Biography

At 91, Clint Eastwood Isn’t Slowing Down. ‘Cry Macho’ Is His Latest

Clint eastwood last movies

Video Clint eastwood last movies

a martinez, host:

director and actor clint eastwood has a new movie: “cry macho”. Over 50 years, Eastwood has directed more than 40 films. And here to tell us about the latest is film critic Kenneth Turan. kenny, good morning.

kenneth turan, author: good morning.

martinez: so how is it?

turan: well, you know, it’s fascinating. I mean, as you can see from the poster, he has elements of the classic character that Eastwood has always played: the intense, tough, laconic guy that he played for Sergio Leone as the man with no name and, you know. , also the Dirty Harry character that he played in two or three movies.

(excerpt from the film, “dirty harry”)

clint eastwood: (as harry) go ahead and make my day.

turan: you can also tell by the image on the poster that he is 91 years old. he is old. And the character he plays, a former rodeo cowboy named Mike Milo, is also old. he is battered. he is a guy that people make fun of for taking naps. You know, he’s not pretending to be young. Eastwood fully accepts the fact that he’s an older guy on screen.

martinez: yes, old and battered. if the central casting had to come up with someone, it would be clint eastwood – (laughs) right? – for that description.

turan: yeah, no, absolutely, you know? and it’s just an interesting story. It’s a story that Eastwood had considered doing 20 or 30 years ago and decided (laughs) that he wasn’t old enough. and returned to him. and he plays, you know, this ex-rodeo guy who’s hired by an old boss to go to mexico to find and bring back the boss’s son.

(excerpt from the film, “cry macho”)

dwight yoakam: (as howard polk) my son rafael is in trouble. I want to get it out of Mexico.

eastwood: (as mike milo) do you want me to go over there and kidnap him?

yoakam: (as howard polk) please just bring it here.

daniel graulau: (as mexican border officer) just you?

eastwood: (as mike milo) just me.

turan: and, you know, that’s the driving force of the movie.

martinez: now, what does the title of the movie, “cry macho”, mean?

turan: well, it refers to a couple of things. I mean no. 1, this boy who is going to look for Mexico, is involved in cockfighting. and he has his own favorite cock of his. and he calls him male. but also, you know, there’s a lot of discussion in the movie, especially: there’s one scene in particular where the whole quality of what it means to be macho is discussed.

you know, the guy gets really mad at the eastwood character. he says, you used to be tough. now you are weak You used to be strong, man. now you are nothing and eastwood’s character just says…

(excerpt from the film, “cry macho”)

eastwood: (as mike milo) used to be a lot of things. but i’m not right now.

(music snippet)

eastwood: (as mike milo) you know, i’ll tell you something.

(music snippet)

eastwood: (as mike milo) this macho thing is overrated.

turán: do you know? -So, I mean, he plays a guy who’s lived his whole life a certain way and now wonders if he made all the right decisions.

martinez: now, you talked to clint eastwood about this movie for a profile that was recently published in the times. what was your impression?

turan: well, you know, I’ve talked to him before over the years, and this is really the calmest I’ve ever seen him. You know, he has a good sense of himself. he-knows he has accomplished a lot. but he is happy to keep working just because he enjoys it.

and, you know, he’s also thinking about the past, dealing with his own life. we talked a little bit about – you know, he’s very much a child of depression. and he talked about remembering when he bagged groceries for 37 cents an hour. And really, almost the last thing he said to me was remembering how he told his dad that he was leaving the city university to train to be an actor at Universal.

and his father said, don’t get too wrapped up in it. – could be really disappointed. and eastwood told him, you know, i think it’s worth a try. and it was certainly worth a try. I think you have to say that given what happened, it was definitely worth a try.

martinez: the movie is “cry macho”, by director and actor clint eastwood. film critic kenneth turan, thank you very much.

turan: thanks, a.

(excerpt from the “long montage” by mark mancina)

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