Top 10 Eastwood-directed films

October 29, 4:02 PMAtlanta Movies ExaminerRyan McNally

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As Clint Eastwood’s Changeling hits theaters, here’s a look at his 10 best films as a director. With nearly 30 films to his credit, paring a list down to 10 is no easy task. But here are my selections, in chronological order:

1) Play Misty For Me (1971). Eastwood’s directorial debut is a cult Fatal Attraction, with Eastwood playing a free-spirited DJ who falls into bed with the wrong woman (the scary-brilliant Jessica Walters). Nearly 40 years later, it’s still a taut thriller with some terrifyingly violent scenes, and Eastwood’s poetry-spouting, long-haired, jazz-loving character is a fascinating counterpart to Dirty Harry (also released in ’71).

2) The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). One of Time's top 10 films of 1976, this superlative western stars Eastwood as a loner who reluctantly takes a rag-tag group of wanderers under his wing (most notably the great Chief Dan George as Lone Watie). The meeting between Eastwood and a rival Indian chieftain is a classic, as is the Eastwood response to a potential assassin: "Dying ain't much of a living."

3) Bird (1988). Eastwood's biopic of legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker is arguably his most experimental film as a director; it won star Forrest Whitaker a Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival and Eastwood a Golden Globe for Best Director. The back-and-forth narrative mirrors an improvisational jazz solo, and coupled with the moody lighting and memorable imagery, signals Bird as a virtuoso directing job. (See also: The Top 10 biopics of the last 25 years.)

4) White Hunter, Black Heart (1990). This fiercely uncommercial film stars Eastwood as Dan Wilson (a.k.a. director John Huston), a high-society chatterbox who’s alternately admirable and loathsome. As he gallivants around Africa, his ego running wild, Wilson (and director Eastwood) expounds on the art of filmmaking ("You know why you'll never be a great screenwriter? Because you let 8 million popcorn eaters pull you this way or that”) and the sinfulness of killing an elephant. The dark, unconventional ending sticks with you.

5) Unforgiven (1992). Eastwood's greatest masterpiece. This revisionist western shatters every Western cliche and delivers a searing commentary on violence and redemption. A superb screenplay, flawless cast including Morgan Freeman and Supporting Actor Oscar winner Gene Hackman, and powerful direction by Eastwood earned this film a deserving Best Picture Oscar, as well as a slot on AFI’s list of the Top 100 American films of all-time.

6) A Perfect World (1993). Clint’s most underrated film confounded some filmgoers and critics with its unconventional storyline, in which Eastwood and co-star Kevin Costner don't even come face-to-face until the film's final scene. But this bold, original work centering on father-son bonds and the juvenile penal system features superb direction (and acting) by Eastwood, and boasts Costner's finest performance.

7) The Bridges of Madison County (1995). Eastwood's film version of the best-selling novel was a bold foray into romance for a leading man who had built his reputation on tough-guy roles. Even many who hated the book praised Clint’s directorial restraint, and his approach paid off with big box office and a Best Actress Oscar nomination for Meryl Streep.

8) Mystic River (2003). Working with perhaps his best cast ever (including Sean Penn and Tim Robbins, who won Oscars for their work here), Eastwood crafted a riveting murder mystery that probed the repercussions of childhood trauma, revenge and vigilant justice. His outstanding work, capped by a fascinating final scene absent of dialogue, earned him his 2^nd Oscar nomination for Best Director.

9) Million Dollar Baby (2004). Eastwood stars as a grizzled boxing trainer who takes a down-on-her-luck waitress (Hilary Swank) under his wing. Again, Eastwood directed two actors (Swank and Morgan Freeman) to Oscars, and his use of light and shadow, along with his fearlessness in taking the story to dark places, won him deserved acclaim and a second Best Director Oscar.

10) Letters From Iwo Jima (2006). Thirty-five years after his directorial debut, Eastwood continued to explore new territory with this depiction of the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II from the Japanese perspective. It’s a harrowing account of honor, sacrifice and duty, and Eastwood made the wise decision to shoot the film in Japanese. For his efforts in delivering one of the all-time-great war films, he garnered his 4^th Best Director Oscar nomination