Eastwood As Director

Clint Eastwood's reputation as a director has been established in the nine films he has completed leading to his present involvement with Sudden Impact.  His credits include the highly praised debut Play Misty For Me, High Plains Drifter, Breezy (which starred William Holden and Kay Lenz), The Eiger Sanction, The Outlaw Josey Wales, The Gauntlet, the critically acclaimed Bronco Billy, the highly technical Firefox, and the sensitive Honkytonk Man, which co-starred his son Kyle.

Sudden Impact is a special situation, however, because it is the fourth in the classic Dirty Harry series of films.   The first, directed by Don Siegel, established Eastwood as a screen legend in yet another stylistic genre:  the police thriller.  This helped reshape the Eastwood persona to include the streetwise San Francisco homicide detective as well as the notorious Man With No Name, which was an outgrowth of the spaghetti-western trilogy of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly).

Two sequels followed the original Dirty Harry; Magnum Force, directed by Ted Post, and The Enforcer, directed by James Fargo.  It has been six years since the last film, and, with Eastwood now producing as well as directing, this version of Dirty Harry, back at work on a brutal and sadistic murder case, promises to fulfill the expectations of audiences who have been patiently waiting for the return of this contemporary hero.

"I think that Harry stands out because of what he represents," says Eastwood, "especially now that the pendulum seems to be swinging in a more conservative direction.  People are a little edgy about the rights of criminals taking precedent over the rights of victims.  They are more impatient with courtroom procedures and legal delays.  I think the public is interested in justice, and that's what Harry stands for.  He's unique because he stood for the same principles from the beginning, when it wasn't terribly fashionable."

Eastwood's special position as director and star enables him to accomplish more within the scope of the film.   "I want this film to have a dark, sinister quality.  I want it to have action.  I don't want to move away from who Harry is, and what it is that he represents.  I want to be true to the character, and we have a script which, I think, pulls all of these elements together."

Eastwood has been more than proficient at achieving his specific goals and establishing a reputation within the industry of not only bringing his films in on time and under budget, but having them become immense box-office grossers as well.  He frequently works with the same actors and crew members, creating a spontaneous, comfortable working atmosphere which enables him to adjust his shooting schedules for the greatest benefit and most efficient cost.   In this respect, Eastwood is one of the most responsible filmmakers in the business.

"I try to eliminate waste.   I want a team working with me who share my point of view and can move quickly, thinking ahead to the next set-up, the next scene, or the next location.  We don't want to cut corners, we just want to get the most out of what we are doing.  I really don't differentiate between the actors or the crew.  Everyone is there because they have a job to do I assume that it's going to get handled efficiently.  I don't think that's asking too much; if it is, well, that individual would probably be happier working with someone else."

Sudden Impact combines the elements of action with drama and ties it to a screen classic.  "We have all of the Dirty Harry elements in this film," Eastwood says, "and we've added a few twists to make the film more interesting from a visual as well as a story point of view.  We took part of the action out of San Francisco and adapted it to Santa Cruz, which we call San Paulo.  That gave us a different backdrop for Harry to work in, especially the boardwalk area, which allows for some interesting camera work.   We also make Harry a target for the first time, which ought to keep things a little off-balance.  I like the unexpected elements in the story."

The final ingredient is the appearance of Eastwood himself under his own direction.  What would normally be an added strain is, in this case, not only expedient, but also more interesting and pleasurable.

"I think I know Dirty Harry pretty well by now," Eastwood says, "and I understand how he might react to any number of given situations.  As far as directing myself is concerned, I've done it in eight films and I'm comfortable with the process.  At this point, it actually makes things easier and more efficient.  I'm also producing the film, so there are fewer hurdles all the way around.  Decision-making takes time, and usually when you have lots of people involved with deciding one thing or another, it costs you days or weeks better spent elsewhere.  I also want to be involved personally and this is the best.  I really enjoy what I do."

Original text appeared in Sudden Impact press materials