“Not all magnetic actors are good actors”: why does Park Chan-wook hate Clint Eastwood’s style?
Clint Eastwood is one of the most iconic and indelible figures in cinema history, which Park Chan-wook would never consider denying because it’s an inarguable fact of the moving image.
That doesn’t make him a fan by default, though, with the South Korean auteur taking one of Hollywood’s most recognisable personas to task. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with not liking an actor while appreciating what they mean to the industry, so Chan-wook is hardly engaging in blasphemy.
Nobody could argue that Eastwood’s simmering intensity, piercing gaze, ability to say more with a single expression or change in body language than any monologue could ever hope to accomplish, and that permanent twinkle in his eye are anything other than the ingredients combined to make a legend.
What isn’t non-negotiable, however, is enjoying his performances. Not to play devil’s advocate, but maybe it’s telling that of Eastwood’s 11 Academy Award nominations, only two of them have been for his acting, and he didn’t win either. Not only that but he’s got four Golden Globe wins from 13 nods and has never even been shortlisted for his on-camera efforts.
That doesn’t make him any less of a star, of course, but it didn’t stop Chan-wook from suggesting that, on a foundational level, he’s terrible at his job. Reflecting on his own casting process, the filmmaker has always sought performers who could captivate an audience while still doing their fair share of the dramatic heavy lifting. From his perspective, the four-time Oscar winner doesn’t fit the bill.
“I distinguish between these two qualities because not all magnetic actors are good actors,” he mused to Bomb. “Clint Eastwood is horrible. He only has one expression. I don’t think Steve McQueen is that great of an actor, either. But they’re very magnetic. I came to the conclusion that I was attracted to magnetic performers.”
Entranced by magnetism but unwilling to hire anyone he thought was a bit crap dramatically, Chan-wook cast his 1999 short film Judgement with actors more accustomed to the stage than the screen. Fittingly, it was a project that re-energised him after he described his first pair of features, The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream and Trio, as “two failed movies” that “were not good.”
Chan-wook realised that he didn’t want stars like Eastwood and McQueen; he wanted talented actors who possessed star quality. It’s a fine line, but there’s a definite difference between the two, and it can’t be a coincidence that when he reconciled that divide and made his third flick, Joint Security Area, it won rave reviews and became the highest-grossing film to ever hit cinemas in his home country.
Since then, it’s been a mantra he’s kept close to his heart, and judging by the results, it’s worked wonders.
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out Clint Eastwood Newsletter
All the latest stories about Clint Eastwood from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.