One of the most successful actors and directors that the world has ever witnessed, Clint Eastwood remains a pop-culture icon even at the age of 94. Bursting onto the scene with his ice-cool breakout turn in Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy, Eastwood would go on to cement his status as cinema’s quintessential badᴀss with his bow as anti-hero cop Harry Callahan in the wildly popular Dirty Harry movie series. Complementing his best movie character roles with a string of acclaimed directorial efforts over the years, the American also boasts four Academy Award wins from 11 nominations.
A Western icon, many of Eastwood’s best movies take place within the genre he made his name in. However, the actor has also demonstrated a penchant for starring in or directing a number of prominent war movies throughout his career. Typically bringing his accomplished style of film making to the table with great effect, Eastwood’s performances, direction, or a combination of the two have been frequently lauded by fans and critics alike. While none of his war movie character roles rank among his highest grossing movies, the American’s most financially successful directorial outing even lies within the war genre.
9
Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
Starred In
A 1958 war outing from William A. Wellman, Lafayette Escadrille centers on the true story of the тιтular Air Force unit; a group of American volunteer pilots who fly on behalf of France during the First World War. The movie is notable for featuring Eastwood as minor supporting character George Mosely in just his third credited feature film appearance, but unfortunately, that’s about the only thing that Wellman’s picture has going for it.
While the movie’s array of death-defying aerial sequences received some praise, Lafayette Escadrille was largely panned by critics, with particular venom leveled towards the movie’s wooden dialog and contrived plot. In an even more unenviable accolade, the film was also disowned by all surviving members of the real-life Lafayette Escadrille, underlining its status as Eastwood’s weakest war film in sharp relief.
8
Firefox (1982)
Starred In And Directed
Based on the novel of the same name by Craig Thomas, 1982’s Firefox saw Eastwood direct and star in this action-thriller set against the backdrop of the Cold War. The man behind the Man with No Name stepped into the boots of Major Mitchell Gant on this occasion; a Vietnam War veteran pilot who is tasked with stealing the movie’s тιтular high-tech fighter aircraft. Invisible on radars, the Firefox also boasts weapons controlled by a brain-computer interface.
…Firefox often feels formulaic and predictable; a crying shame, given the apparent promise of its central narrative.
While Eastwood’s premise is undoubtedly gripping, Firefox’s execution ultimately left a lot to be desired. While the film had its moments, the unique panache that the American was known for bringing to his movies was nowhere to be found. As such, Firefox often feels formulaic and predictable; a crying shame, given the apparent promise of its central narrative.
7
Kelly’s Heroes (1970)
Starred In
A comedy-drama from Where Eagles Dare director Brian G. Hutton, 1970’s Kelly’s Heroes chronicles the unlikely tale of a heist during WWII. Eastwood stars as the тιтular Kelly, the disgraced leader of a rag-tag group of American soldiers who go AWOL to steal a vast trove of Nazi gold from a heavily fortified bank in a French town behind German lines.
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Brian G. Hutton & Clint Eastwood Movie Collaborations |
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Where Eagles Dare (1968) |
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Kelly’s Heroes (1970) |
Ambitiously subverting genre stereotypes, Hutton’s satirical take on the most costly armed conflict in history was well received by critics. Kelly’s Heroes deftly walks the line between laugh-out-loud comical and deathly serious, sidestepping its preposterous premise to produce a timeless gem. It’s a story that shouldn’t even begin to work on paper, but still manages to be relentlessly entertaining, a state of affairs aided by a typically ᴀssured leading bow from Eastwood in one of his best movies from the 1970s.
6
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Starred In And Directed
Following an aging U.S. Marine’s efforts to train a group of undisciplined soldiers for the invasion of Grenada, 1986’s Heartbreak Ridge sees Eastwood direct and star in what is arguably one of his most criminally underrated movies. The movie was a critical and commercial success, grossing more than $120 million against a budget of just $15 million and earning positive reviews from the vast majority of critics.
The movie’s тιтle is drawn from the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge during the Korean War, the engagement where Eastwood’s character earned his Medal of Honor.
This state of affairs can largely be attributed to Eastwood, who turns in one of the most impressive acting performances of his illustrious career. Affording the action icon the opportunity to flex his hypermasculine muscles to the fullest extent as he licks his misfit group of soldiers into shape, Heartbreak Ridge’s exemplary dialogue can also be attributed to the Gran Torino star’s impeccable style of direction.
5
Flags of Our Fathers (2006)
Directed
A depiction of the Battle of Iwo Jima told from the perspective of American forces, 2006’s Flags of Our Fathers is a polished war movie from Clint Eastwood. Unfortunately, the director proved to be his own worst enemy on this occasion. Released in the same year, Eastwood’s companion piece Letters from Iwo Jima swiftly overshadowed its American oriented predecessor, both in terms of critical reception and box office returns.
However, while it may be regarded by some as little more than a forgettable war movie boasting great battle scenes, Flags of Our Fathers is actually one of Eastwood’s finest war outings. While the box office bomb only garnered an approval rating of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes in contrast to Letters from Iwo Jima’s 91%, the film still appeared on numerous critics’ top ten lists for the year. Producing a heroic and respectful tribute to the real-life combatants, Eastwood’s powerful direction helps render this offering a notable hidden gem for the genre.
4
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Starred In And Directed
Playing host to one of the most quotable Western movie characters of all time, 1976’s The Outlaw Josey Wales represents a cocktail of Eastwood’s best cinematic genres. The movie follows the тιтular character, a farmer turned formidable soldier following the murder of his wife and child during the American Civil War, who goes on to become a notorious outlaw and gunslinger after the war concludes.
The Outlaw Josey Wales’ original director, Philip Kaufman, was fired at Eastwood’s request. This led to “the Eastwood rule”; a new regulation that prevents an actor or producer from sacking the director to directly take their position.
Directed by and starring Eastwood as the eponymous character, The Outlaw Josey Wales is one of the American’s most impressive offerings, irrespective of genre. Breathing life into his best Western character since the Man with No Name, Eastwood’s leading bow and textbook direction combine to produce a visceral tale of revenge that holds up in terms of quality and watchability to this day. It may not be a war movie in the traditional sense, but it’s an absolute triumph of a film.
3
American Sniper (2014)
Directed
Spearheaded by an Academy Award-nominated bow from Bradley Cooper, American Sniper dramatizes the life story of the late Chris Kyle; one of the most prolific snipers in U.S. military history, with over 150 confirmed kills. Eastwood remains in the director’s chair for the 2014 flick, producing one of the most acclaimed war movies of the century to date with his evocative biographical offering on this elite marksman.
Earning six Oscar nominations, American Sniper received largely glowing reviews for Cooper’s moving lead performance and Eastwood’s direction. While certain segments of the movie play out like blatant military propaganda, it didn’t stop American Sniper from becoming Eastwood’s highest grossing movie of all time, with a whopping $574.4 million return at the box office. A stirring deep dive into the physical and mental scars left by armed conflict, the movie proved that Eastwood was still capable of directorial magic at the age of 84.
2
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Starred In
Based on the novel of the same name by legendary author Alistair MacLean, Where Eagles Dare follows what is purportedly a daring mission to rescue a captured American general from a remote fortress solely accessible by cable car, only for the movie’s narrative to swiftly morph into a web of subterfuge and deception. One of the best war movies of the 1960s, Brian G. Hutton’s iconic entry sees Eastwood star as Lieutenant Morris Schaffer, the supporting protagonist to Richard Burton’s Major John Smith.
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Highest-Rated Movies On IMDb Based On The Works Of Alistair MacLean |
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Where Eagles Dare (1968) |
7.6 |
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The Guns of Navarone (1961) |
7.5 |
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Breakheart Pᴀss (1975) |
6.7 |
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Ice Station Zebra (1968) |
6.6 |
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Force 10 from Navarone (1978) |
6.4 |
Representing the archetypal strong and silent action-hero mold of 1960s cinema, the ice-cool Schaffer is one of Eastwood’s most unashamedly awesome characters. The actor lends his trademark brooding intensity and stoicism to his take on this elite soldier, serving as an integral element of a fan-favorite movie that is universally revered as a classic for the genre and wider cinema as a whole.
1
Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Directed
One of Eastwood’s most criminally underrated offerings, 2006’s Letters from Iwo Jima is a far superior companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers; a remarkable state of affairs given the fact that both movies were released in the same year. Chronicling the Battle of Iwo Jima from a Japanese perspective this time around, the war movie received critical acclaim. Earning four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Letters from Iwo Jima boasts a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 91%.
Eastwood doesn’t leave the director’s chair for this one, but frankly, he doesn’t need to. The American’s superb direction aids in producing a raw and deeply human portrayal of the brutal WWII engagement. Drawing attention to the moral ambiguity of both sides, Letters from Iwo Jima invites endless introspection into the very nature of armed conflict itself. Carried by a powerhouse performance from Ken Watanabe, the masterful 2006 outing stands as Clint Eastwood‘s finest body of work in the war genre.
