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Actor, producer, composer and director, Clint Eastwood defies categorization. Rigorously reassessing himself with each new project, his work continues to evolve and develop in unexpected directions. From the outset, Eastwood's performance in Sergio Leone's « Dollars » trilogy conjured up the iconic figure of the silent mercenary, while the « Dirty Harry » films redefined the crime genre. In 1971 he turned to directing with Play Misty for Me. Working his way up step by step, Eastwood has gained unanimous recognition from audiences and critics alike. « Today », Eastwood explains, « I do What I want to do and the way I want to do it. It took me some time to get there. »
Eastwood on Eastwood, which is the fruit of a nearly thirty-year-long collaboration with Michael Henry Wilson, traces this development. Eastwood engages in question-and-answer sessions with lucidity and precision. How did the star of Sergio Leone and Don Siegel's cult films arrive at the decision to become a director ? Why did he choose to make unusual, sometimes risky projects, when he could have been resting on his laurels ? How did he manage to successfully create personal pictures in a system controlled by the studios ? What strategies enabled this legendary nonconformist to become one of the masters of contemporary American cinema ?
This dialogue with Wilson allows Eastwood to expand on the subjects closest to his heart : jazz and cinema, Carmel and Hollywood, America past and present. With intelligence, humor and modesty, he discusses each of his own films : his westerns, his crime films and his ballads and blues, right up to his most recent works, which continue to be uniquely original.
From Dirty Harry (1971) to Unforgiven (1992), from The Bridges of Madison County (1995) to Gran Torino (2008) and Invictus (2009), Eastwood on Eastwood offers a complete survey of his prolific career as an actor and as a director. This richly illustrated book includes numerous photographs from Eastwood's private collection, notably depicting his youth and early acting career. A biography and a filmography complete this reference work.
