Warner Bros. // 2010 // 21 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Appellate Judge James A. Stewart // February 16th, 2010
"Last summer, we did something we never thought to do before. We wandered the Warner lot, collecting Clint's reminiscences of his many years making films at the studio." -- Richard Schickel, on the genesis of The Eastwood Factor
[Editor's Note: The Eastwood Factor is one of several bonus features on Warner Home Video's Clint Eastwood: 35 Films, 35 Years. WHV did not provide final product for the collector's set, and only sent over a check disc for this documentary.]
To contradict a movie title, Clint Eastwood's impact on Hollywood hasn't been sudden. He first became a household name as cowhand Rowdy Yates on Rawhide, but that role only showed hints of his future as "The Man With No Name" in spaghetti Westerns, Dirty Harry Callahan, and the honored director of Million Dollar Baby and Bird, the aspects of his career examined in The Eastwood Factor.
In Factor, Eastwood visits the Warner Bros. lot, talking to a costumer about his outfits from Dirty Harry and Unforgiven, visits the New York street backlot set of Bird, and visits the set for a key scene from Million Dollar Baby. Each of these scenes is used as a springboard for an examination of his films, particularly Mystic River, Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, Bird, and Million Dollar Baby.
What struck me most during this documentary was the contrast between the tough onscreen Clint Eastwood in clips -- even in an early Maverick appearance -- and the good-natured Clint Eastwood of reality. Not only is antihero persona well-crafted, but it's an outward sign of a thoughtful actor and filmmaker.
What you see here is only a work in progress, as Richard Schickel says in an introduction; a longer version will be included in a collector's edition of Eastwood's movies. I was impressed with what I saw -- it could stand up on its own -- and have high expectations for the final result. Still, it's just a rough draft.
What's here is acquitted, but I'm disappointed that I couldn't see more for a final verdict.
Review content copyright © 2010 James A. Stewart; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2012 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Judgment: 84
Perp Profile
Studio: Warner Bros.
Video Formats:
* 1.78:1 Anamorphic
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 21 Minutes
Release Year: 2010
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* None
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/