(soft music)
Downloaded from YTS.MX
Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX
(upbeat music)
(gun fires)
I like the story a lot.
I like what it said.
And I like the morality of it.
(upbeat music)
I always say, "Okay, Clint,
"are you ready to retire this year?"
He says, "No, are you?"
I say, "No."
I'm waiting for the phone call
where Clint says he's hanging up to spurs.
That's never gonna happen.
(upbeat music)
[Narrator] In the world of cinema,
there are a few names as enduring and iconic
as Clint Eastwood.
(camera flashes) (upbeat music)
- [Interviewer] Mr. Eastwood, how you doing tonight?
(reports chattering)
(gun fires)
- He's a truly, truly gifted professional filmmaker.
(camera flashes) (upbeat music)
No matter how successful he gets,
he's a wonderful human being.
- He's one of those characters that you just go,
you walk away after talking to Clint and go,
and you feel kind of better about humanity.
- [Narrator] His career spans over six decades.
And his journey from a struggling actor
to a Hollywood legend
is nothing short of remarkable.
- Who has been more influential towards film,
towards independent actors and filmmakers
making their own mark to people having integrity
and making strong stands and supporting their country.
I mean this man embodies all of those things.
(upbeat music)
(gun corks) (gun fires)
(wind whooshing)
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Clint Eastwood, nicknamed Samson
was born on May 31st, 1930 in San Francisco, California.
(jazz music)
(soft music)
[Announcer] October 29th, 1929,
black Tuesday.
The New York Stock Exchange is in a panic.
Frantic investors have scrambled
to unload their stocks at any price
everyone wants to sell.
No one wants to buy.
Suddenly, even the most guilt edged securities
are practically valueless.
The stock market crash has come
and the Great Depression has begun.
- [Narrator] Son of Ruth Wood and Clinton Eastwood, Sr.
He was raised in a working class family
during the Great Depression.
The young Eastwood's modest beginnings
shape the strong work ethic and resilience
that would define his life.
(soft music)
The family had relocated three times
in order for work to be found.
(soft music)
Finally, they settled in Piedmont, California
where their quality of living would significantly improve.
As each member of the family would find work.
(soft music)
Clint found education a chore,
opting to avoid studying altogether in order to have fun.
On multiple occasions, he was punished due to infractions
and even kicked out of Piedmont High
for writing obscenities on the athletic school board
and burning an effigy on the lawn.
(soft music)
(upbeat music)
(gun fires)
(upbeat music)
(tires screeching)
(upbeat music)
[Announcer] Aces of the comedy field
in 1921 is Ben Turpin.
That's Irene Rich poorly exiting from the scene.
Nazimova who apparently left her half of home.
(upbeat music)
Bacon 28, the talkies gonna affirm a different Hollywood.
Production methods of equipment are revolutionized,
fundamental with soundproof booths,
ironically nicknamed ice box.
[Narrator] The 1930s would be known
as the start of Hollywood's Golden Age.
Huge studios were established
in order to capture grandiose narratives.
And for an average of 27 cents, a theater ticket
movies would serve as a vacation
from the harsh reality of the financial crisis.
(upbeat music)
[Announcer] Created by Ken Murray.
The four Marx Brothers are invited
to put their footprints
in the four court of Grauman's Chinese Theater.
From left to right, Turpin guess who presents
the male acting award.
(upbeat music)
Sonja Henie makes a speedy debut in, "One in a Million."
And Byron Power jr, becomes the newest dramatic sensation.
[Announcer] On the ground,
all along a highly fluid battle line,
vicious fighting continued
between the Red Invaders and the UN defenders.
- [Announcer] For every prisoner taken on Bacio,
we would find hundreds of thousands of fanatical Japanese
between Tara and Tokyo,
who were ready to fight to the death.
(soft music)
- [Narrator] The 1950s had Eastwood participate
in the military during the Korean War.
After basic training, Eastwood became a swimming instructor
at Fort Ord, California.
(soft music)
After his military service, he moved to Los Angeles,
where he met a photographer called Chuck Hill.
Upon noticing Eastwood's stunning features
and demeanor, he recommended the ex-army man go into acting
regardless of his non-existent experience.
(soft music)
Before long Eastwood was working with Universal Pictures
on a $75 a week contract,
taking acting classes to prepare him for the camera.
(soft music)
Unfortunately, the aspiring actor was starting to lose hope.
Jobs had started to dry up.
However, one day on a fluke, he met Rex Reed
whilst drinking coffee in Universal's cafeteria.
Rex offered Eastwood a screen test
for an upcoming CBS TV show.
(soft music)
As though it was meant to be, Eastwood accepted the offer
and his career would begin.
- [Announcer] California bankers were among the first
to recognize the enormous possibilities
of the motion picture industry,
and it was they who supplied the capital,
which to a large extent made possible
the now historic development of the movies
at the new art form.
(soft music)
- Another English girl has already made a name
for herself in TV westerns,
Hazel Court of "Dick and the Duchess."
- [Interviewer] Have you had fun making westerns?
- Yes. I made my first about month ago called "Bonanza."
And well, through the style I got up on the horse,
and the horse took off with me way off into the mountains,
and they told me, the wranglers said that,
"Oh, riding a western horse is just the same
"as riding an English horse."
But of course it isn't.
And I was doing everything wrong,
and suddenly the horse took off at me
and I yelled like mad screamed, which I shouldn't have done
because the Indians screamed
to make the horses go faster, you see.
[Interviewer] And it ran away with you?
Oh way out into the mountains.
(soft music)
- Think I grew up in the thirties and forties
and westerns were, every kid wanted to be in the Western
and every kid wanted to pack a gun and ride a horse.
So as a kid, I liked it very much.
But you know, there was no television in those days.
So everything, movies were followed much,
you know, closer.
- [Interviewer] Did you have the B Western stars?
Did you have any favorite guys?
Any guys you liked?
You know, I liked anything.
When people think back in your own life,
you think back in an experience
like being in the army or something.
You think of only the good times.
You don't think of all the lousy times.
(gun corks) (gun fires)
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Eastwood's early acting career
was characterized by small roles in films
and television series.
His breakthrough came when he landed the role
of Rowdy Yates in the popular TV series "Rawhide."
This role introduced him to a wide audience
and set the stage for his journey into Hollywood stardom.
The show ran for eight seasons,
and the name Clint Eastwood was gaining popularity.
(upbeat music)
It was in the 1960s that Eastwood achieved
international fame through a series
of iconic spaghetti westerns directed by Sergio Leone.
These films, including "A Fistful of Dollars,"
or "A Few Dollars More."
And "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"
showcased Eastwood as the stoic and mysterious
man with no name.
His strong silent persona
punctuated by the infamous Cigarillo,
became an enduring symbol of the Wild West.
(upbeat music)
(crowd chattering)
[Man] I'd Forgotten how I felt about it.
- [Man] Somebody said that they missed this.
(crowd chattering)
[Announcer] You may not remember this.
It's the old station from "Gone With the Wind."
It's come in handy again this time in a TV series.
And that, as they say, seems to be the way
the cookie crumbles in Hollywood these days.
(upbeat music)
At 20th Century Fox Studios Tom asked
film producer Jerry Wald
whether Hollywood was now the TV capital of the world.
No, I think that's quite wrong.
I think they'll be making television films here,
but you'll find that Hollywood will always remain
in the position of manufacturing anywhere
from 200 to 300 films, feature films a year.
They're making television pictures here,
but television pictures are mainly half hour films
and they're really, television has become the assembly line.
Television erased the beat pictures
and beat pictures are now seen on television.
In fact, we have a joke in Hollywood
that if you wanna see a television
where you'll see all the films
that you've been trying to avoid in the theaters.
[Interviewer] That is the appeal.
- I don't know, it's pure escapism, I think.
Escape to a different time in history and fantasy
kind of deals and the day
when the law and order was all built about the individual.
How well he took care of himself.
[Interviewer] Yeah. Yeah.
- So I think that's a fantasy that we don't have anymore.
And you can't have in no organized society.
[Interviewer] Yeah.
[Narrator] The spaghetti westerns
became prevalent in cinema
standing, the test of time.
Their traits would go on to be homaged
in many films to come.
There's a very haunting quality
that he puts on top of the classic American Western,
like "High Noon" and things like that.
With the way he uses music
and the way he uses, it just gives it a more
sense of longing.
(static hissing)
- If you shoot me, you won't see a cent of that money.
[Narrator] From the final showdown in,
"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,"
we see three conflicting ideals come together.
The tension rises with the beautifully executed sound design
and back and forth cuts, closeups on the actor's eyes
and their weaponry, coining the term cowboy shot.
As the camera is positioned after holsters
awaiting the inevitable climax.
(suspenseful music)
(gun fires)
(man falls)
Eastwood's onscreen presence commanded power.
When the audience hears.
Get three coffins ready
Huh
[Narrator] In, "A Fist Full of Dollars."
We prepare ourselves for a masterclass
in visual storytelling reminiscent
of the late Akira Kurosawa's works.
Eastwood is outnumbered, and yet with ease,
he controls the scene from the pacing to the emotion.
With ease, the opposition is dispatched.
(upbeat music)
Sergio Leone saw something in Clint Eastwood
that was truly unique.
He had this natural charisma and presence
that was perfect for the Western genre.
Their collaboration forever changed the course
of both their careers.
(upbeat music)
[Interviewer] I think it was the appeal.
- I don't know, it's pure escapism I think,
escape to a different time in history
and fantasy kind of deals.
And in the day when the law and order
was all built about the individual,
how well he took care of himself.
So I think that's a fantasy that we don't have anymore,
and we can have it in an organized society.
Asked me if I wanted to go to Italy
and make a western a remake of a Japanese film.
And I said, "No, I really don't."
I said, "I'm doing a Western now
"and it's on TV every week."
I said "And we have a little hiatus
"and I'd just like to have a few days off
"go fishing or something."
I read the script, they asked me to read the script
as a favor to the head of William Morris involved.
And I read it and I said, "Hey, this is Yojimbo."
I remember that I was a big fan of Curtis Olive Yojimbo,"
and I thought, at the time I saw that,
I thought, "That would make a great westerner,
"but nobody would have a nerve enough to do it physically."
Because it was so kind of wild.
I've never been to Spain.
And we did a lot of it in Spain,
I went over there and it was a very small picture.
It was made for 200,000.
I did the other two pictures there every year.
And by that time, Sergio had more money
to put in production.
I made those which were fantasy lessons.
I mean, they were more operative lessons.
[Interviewer] Yeah, yeah.
But very stylized.
And Sergio was great for picking faces.
[Interviewer] Yeah. Yeah.
- Just looking at things a little different,
working with a European director in Switzerland.
- [Interviewer] Were you surprised that those Italian films
took off the way they did?
- Yeah. I didn't even know they were there.
I did those and they came out and they stylized it.
I didn't know it was gonna be a hit.
It was made under the title of "El Magnifico Extranjero."
[Interviewer] Huh.
And so I didn't think about it.
And I'd read Variety and they would say,
"Westerns are out in Italy," and all this.
So I said, "Oh, well, I make one and they're out."
And then all of a sudden they started printing it
"A Fist Full of Dollars."
I had no idea it was the one I was in.
[Interviewer] Oh, you didn't know.
Yeah. So it was a hit picture
and all of a sudden one day,
somebody put in their star in Clint Eastwood,
and I'd never seen that before.
Except on television.
And I thought, "This couldn't be the one."
Yeah. It turned out to be the one.
(Interviewer laughs)
[Narrator] While Eastwood was making
a name for himself in the spaghetti westerns,
he took on another iconic role in the early 1970s
that of Detective Harry Callahan in "Dirty Harry."
The character was a departure from his Western persona,
but still embodied the strong morally ambiguous hero
that audiences love.
The film series was a massive success
and solidified Eastwood status as a Hollywood superstar.
During this time, it was confirmed
that Eastwood was the highest paid actor in the world.
(soft music)
One of the most famous lines in cinematic history.
[Clint] Do I feel lucky?
Well, do you punk?
- [Narrator] Became synonymous with Clint Eastwood
and "Dirty Harry."
(alarm wails)
Go ahead.
Make my day.
(soft music)
- [Narrator] The film industry was at an all time high.
The 1970s provided the world with new directors
set on encapsulating the human condition,
such as the rise of Martin Scorsese,
Kubrick, Spielberg, Franc Ford Coppola
and many more.
(soft music)
Eastwood's acting prowess
extended beyond his tough guy roles.
As his career evolved, he ventured into a variety of genres
proving his versatility as an actor.
Films like "The Bridges of Madison County"
showcased his dramatic depth
while, "Every Which Way But Loose"
and its sequel demonstrated his comedic chops.
[Announcer] It's no joke,
it's Eastwood like you've never seen him before.
And a new film called
♪ Every which way but loose ♪
♪ You turn me ♪
♪ Every which way but Loose ♪
♪ Inside the fires burning me ♪
♪ In my mind ♪
♪ You just keep turning me ♪
There can't be too many guys
driving around this valley with an ape.
(soft music)
[Clint] I didn't do anything anymore.
I've worked for many years.
I guess there must be several thousand movies
that I've worked on.
(whimsical music)
The first image you have of many of your favorite films
is probably a Bill Gold creation.
(whimsical music)
I have to analyze the problem.
What is the movie about?
What is the story about?
What is it trying to say?
Whatever this style of the movie is,
what kind of an audience I want to appeal to.
So they get some sort of an inkling
about what the film is gonna represent, should look like.
We knew it was this, handcuffed couple
and the barricade of police.
(upbeat music)
I'll usually read a script,
or I'll go and see footage of the movie.
I would try to decide what would be the most
marketable thing to say about this movie
and to project it into a piece of art.
Now, this is what we did for the poster
for "Bridges of Madison County."
The photographer on the set
took this shot of Clint
with his little baby.
He loved the lighting and he loved the
embrace quality of it.
So I said, "Gee, maybe we can do something like that."
We got Meryl Streep to come down
and she brought with her one of her assistants,
and he held her in the right position.
We put it together and photoshopped.
- I think when I first started out in the Dollar films,
people were saying, critics at that time were saying,
"Well, who's this upstart?
"What's he doing in this?
"What's the idea?
"How dare these Italians make a American Western film?
"And who's his television actor hanging out?"
And then when I started directing films,
people were going, "We're not sure
"we accept him as an actor.
"What's he doing now, he's gonna direct films?"
But I think what happens is
with the advent of cinema schools,
which they never had when I started out,
at least not in the way they have them today.
Everyone, including reviewers of stuff,
have come up with much more knowledge
and much more history of films.
So I think nowadays,
people are approaching it a lot differently.
And a lot of current reviewers have grown up more
with some have dated in my films
or first dates or whatever, you know,
some certain formative periods in their life.
So I'm not an upstart to them.
I'm somebody who's been there for 'em for a long time.
(gun corks) (gun fires)
(upbeat music)
[Narrator] Clint Eastwood's transition
from actor to director was a pivotal moment in his career.
He made his directorial debut with "Play Misty For Me"
in 1971 and never look back.
(soft music)
Being completely smothered by somebody.
(upbeat music)
[Narrator] There's no escaping passion.
(door bangs) (upbeat music)
(car engine revving) (upbeat music)
There's no escaping speed.
(upbeat music)
There's no escape from terror.
(upbeat music)
You will change the locks hm?
So nobody asks you.
(soft music)
[Narrator] Eastwood's directorial style
was marked by a minimalist approach,
emphasizing strong storytelling and character development.
To him, the art was everything.
(soft music)
From his on screen presence,
Eastwood made a successful foray into political elections.
Eastwood served as the mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea,
a small town in California from 1986 to 1988.
During his tenure, he focused on improving
the city's infrastructure and made efforts
to reduce local government regulations.
- [Narrator] Some fear the system encourages
celebrity mayors like Clint Eastwood,
former mayor of Carmel in California.
- He says and I think you have to believe that
his only ambition is for Carmel
and really can't imagine this tiny little place
in springboard, with anybody in college.
I think more people live on my block.
- [Interviewer] Now, why does entertainment industry
go for politics?
Is it an ego thing you know of?
Well, they get a lot of ego satisfaction
in the entertainment business itself.
I think to some degree it's that given the nature
of modern politics in the States,
the skills are somewhat similar.
It's getting up and giving the same speech
to a thousand rubber chicken circuit dinners
and being convincing and being sincere on television.
Political aspirations for Carmel.
And I did a two year term as mayor,
opted not to run for election again.
So because I felt that somebody else should do it,
that I think there's something unhealthy
about people who get in politics for life.
I think they get very much in a rut,
and I'm much for a term limitation.
(soft music)
[Narrator] Over the years,
Eastwood directed a series of critically acclaimed films
with a release of "Unforgiven" in 1992.
Not only had Clint nominated for best actor,
but also won him the Oscar for Best Director.
- [Interviewer] You've only done two westerns in 20 years.
What made you decide to crack and do it again?
Just a good story. I like this one
and I've been saving it to do now.
Who knows if and when we do another Western again,
'cause sometimes you don't find good material.
It's just a great Americana.
We've been raised on 'em.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
(audience applauds)
Thank you.
(audience applauds)
[Interviewer] Congratulations.
[Clint] Thank you.
[Interviewer] A lot of people said
that when the "Unforgiven" was made,
it was sort of homage to the westerns of the past.
How do you feel about the fact
that they don't make very many westerns anymore?
And how do you feel the westerns
have fit into our film Heritage?
- Well, I don't know if it was a homage to the past,
maybe an homage to the future of westerns,
but it sort of de mythological them.
And that was intended.
But that doesn't mean I wanna really stop 'em
because I think they're a truly great American art form.
And I'd like to wish anybody who takes 'em on great luck
and possibly if they can get a scripts
as good as David Webb Peoples had written for me,
then they'll be equally as successful and have a great time.
(audience applauds)
- [Announcer] A triple nominee in the leading actor
and directing categories.
And as producer of the best picture nominee "Unforgiven"
Clint Eastwood.
(audience applauds)
[Interviewer] How did that come to you?
- Well, it was a given to me as a sample script
for David People's work, this was back in 1980.
And it was given to me as a sample,
they said, "This guy's a wonderful writer."
And I was looking for a wonderful writer on another project.
I started reading it and I liked it,
and I said, "Boy, this is wonderful."
Well, somebody else is doing it.
And I said, "Okay, we'll figure the writer
"for something else then."
And it turns out that the script was available.
And so I bought it.
And Warners bought it on my behalf.
I slipped it in a drawer.
I said, "This would be a great last Western for me."
And I'd done quite a few westerns up to that point.
I said, this would be a great last one
because of the nature of the story
and the, you know,
the heartedness of the man and everything.
And then all of a sudden,
about 10 years later,
I woke up and said, "Jesus, I've still got that
"in the drawer."
So I took it out of the drawer and reread it
and liked it even more.
- [Interviewer] What are you feeling right now?
Are you excited or is this just another accolade
from Hollywood?
- No, I'm excited because we can forget about this
and go on to something else.
I mean, like, back to work.
Every director I've ever worked for
has been an inspiration.
And Sergio going to Europe gave me another look,
another outlook at our own genre of the West,
which we'd previously only looked at
through the eyes of John Ford and Hawks
and Anthony Mann and John Sturgis
and all these wonderful directors.
I like the story a lot.
I like what it said,
I like the morality of it,
and I have done as well as I've seen it over many years.
And a lot of stories that didn't have much morality,
but they did have a lot of just entertainment values.
- It's very much a grownup's western, I think
if youngsters who are only interested
in a movie to the shoot 'em ups
might find it a little meandering
in that it is slow to build.
It's a real sort of visually lyrical LJ's sort of western.
(soft music)
- [Narrator] In 2004, Eastwood starred in and directed
"Million Dollar Baby"
a film that earned him accolades and awards,
including the Academy Award for Best Director.
This marked a turning point in his career
as he was now recognized not only as a talented actor,
but also as a formidable director.
- It's a little tricky. I started doing it in 1970
with a "Play Misty."
And the only reason I did it then
is that was the only way I could get the job
is directing, is to be in the film.
So I went ahead and did it,
and I just got used to it over the years.
I've done several films without being in it,
and it's much easier and it's much more pleasant.
And I'll probably end up doing that more in the future.
But in the case of "Unforgiven,"
I like the script very much.
I purchased it
and it's very hard to turn it over
to somebody else's concept
after you've invested that much time and effort in it.
(piano playing)
- [Narrator] Being an accomplished jazz musician.
Eastwood found himself writing his own score
for "Mystic River."
A 2003 release, shortly followed
by the critically acclaimed "Letters from Iwo Jima"
and "Grand Torino."
Picture turned out to be a success.
So I figured maybe this would be good to quit on top,
unlike most people who sort of drift down to the end
or like a price fighter who fights one too many fights
or something.
But then "Gran Torino" came along.
It seemed like an interesting part.
It was from a man my age, I forget it wasn't stretching
that much, so I decided to, yeah,
I'll go ahead and have a shot.
I'm still say that, I mean,
I might do 10 rolls if some 10 rolls great roles came up,
but I don't know how many great roles there are
for a guy who's 38.
(audience laughs)
And so you just don't know.
So you just, you just never say never.
(soft music)
He allows me as an actor
to bring out my character very much
and he allows me to take the time
to kind of just live the impulse of the role
I play Spider in "Gran Torino."
- [Interviewer] So did you learn a lot from him?
He's certainly a legend.
Yeah. One of the main thing I learned
is how to hold a gun straight ahead.
So, you know, that's one of the main thing
that he taught me how to hold a gun.
Because I keep tilting it, but he's like,
"Hold it straight, firm."
But besides that, you know, a lot of patience
and a lot of just leadership.
And I mean like surrounding yourself with him.
He's a really wise man
and you just surrounded by a guy like that.
It's a big impact in my life. So.
- I had always planned when I started directing in 1970
that after a few years,
I'd get tired of looking at myself on the screen
and say, "Well, okay, let's not do that anymore."
But I just continued on,
every once in a while something pops up
and I'm not saying it won't happen again,
but probably odds get less
as you set yourself for the roles
that fit your age group.
(tape reeling)
Acting is an ensemble art form.
And so that's what it's all about,
is interacting with other people
and making scenes come to life
like they would in real life
as near to real life as possible.
And that's the whole deal.
So it's very nice.
- It was Clint sort of quite obsessive about that.
I mean, it looks so you go into that world, that period.
So totally.
I think what he was saying.
He vaguely remembered his mom and it was more the thirties,
but that she had a similar green dress.
So I think he had some kind of,
so it wasn't as much a duty to that time.
It was really a love and an interest.
And he grew up in Los Angeles
and it was more the history of Los Angeles.
And I think he, you know, everybody was kind
of curious about that time.
It's a very interesting time in Los Angeles.
And even forgetting the corruption,
just the detail of the twenties
and what the twenties were like
for people in the red car and the.
But it was, you know, he has a great team and so it's Clint,
but it's also the art director and the DP
and everybody who just did their job so well.
- [Narrator] Clint Eastwood's impact on the world of cinema
extends far beyond his own work.
He has inspired countless filmmakers and actors
with his dedication to storytelling
and his ability to craft compelling narratives,
actors and directors around the globe
would speak highly of this versatile superstar.
[Interviewer] Do you think this movie
has particular relevance today
with, we were about to inaugurate
the first African American president?
- Could be, and it also relates to the economy
and the depressed state of the automobile industry
and the retirees and people learning things
and tolerance about your neighbor
and all kinds of different things.
- [Interviewer] You didn't write this film,
they didn't write it for you, but they said
nobody else really could have played that role.
How do you feel about the writer saying that?
Oh, I agree with him.
(crowd laughs)
- [Interviewer] Now you must be very privileged to play,
probably the unofficial first lady of South Africa
at that time, it was an incredible part.
She kind of was for a bit, wasn't she?
Yeah. Before Grace Machel came on to the scene. Yeah.
And she's, I kind of think of her a bit like a bossy sister
who's kind of going, "No, no, come on, come on.
"This is what we're supposed to be doing.
"We're supposed to be doing policy,
"we're supposed to be doing health and education
"and housing and employment
"and HIV/Aids and stuff like that."
And suddenly Mandela is doing rugby,
you know, rugby, what's that for?
Because she doesn't get that he's got the political nice
to use the vehicle of rugby as a way
of bringing the country together.
Because the Spring books was seen as
the Whites Africana team.
Rugby wasn't a sport that was paid by a lot of Black kids.
It wasn't seen as anything to do
with Black South Africans.
So for Mandela to decide that he was gonna use the rugby
as a way of saying, "No, this is our team, actually,
"it's not a White team, it's a South African team.
"We are all South Africans now.
"That's what democracy means.
"We're all South Africans.
"So I'm gonna wear the green on gold
"and we're gonna support this team."
It's fantastic.
But then to go on and win the Rugby World Cup,
the first time of asking
it's just kind of, it's like a benediction
sort of going, "Yes. A Nation that is together
"is the way forward."
Morgan Freeman, I've followed his career
for many, many years.
I remember my son when, who's now 41,
I remember when he was just a little kid.
And we would sit there and we would watch
the electric company together.
And here was this big tall rangy guy,
and he danced, he sang,
he read poems, he did everything.
And then later on, as the years went by,
I watched "Street Smart,"
where he was the meanest guy on the planet
and then turned around and then all of a sudden
he's the nicest guy on the planet
in the "Driving Miss Daisy."
And he's just,
(audience applauds)
he's just had such a wonderful career.
And unfortunately in the early nineties,
I got to ride along with him.
He rode along with me, both and "Unforgiven,"
and then later on in the "Million Dollar Baby."
(audience applauds)
And I'll tell you something,
there's nobody better to ride along with you.
And we just did "Invictus" together
where he played the President of South Africa,
Nelson Mandela.
(audience applauds)
And he's played presidents before, though.
He played president of the United States,
and he's played God.
He's played everything.
I don't know, there's really not much you could say
about someone who can play all those roles.
You hear him in voiceovers and everything
because he has probably got one of the smoothest deliveries
of anybody on the planet.
He's one of our greatest actors.
Always has been, always probably will be.
And so I'd like to introduce my friend
and somebody I have great regard for,
and that's Morgan Freeman.
(audience applauds)
- [Narrator] Beyond his contributions to cinema,
Clint Eastwood is also known for his philanthropic efforts.
He has been actively involved in several charitable causes,
including veteran support and disaster relief.
His commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
also provided the youth with extracurricular
activities after school.
(soft music)
Beyond working as a board director
for the California State Parks Foundation in 2001,
Eastwood continued his endeavors
supporting environmental conservation projects.
(soft music)
It was noticeable that Eastwood derive from his passions
and embedded them into his storytelling
with a strong love for aviation.
Eastwood worked with American sweetheart, Tom Hanks
on "Sully: Miracle on the Hudson,"
a beloved film by many due to the inspiration
of events which took place in January, 2009.
"Miracle on the Hudson."
And that was kind of a good omen in a bad period.
And it happened 102nd type of takeoff.
We lost thrust in both engines.
(audience applauds)
Boss. Thank you.
There you go.
- There you go. - How about that?
I think it's fabulous.
- That's fabulous. - Fantastic.
- You take it. - Alright. Yes, sir.
- I'm just gonna step back. - All right.
That's the longest Clint Eastwood
has talked to an actor in over 40 films.
(audience laughs)
- [Narrator] Eastwood would keep true to his ability
to build tension in cinema
by taking what he had learned on camera,
he would craft masterful sequences
in order to raise the stakes
and in turn, the audience's heartbeat.
"American Sniper" in 2016
featured a sequence many deemed to be nerve wracking
as Bradley Cooper's character, Chris Kyle
aims down his scope.
We are left in fear as a child
picks up their former comrades, RPG.
The audience feels every moment of the scene,
the sheer intensity that a young life might be lost.
Luckily, no shot is fired.
- My whole philosophy in the filmmaking has been
surround yourself with the best people
and let 'em make it look good.
And that's all there is to it, really.
Everybody wants some secret
as far as how to direct films,
and that's just to make sure you've got the right people
around you and everything else kind of follows suit.
Howard, I've always thought of you
as a small, weak and gutless man,
but you know, there's no reason to be rude.
(soft music)
You owe me, Mike.
You gave me your word.
And that used to mean something.
(gun corks) (gun fires)
(wind whooshing)
(soft music)
[Narrator] As Clint Eastwood
enters his ninth decade of life,
he continues to work in the film industry.
His recent projects such as "The Mule"
and "Cry Macho," prove that age is no barrier
to his passion for storytelling.
I'm thrilled he's still working.
I'm glad that he keeps, you know, learning and expanding
and keeps wanting to tell stories and do this.
I mean, I think, you know, if he retired,
he would probably drop dead
because you know, those people that like retire
and a week later it's like all over.
It's so much ingrained in him
and he is so passionate about it
that I want him to work forever
because I think it'll keep him lively and young.
Being that he's an actor,
he kind sets it up so it happens by itself.
It's the best way of doing it.
I mean, okay, we're doing this,
and you are gonna come over here,
let's just see what happens.
How he likes to work as an actor sets it up
for other actors to have that same experience.
- You know, I guess that would be the best way.
- And you know, the movie was shot in Atlanta in the summer,
so it was very, very hot.
And his stamina was incredible.
I mean, it was kind of close through it, you know,
no special treatment, you know.
Lunch break, go eat with the crew, go back to work.
Yeah. Incredible. Truly.
- It's funny, it's edgy. He's hilarious in it.
And he makes you feel so much in this movie
and it's gonna tug at everybody's strings.
(soft music)
- [Narrator] Despite his incredible journey
and numerous achievements,
Clint Eastwood remains humble.
A true testament to his character.
In the world of cinema, Clint Eastwood
is not just a legendary actor and director.
He is an enduring symbol of resilience,
versatility and determination.
His iconic roles, both in front and behind the lens,
have solidified him as a powerhouse of the arts.
(soft music)
His efforts towards humanitarianism
have been nothing short of exceptional,
leaving no doubt that his legacy will live forever.
- Age is, I've sort of planned on not working
at this particular time in life,
but nobody can plan on what they're gonna do
when you reach my age of 49,
(audience laughs)
39, whatever Jack Benny was.
I just feel that I am enjoying work as more now
than I ever have or just as much certainly.
And I'm at an age where I can take on more challenges
than I have in the past because-
- He's one of those characters that you just go,
you walk away after talking to Clint and go
and you feel kind of better about humanity.
He's a gentleman
I guess there's things to learn from him
and maybe he's looking to learn how to,
you know, deliver a line, who knows it's his next facet.
(reports chattering)
Also at this age, you could forget more.
But I'm trying to avoid that.
And I just enjoy it.
I enjoy the process and I enjoy making films
from behind the camera equally
as to that of being in front of the camera
on all those years.
(soft music)
But I just enjoy it. That's all.
I've been lucky enough to work in a profession
that I have really liked.
And so I figured I'll just continue
until somebody hits me over the head and says, "Get out."
- [Interviewer] But Matt, you always look very handy
when you're perhaps in Europe.
(soft music)
- There are no aliens or asteroids in Clint's films
over the last half century.
From "Bird" to "Unforgiven," to "Mystic River,"
to "Million Dollar Baby," to "Flags of our Fathers"
and "Letters of Iwo Jima" to "J. Edgar."
He's accumulated a body of work
that has left an indelible imprint on our culture.
It is perfectly fitting that we are honoring Clint Eastwood
here tonight in an art museum for his many things,
an actor, a filmmaker, a producer,
a composer, but chiefly and most undeniably,
he is a true artist.
(audience applauds)
(soft music)