Clint Eastwood names “the most expensive” director he worked with
The spectacle of 20th-century cinema is defined by many iconic actors who were pivotal in the evolution of image-making. However, even within that hallowed group of stars, Clint Eastwood stands out because, for many, the larger-than-life image he projected remains forever associated with the beauty and thrill of the cinematic medium.
Having become a global icon due to his unforgettable collaborations with Sergio Leone, Eastwood’s portrayal of cinema history’s coolest gunslinger in the Dollars trilogy has inspired multiple generations of actors who grew up wanting to be action heroes. The Man with No Name served as a fantastic archetype not just within the domain of westerns but also in genre filmmaking in general since many directors incorporated the same type of character into other areas like neo-noir.
Interestingly, even though the entries in the Dollars trilogy look grander and more expansive in scope and vision than many massive modern blockbusters with giant budgets backing them, Leone crafted those works from very limited budgets. A Fistful of Dollars was made for around $200,000, while even an epic production like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly cost about $1.2million, which is obviously unthinkable in today’s world, but it was also relatively minimalistic compared to many of Leone’s contemporaries.
On the flip side, during a conversation with Rolling Stone, the veteran actor-director once named the filmmaker he considered to be the most expensive among everyone he had worked with. It was none other than Don Siegel who provided the platform for one of Eastwood’s most iconic outings in Dirty Harry, in addition to other popular works such as Escape from Alcatraz.
Eastwood explained: “I suppose the most expensive director I’ve worked with is Don Siegel. I think I learned more about directing from him than from anybody else. He taught me to put myself on the line. He shoots lean, and he shoots what he wants. He knew when he had it, and he didn’t need to cover his ass with a dozen different angles.”
The Unforgiven filmmaker added: “I learned that you have to trust your instincts. There’s a moment when an actor has it, and he knows it. Behind the camera, you can feel that moment even more clearly. And once you’ve got it, once you feel it, you can’t second-guess yourself. If I would go around and ask everyone on the set how it looked, eventually, someone would say, ‘Well, gee, I don’t know, there was a fly 600 feet back.’ Somebody’s always going to find a flaw, and pretty soon, that flaw gets magnified, and you’re all back to another take.”
Eastwood definitely ended up absorbing a lot and honing his instincts because he found much more success in the latter half of his career as he transitioned into directorial and producer roles. Ranging from the Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby to the critically acclaimed sports biopic Invictus, Eastwood might not have worked within the same traditions of the legendary filmmakers he collaborated with, but he managed to find the right formula for success anyway.
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