Million Dollar Baby: Stunningly Brilliant

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2010)

If I'm not wrong, Million Dollar Baby was the first Clint Eastwood directed film I ever saw. A good number of years having passed since then, I recently decided to sit down and watch this again, to see if the original impression still stuck.
Having waitressed since her early teenage years, Maggie Fitzgerald has yearned for years to make it as a professional boxer. Introducing herself to aging trainer Frankie Dunn, she latches onto the crotchety sceptic, insisting he take her under his wing and refusing to take no for an answer.
As with all of his films, Eastwood's direction becomes instantly evident as a facet within the very first moments of Million Dollar Baby. The literal gritty darkness of his scenes form the basis of his work's appeal for me, the corresponding themes in no small part furthering this. Our early introduction to Dunn shows him as a classic Eastwood character of the latter day era: curmudgeonly; emotionless; granite- faced. His blank refusal to acquiesce to Maggie's unending requests comes as no surprise. The eager friendliness of Duff is a delight, her continual hope in spite of Eastwood's gruffness a bright and warm antithesis to his cold darkness. The inevitable change in this dynamic is well constructed, neatly avoiding the potential pitfall of seeming contrived and uncharacteristic. Fleeting moments of kindness punctuate Dunn's continuing harshness, gently developing him over the whole span of the film. Worth noting, most certainly, is Freeman. An exquisite supporting character, his Scrap is the sagacious guiding light of Dunn's conscience and morality, forging a formidable double act offering solid laughs as well as essential and unmissable dramatic scenes. The progress of Maggie's career is perhaps a little too cinematic, though never much the focus of the film. It relies constantly on the strength of the relationships of its characters, and on the fact that these are expressed almost wordlessly. Maggie's family, when we are unfortunate enough to encounter them, are sickeningly horrible people, telling us a great deal about her character in a most wonderful way. The film's final act is what sets it above most others: a beautiful, compelling, touching, unexpected, and masterful finale to a captivating character drama. Harder hitting than anyone in the film, it remains one of the most stunningly brilliant segues in cinematic history.
Bearing the hallmarks of Eastwood's ever exceptional direction, Million Dollar Baby combines a darkness in both lighting and subject matter with universally inimitable performances. Getting the very best from his actors as only he can, Eastwood takes us on an intoxicatingly enticing journey, dragging us through a minefield of emotion and giving us a truly unique experience, one of the best American cinema can offer.