Clint: A Retrospective
There’s no paucity of books on Eastwood. Indeed, Time film critic Schickel penned a substantive biography in 1997. What sets his new effort apart is his intimate familiarity with Eastwood and his work. Schickel’s known the star for 33 years and begins here with a lengthy introduction that serves as an overview of his career while it recounts revealing personal moments with Eastwood. A chronological, film-by-film account of his oeuvre follows, from the mid-1960s Italian spaghetti westerns and his breakthrough (the moment when a star becomes a superstar) in Dirty Harry to his recent, commercially bold treatments of race relations, Gran Torino and Invictus. Schickel assesses each movie with breezy insight, justly praising landmarks like Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby but not letting friendship prevent honest appraisal of such lesser achievements as Pink Cadillac and The Rookie. Some 300 photos, many from behind the scenes, take up as much space as the text. A lavish tribute to Eastwood’s singular career, which no other actor-director since Chaplin has equaled in terms of commercial and artistic success. --Gordon Flagg