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A letter from Clint Eastwood to film critic Andrew Sarris
Posted on 2/13/14 at 9:35 am
Posted on 2/13/14 at 9:35 am
Andrew Sarris of The Village Voice (who almost single-handedly established the dubious "auteur theory" in the US) and Pauline Kael (of "Everybody I know voted for McGovern" infamy) of the New Yorker were probably the two most influential American film critics ever.
After Sarris published an essay on the Dirty Harry franchise, Eastwood wrote this letter in response:
After Sarris published an essay on the Dirty Harry franchise, Eastwood wrote this letter in response:
4
Posted on 2/13/14 at 11:31 am to Kafka
Posted on 2/13/14 at 11:56 am to Kafka
<3 eastwood
Posted on 2/13/14 at 12:08 pm to Kafka
Well stated Mr. Eastwood!! 
Posted on 2/13/14 at 12:40 pm to davesdawgs
Even at his age today Clint would demolish one of those miserable Northeastern leftist wankers.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 2:33 pm to REG861
I love to peruse war/patriotic movie reviews on RT to count how many times those idiots throw out "jingoistic."
Film critics may be the most worthless humans in America.
Film critics may be the most worthless humans in America.
Posted on 2/13/14 at 5:32 pm to Kafka
I liked The Bequiled which apparently puts me in the same camp with the French who liked it more than American audiences. Eastwood's surprise that little was made of its exploration of the effects of (the Viet-Nam?) war on soldiers and society seems misplaced.
The Beguiled seemed to me more akin to Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte as creepy piece of Southern Gothic with a heavy dose of Freudian sexual tension than a genuine anti-war movie like 1971's Johnny Got His Gun. Eastwood may not specifically say his movie was a trailblazing anti-war statement but he seems to imply it. I don't recall this take on the movie at it's release.
It seems that he was writing the letter in the late 70's when it was becoming acceptable to touch the raw nerve of Viet Nam and probably viewed The Beguiled through that prism. Or maybe he is simply saying that any war film that showed anything negative about war was risky in 1971.
In any event, Eastwood hit Kael's take on Dirty Harry on the head. I remember the screams and howls of protest from the "liberals" who did not have the sympathy, understanding and compassion for crime's victims that Harry Callahan had.
The Beguiled seemed to me more akin to Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte as creepy piece of Southern Gothic with a heavy dose of Freudian sexual tension than a genuine anti-war movie like 1971's Johnny Got His Gun. Eastwood may not specifically say his movie was a trailblazing anti-war statement but he seems to imply it. I don't recall this take on the movie at it's release.
It seems that he was writing the letter in the late 70's when it was becoming acceptable to touch the raw nerve of Viet Nam and probably viewed The Beguiled through that prism. Or maybe he is simply saying that any war film that showed anything negative about war was risky in 1971.
In any event, Eastwood hit Kael's take on Dirty Harry on the head. I remember the screams and howls of protest from the "liberals" who did not have the sympathy, understanding and compassion for crime's victims that Harry Callahan had.
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