix.
On Netflix: Jersey Boys (2014)
Eastwood directs this biopic about the popular 1960s band, The Four Seasons. The plot is based on the script of the Broadway musical, that delves into the difficult situations they had to go through and their success.
The renowned director wanted to bring the emotions of the stage to the big screen, so he chose to cast some of the Broadway cast. The band's leader, Frankie Valli, was played by John Lloyd Young, who had already won a Tony award for his role on stage.
Should Be Added: J. Edgar (2011)
Eastwood directs Leonardo DiCaprio, who makes a credible Hoover by concentrating on Hoover as an individual. J. Edgar is a biopic that focuses on one event: the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's son and how this event represented a rapid rise in the influence of this character.
The story told in this way manages to go deeper into the person, deviating from a general story that would have described only slightly the life of Hoover. It also helps the director to approach the plot through layers, where the obsessive personality of the main character is highlighted, along with his achievements.
On Netflix: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (1966)
The Western as a genre changed in Italy, with a variation in narrative, style and timing - films became known as Spaghetti Westerns. One of the most famous films of this time is The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, which can be seen on Netflix right now.
The Spaghetti Western changed some rules that had been imposed on the genre, where the main character always sought justice. Instead of being motivated by honor, the Spaghetti Western portrayed characters with more personal intentions. This film shows a wild and cruel period, with anti-heroes who deal with the different stereotypes imposed by the time.
Should Be Added: Richard Jewell (2019)
This is the director's most recent film, in which a normal man is exalted to the category of hero and later described as a villain. The film is based on a newspaper article, which relates the terrorist attacks of the 1996 Olympic Games.
The message in Richard Jewell can be applied today, 20 years later, to a reality where fake news is both regular and can question a person's actions. The consequences of false accusations are clearly seen in the film, particularly in the way they can destroy people's lives.
On Netflix: Sully (2016)
Clint Eastwood directs this film in his first participation with Tom Hanks, and together, they take the plot to a higher level. In this drama, the meaning of heroism in real life is debated, when a man intervenes to detract from the work of another.
Sully focuses on the investigation of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger when he made an emergency landing in the Hudson River after a group of geese hit the plane he was flying. After being hailed as a hero by the media, Sully must face a trial to determine whether or not he could have landed safely at the airport.
Should Be Added: The Mule (2018)
Another real-life story from Clint Eastwood is The Mule. Here, he not only directs, but also plays the main character: a ruined 80-year-old, who finds work as a driver and ends up trafficking drugs from the Sinaloa cartel.
The story, which is based on an article published in the New York Times, explores a contradictory character who moves in a reactionary way. Eastwood gives the audience a great performance, after a season away from his role as an actor.
On Netflix: Dirty Harry (1971)
This film is based on the novel Dead Right by Rita M. Fink and Harry Julian, inspired by a series of murders committed in San Francisco. The crime thriller shows a society in which the failures of the judicial system cause a police officer to go beyond the permissible barriers to enforce the law.
The film is raw and violent and shows a reality without camouflage. In Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood builds one of the most iconic characters of his acting career and is accompanied by Andy Robinson, who manages to play one of the most remembered murderers in the history of cinema.
Should Be Added: The Bridges Of Madison County (1995)
This is one of Eastwood's best-known films in which he acts, directs and produces. The plot is based on Robert James Waller's novel, which tells the life of a lonely housewife who meets a National Geographic photographer with whom she falls in love.
The story begins after the protagonist's death, when her children find the diary in which she narrates her four days with this great love. Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood make a powerful film with great sensitivity and the love of these characters can be perceived at all times. In this way, they become one of the most memorable couples in Hollywood.
On Netflix: Mystic River (2003)
This is one of the most important stories of Clint Eastwood's career as a director. It shows the misery, the hopelessness and the ugly parts of the human soul. Eastwood examines the nature of man, justice and forgiveness through three characters marked by trauma.
Violence plays an important role in the film, where all the characters have experienced it in one way or another. On the other hand, guilt affects the protagonists' minds, concerning the three friends stuck in a past they cannot overcome.
Should Be Added: Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
This is one of the most important films in Eastwood's filmography, in which he works again with director Don Siegel, after Dirty Harry. The plot is based on the book by J. Campbell Bruce, which highlights the escape of three men from Alcatraz.
The script and direction focused on the escape plan, in detail, makes the viewer feel the claustrophobia of prison confinement. One of the greatest successes of the film was actually filming in Alcatraz itself, which helped the film achieve greater realism. In addition, the audience is allowed to decide on the fate of the protagonists, allowing the film to end with impeccable precision.