Clint Eastwood
Joe Kidd: John Sturges and Elmore Leonard crafted a lean, mean Western for Clint Eastwood
Joe Kidd(1972), starring Clint Eastwood in the title role was a Western directed by John Sturges and written by Elmore Leonard. It featured Robert Duvall and John Saxon in supporting roles
Elmore Leonard , the revered American novelist and short story writer, is today known more for his crime fiction and suspense thrillers laced with dollops of humor and great dialogue. A lot of them – like Get Shorty and Out of Sight – has been adapted into very popular movies. But he started out as a writer of gritty Westerns in the 1950s. His most famous work being 3:10 to Yuma, which was made into a movie by director Delmer Daves, starring Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. His other novels that were adapted into movies include Paul Newman starrer Hombre and Randolph Scott starrer The Tall T. So it was natural that he would team up with the ultimate western icon, Clint Eastwood, for a film. But it was not going to be an adaptation of any of his novels, Leonard would right an original script for Clint. It was Joe Kidd(1972), directed by Western veteran john Sturges(The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape). With such a great pedigree – of Eastwood, Leonard and Sturges – and a great supporting cast – which include actors like Robert Duvall and John Saxon- one would have expected the film to turn out to be as iconic and popular as any of the famous westerns that Eastwood or Sturges had made individually in their lifetime. But Joe Kidd is quite an obscure entry in their respective filmographies. It’s hardly ever mentioned except by die hard fans, which is a pity really, because even though the film doesn’t break any new ground vis-à-vis the genre, characterization or performances , on it’s own it’s a great star vehicle that shows off the legendary Eastwood persona and his star charisma to the fullest. Clint was entering a golden period in his career, especially after the massive success of Dirty Harry that made him perhaps the biggest movie star of that time. He had evolved a lot, as a star and as an actor, from the Rawhide\Spaghetti western days, and it works well for this film.
The plot of the film is set in Leonard’s favorite New Mexico Territory, which has been the location of many of his westerns. And in keeping with the times this is a revisionist western: which casts the natives in a sympathetic light in their battle for land against encroachment by the white settlers. The film is set in Sinola town, New Mexico in the early 1900’s- that’s before New Mexico became a state in the union. Mexican revolutionary Luis Chama(John Saxon) has been leading a peasant revolt against the white authority . The peasants have been systematically robbed of their ancestral land by wealthy, white landowners. As all peaceful means of redressing their grievances fail, Chama and his gang take the law into their own hands. He stirs up the native Mexican population with his passionate calls for land reforms and then starts cutting fences and reclaiming lands. Finally, they raid the court house and burn deeds to their lands, now under the name of some wealthy landowners. The gang releases several of their members from jail and escapes into the mountains. In comes Frank Harlan(Robert Duvall) to town, with his girl Elma and a gang of sharpshooters that include Lamarr Simms(Don Stroud) and Olin Mingo(James Wainwright). Harlan is a wealthy landowner who has claims to about 600,000 acres in the territory and is most affected by Chama’s rebellious activities. Since he doesn’t have the time or inclination to fight out his claims in the court, he choose to follow Joseph Stalin’s theory: that the best way to eliminate a problem is to eliminate the man, No man , no problem. Once Chama is taken care of , the rebellion will be crushed. After that no more trouble from the natives or any more talk of land reforms. Though comrade Stalin had intended it to be applied for the success of the revolution, history has proved that the theory could be beneficial for everyone; communists, capitalists, revolutionaries, counter-revolutionaries, doesn’t matter who. And to this end, Harlan and his associates are equipped with the most modern rifles that have a much greater range than previous types. But to hunt down Chama, he needs an expert tracker who knows the territory like the back of his hand .
Enter our hero (or rather the anti-hero) Joe Kidd(Clint Eastwood). Kidd has been many things in the past and his history reads more like the description of the roles played by Eastwood in his previous films. Kidd started out as a bounty hunter, then he became a frontier tracker, and then a deliverer of supplies to the Apache reservation. What he does now is rather ambiguous. He is some kind of an outlaw; when we first see him , he is in jail handcuffed to bed. But he is tastefully dressed as a town dude(as Elma describes him later), in a suit and tie. He is brutally hungover and has a hard time getting up when Sheriff Mitchell(Gregory Walcott) comes to take him to court. In jail, his fellow inmates are Naco and Ramon, both members of the Chama gang. Naco repeatedly taunts Kidd, which Kidd ignores at first, but when he finally gets up to go to court , he pours the bowl of soup down Naco’s head and beats him up; All of this carried out in his inimitable cool, laconic, darkly comical style by Eastwood. Kidd has been locked up on the charges of poaching and behaving disorderly. He hunted and killed a deer on the reservation and when he was arrested for the crime by the Sheriff, he threatened to urinate all over the courthouse. The judge(John Carter) is amused and outraged by Kidd’s actions. He offers him a choice of 10 days in jail or $10 fine as punishment. Kidd, who is in a mood to irritate the Sheriff who had punched him earlier, takes the 10 days. But the Sheriff promises him that he isn’t going to get any free meals and he intends to work Kidd to his bone for 10 days.
It is at this precise moment that Chama and his gang raid the courthouse. They handcuff the Sheriff and burn the documents. That’s not all, they intend to kidnap the judge and take him with them. But the timely intervention of Kidd saves the judge and he manages to escape. Kidd goes into the saloon and gets a rifle loaded and ready as he is sure that Naco would come looking for him. And sure enough, once the gang raids the jail and releases the prisoners , Naco comes straight to confront Kidd. But seeing Kidd ready and waiting, he demurs and indulge in some casual talk, as Kidd coolly gulps down a glass of beer . Naco bids adieu and walks out of the saloon, but immediately, returns with his gun blazing. But Kidd is prepared and he fires the rifle without even looking back at Naco; that cool , nonchalant Eastwood style again. Naco falls dead right in front of Chama and he notices Kidd, who acknowledges him by lifting his beer glass. The gang shoots up everything they see in sight before making their escape into mountains. The Sheriff , who has managed to break his shackles, now round up a posse to go after the bandits. The townsfolk request Kidd join them in tracking down Chama, but Kidd refuses saying that ‘He’s got nothing against Chama‘ . The posse rides off without Kidd and they are unsuccessful in nabbing Chama. So a reward is announced for any information that leads to the capture of Chama and his gang.
It is in this context that Harlan and his men are arriving in town. The town judge, who was saved by Kidd and who’s a friend of Harlan’s, recommended Joe Kidd highly. Harlan pays Kidd’s $10 fine and gets him released from Jail. Now Harlan makes Kidd an offer of $500 to help them hunt down Chama. Kidd once again refuses; apart from the reason he already mentioned, there is now an additional one: Harlan’s girl Elma has taken quite a shine to him and he knows that with Harlan out of town hunting with his gang, Elma is going to be all his. He promises Elma that he is going to be back soon and he rides out into the country where he has a farm. But when he reaches his place, he finds it deserted. Luis Chama has raided the place with his gang and stolen his horses. They have dragged Kidd’s servant Emilio up the mountains and tied him up with barbwire; all as a retaliation for Kidd killing Naco. Now an enraged Kidd wants some payback of his own, so he decides to take up Harlan’s offer. He rides back to town, all armed and dressed up, to go hunting; his light suit giving way to dark jacket. On his way up to meet Harlan, he is interrupted by Lamarr, who in turn feels the full force of Kidd’s fury. Kidd grabs hold of Lamarr’s belt and pull him down the staircase. Kidd meets Harlan and tell him that for a $1000 , he will help him track down Chama. Harlan agrees. On his way out of his room, he is confronted by an angry Lamarr with his gun in his hand. Lamarr issues a threat that the moment Kidd becomes useless to Harlan, Lamarr is going to kill him.
Kidd, Harlan and his gang set off into the wilderness looking for Chama. But pretty soon Kidd would realize that he is batting for the wrong team. First ,Harlan’s gang cold-bloodedly murders a few members of Chama gang after they refuse to give away Chama’s hideout. Next , the gang barges into the house of Chama’s lover Helen Sanchez(Stella Garcia) and holds her hostage for the night. Then they drag her along on the journey; all this to the utter disapproval of Kidd. Finally, they reach Chama’s village and they realize that Chama is hiding in the nearby hills. Harlan move all the villagers into the church. He then sends out a message that if Chama doesn’t come down by sunup next morning he will execute five of the villagers. Harlan no longer trusts Kidd. He fires Kidd from his role as a tracker, disarms him and throws him into the church with the others. But before he could go into church , Kidd is challenged by Lamarr , who wants to exact revenge. In the ensuing standoff, Lamarr gets knocked out cold by Kidd.
Next morning, everybody is waiting for Chama’s arrival, but there is no sign of him. Meanwhile, the priest steals a gun and gives it to Kidd. Kidd manages to kill Lamarr , who is standing watch on the church tower. and then manages to escape unnoticed with Helen. And just as Harlan is about to execute the 5 villagers , Kidd attacks the gang with Lamarr’s gun and then rides of into the mountains with Helen to confront Chama. Helen is disgusted that Chama did not come down to save the villagers, but Chama reasons that if he dies then the revolution will be dead and 5 villagers have to be sacrificed for a higher cause. Kidd convinces him that there is another way. Chama should give himself up and argue his case in court. Chama agrees to return to town with Kidd for standing trial. Kidd informs Harlan and his gang that he will deliver Chama to Sheriff Mitchell in town. So Harlan decides to hurry back to town and take out Chama before he surrenders. Kidd and Chama return to Sinola only to realize that Harlan has the town under his control and the Sheriff is in cahoots with him. To get to the jailhouse, Kidd drives a steam train through the town saloon. A gunfight ensues between Kidd and Harlan’s men, in which Kidd emerges triumphant. The manner in which Kidd finally shoots down Harlan is very interesting. It’s a sort of nod to Clint’s affinity for playing judge , jury and executioner in his films; the vigilante cop movie Dirty Harry was released just the previous year. The final duel takes place in the courthouse and in an ironic turn of events, Kidd hides out in the judge’s chair. Just when Harlan feels that he is safe and drops his guard, Kidd turns around in the chair and shoots him down. Chama then surrenders to Mitchell. Kidd punches the sheriff and knocks him out cold ; Payback for punching him during the poaching arrest and for colluding with Harlan. He then collects his things and ride out of town with Helen.
First things first: Joe Kidd doesn’t really stack up to films like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven or even High Plains Drifter. But it’s still a prime example of a well-made, by the numbers, meat and potatoes Western with a perfectly tailored role for Eastwood; a deadpan, scowling, squinting badass with a dry sense of humor. He looks great , moves great and talk just enough; more comfortable letting his silences, squint and attitude do the talking . Elmore Leonard has crafted a lean, clean and straightforward narrative, which does not pose any strong moral questions or indulge in ideological debates, even though there was a lot of scope for that in the script. I have a feeling that both the script and the film was heavily edited down after Clint came on board. The film runs a crisp 87 minutes and is pretty much well paced for most of it’s running time. Which means that the film does not have the expansiveness, depth and scale of other John Sturges’ westerns like Hour of the Gun or The Magnificent Seven. Sturges was coming off a bad experience directing Steve McQueen in Les Mans(1971). He had quit the film midway as he couldn’t get along with McQueen . By some accounts , the same thing happened with Clint also on this film. Their relationship was acrimonious, with Clint, now a director himself and also one of the most powerful superstars in the industry, asserting himself in the making of the film. But Sturges still manages to leave his imprints on the film with his trademark widescreen compositions; and the film is magnificently photographed by Bruce Surtees, who puts the resplendent California landscape to good use. The film boasts of a great soundtrack by Eastwood regular Lalo Schifrin. All in all, a must for all Eastwood fans.
Clint Eastwood
Mystic River: Why Clint Eastwood’s Best Movie Still Holds Up Today
A filmmaker of Clint Eastwood‘s caliber is going to have a filmography full of gems. Primarily known for his work in Westerns, biopics, and military dramas, every so often, Eastwood steps outside his comfort zone and delivers in a genre that would seem completely unexpected on paper. That happened in 2003 with Mystic River, a neo-noir murder mystery drama that seems a bit forgotten or overlooked, even though it was a financial success and earned six Academy Award nominations. It represents Eastwood at his very best, breathing vivid life into complex characters as he examines a plethora of themes that range from loyalty, friendship, revenge, and, ultimately, forgiveness.
Mystic River is based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, and it follows the lives of three childhood friends, Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon), and Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins), living in Charlestown, Boston in 1975. Dave is kidnapped by two men claiming to be police officers, and he’s sexually abused by them over a four-day period until he escapes. The traumatic event shapes the three friends, and they ultimately lead very different lives twenty-five years later.
Jimmy is an ex-con that now owns a convenience store in the neighborhood, Sean works for the Massachusetts State Police as a detective, and Dave is your everyday blue-collar worker that still lives with the trauma of being abducted and raped. Their lives are forced together once again through tragedy when Jimmy’s daughter Katie (Emmy Rossum) is found murdered, and friendship is tested when all signs point to Dave being the murderer.
Mystic River Is a Departure From Clint Eastwood’s Other Work
Eastwood tackles the material in Mystic River with a sure and confident hand. It also represents a unique departure from some of his other films. Much of the action takes place under the cover of darkness, and Eastwood is able to find beauty in that darkness. The filmmaker focuses on a character’s eyes or the gleam of a weapon, for instance, as darkness permeates most of the scene.
For the scenes that take place during the day, the filmmaker opts for tight close-ups that linger over the emotions of his impressive cast. There is something uncomfortably intimate about Mystic River, and that has much to do with the subject matter. None of this story is particularly easy to digest, and Eastwood adds to that discomfort with his choices to frame scenes in such a way that’s almost intrusive. The audience feels a growing sense of dread and tension as more of the story unfolds.
Using Lehane’s novel and Brian Helgeland’s screenplay as a blueprint, Eastwood profoundly explores generational trauma and how the sins of the past can leave a permanent mark on our present. Even though the abuse only happened to Dave, the effects of the event leave a mark on all three friends, with Dave being the primary victim and the others feeling a sense of survivor’s guilt for not being subjected to it themselves.
The ordeal forever changes their union because they’re never quite able to look at each other the same way again, as each friend deals with the trauma differently. Jimmy is stunned by the act of abuse but can’t give Dave the support he needs, which then bleeds into their present when Jimmy begins to suspect that Dave had something to do with his daughter’s murder. He doesn’t want to consider that his friend would do something like this because of the trauma he endured as a child, but as evidence mounts against him, Jimmy has to decide if friendship and loyalty overshadow his need for vigilante justice. The story is rich with so many complexities that make it some of Eastwood’s most compelling work as a filmmaker.
Eastwood also takes his time with the story and lets it unfold as it should. Mystic River is very nuanced, and he knows he’s dealing with heartbreaking subject matter that requires patience and respect. The story is grounded in so much reality that Eastwood seems keenly aware that a viewer might be an actual victim of this kind of abuse themselves, so he delicately approaches the topic and gives it the emotional weight it deserves.
He also shows the uncomfortable side of abuse where the victim, unfortunately, can be shamed because of the event. Dave becomes an outsider later in his life, even with his close friends, something that sadly comes along with this kind of trauma. Eastwood approaches all of this responsibly and provides a very balanced outlook to all the events transpiring on screen.
Mystic River has become known for its powerhouse performances, and Eastwood pulls the very best from his ensemble cast. While the scenes with the young actors are brief in the beginning, they set the tone of who these people will be twenty-five years later. Dave becomes the outcast because of the event; Jimmy lacks empathy and doesn’t trust authority, while Sean becomes the grounded one of the bunch and a police officer in an attempt to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.
Clint Eastwood Pulls Powerhouse Performances From His Cast
Tim Robbins, Sean Penn, and Kevin Bacon do a great job conveying the unspoken tension between all three of these characters. There is a sense of loyalty, but so much has taken place over the years that it has forced them all to lead very different lives. As a group, they are uniformly excellent. You feel the history between the characters and the bonds that were broken, only to be reopened by a new traumatic event.
On their own, Penn gives the performance of a lifetime as Jimmy, and it’s not a shock that this turn finally earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor. Penn is a dominant presence in all of his scenes, and there is a sense of uncertainty whenever he’s around because you don’t know exactly what move he will make.
That’s not to say he doesn’t display layers. All of that bravado is broken once he finds out his daughter is murdered. It’s hard to pinpoint a director’s best scene on film, but what Eastwood pulls out of Penn during the “Is that my daughter?” sequence represents some of his very best work as a filmmaker.
Robbins also received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work here, representing a much-deserved win. As Dave, Robbins is the tragic and emotional heart of the story. The viewer feels instant empathy for Dave due to what he went through as a child, but you’re also left questioning everything when it seems like Dave could be the one who murdered Katie.
Robbins keeps you on your toes throughout, making you question his innocence while also seeing the tenderness in him as he interacts with his own child, who is just about the age he was when he was abused. As for Bacon, of the three male leads, he gives the most subdued performance, but it suits the character. He’s trying to make everything right and keep it all together. It’s a subtle performance that carries its own emotional weight.
Eastwood also makes the supporting roles worthy of attention. Marcia Gay Harding, as Dave’s wife Celeste, puts in powerful work here that earned her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, while Laura Linney more than holds her own with Penn as his second wife, Annabeth. In addition, Laurence Fishburne also fills in as Sgt. Whitey Powers in another excellent part.
Mystic River is a haunting and poetic motion picture that showcases a director laying it all out on the table. Eastwood gives the audience everything he has as a director and pours it out across the screen in a film that is just as powerful twenty years after its initial release.
Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood’s Most Iconic Non-Western Role Was Only Possible Because Of This Actor
SUMMARY
Clint Eastwood’s role in Dirty Harry is considered one of his most iconic, and the film is a classic in the crime genre.
Paul Newman initially turned down the role of Harry Callahan in Dirty Harry but recommended Clint Eastwood for the part.
Newman declined the role due to his liberal beliefs, and Eastwood’s portrayal of Callahan differed from Newman’s perspective, but both respected each other.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Although Clint Eastwood first built his impressive career on Western movies like The Man with No Name franchise and The Outlaw Josey Wales, the actor’s biggest non-Western role in Dirty Harry is one of his most iconic, and it might have never happened without this one actor. Clint Eastwood began acting in the 1950s, and over several decades, became a staple in the Western genre. What makes Eastwood stand out is the fact that he has not only appeared in countless films, but has also directed them himself. Films like Unforgiven and Gran Torino have defined his career. However, Dirty Harry is by far one of Clint Eastwood’s best films.
In 1971, Clint Eastwood starred in the neo-noir action film Dirty Harry. The film, and its adjoining sequels, follow Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan, a rugged detective that is on a hunt for a psychopathic serial killer named Scorpio. The Dirty Harry franchise lasted from 1971 to 1988, and has since been considered a classic. In fact, Dirty Harry was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because of its cultural significance. However, this film might have been vastly different if Clint Eastwood had never been in it, and scarily enough, this definitely could have happened back in 1971.
Paul Newman Rejected Dirty Harry Before Suggesting Clint Eastwood For The Role
Dirty Harry went through many production challenges before it was actually made, and one of those included casting the iconic detective. In the film’s early stages, the role was offered to actors such as John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Steve McQueen, and Burt Lancaster. However, for various reasons, including the violence that permeates the film, these actors all declined. For a time, Frank Sinatra was attached to the project, but he also eventually left the production. In reality, Clint Eastwood wasn’t even in the cards for portraying Dirty Harry, but his big break came when Paul Newman was offered and declined the role.
Paul Newman, like many amazing actors before him, was offered the role of Harry Callahan, but ultimately said no. However, what makes his refusal stand out among the rest is that he recommended another actor that could be perfect for the role: Clint Eastwood. At this time, Eastwood was in post-production for his first film Play Misty for Me, meaning his career was taking something of a turn. Also, unlike his predecessors, Eastwood joined up with Dirty Harry, just as Newman thought he would. Because of his Western roots, the violence and aggression that made up Dirty Harry didn’t bother Eastwood at all.
Why Paul Newman Turned Down Dirty Harry
Paul Newman turning down the leading role in Dirty Harry may not seem too surprising considering the host of other actors that also declined the movie, but Newman definitely had his reasons. While previous actors had condemned the movie for its incredible violence and themes of “the ends justify the means,” Newman refused to take the role because of his political beliefs. Since Harry Callahan was a renegade cop, intent on catching a serial killer no matter the cost or the rules that would be broken, Newman saw this character as too right-wing for his own liberal beliefs.
Paul Newman was an outspoken liberal during his life. He was open about his beliefs, so much so that he even made it onto Richard Nixon’s enemies list due to his opposition of the Vietnam War. Other issues that Newman spoke out for included gay rights and same-sex marriage, the decrease in production and use of nuclear weapons, and global warming. As a result of his politics, Newman quickly denied the role of Harry Callahan. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly as reported by Far Out Magazine, Clint Eastwood commented that he didn’t view Callahan in the way Newman did, but still respected him as an actor and a man.
Would Dirty Harry Have Been So Successful Without Clint Eastwood?
Ultimately, it’s hard to say whether Dirty Harry would have been successful without Clint Eastwood. Arguably, any big-time actor could have made the film succeed solely based on their fame. However, one aspect of Dirty Harry and its carousel of actors is that the movie had various scripts, all with different plots. So, if Dirty Harry had been in a different location with a different serial killer and a different lead actor, there’s a chance it wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. In the end, Dirty Harry is a signature for Clint Eastwood, and most likely, audiences are lucky that it was made the way it was.
Clint Eastwood
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