Tough Ain't Enough: New Perspectives on the Films of Clint Eastwood

Published by Rutgers University Press 2018

Tough Ain't Enough

New Perspectives on the Films of Clint Eastwood

Edited by: Lester D. Friedman and David Desser
With contributions by: Lester D. Friedman , David Desser , Stephen Prince , Jonathan Kirshner , Diane Carson , David Sterritt , Murray Pomerance , Lucy Bolton , Alexandra Keller and Charity Lofthouse

https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813586045

Overview
Contents

About this book

Throughout his lengthy career as both an actor and a director, Clint Eastwood has appeared in virtually every major film genre and, at this point in his career, has emerged as one of America’s most popular, recognizable, and respected filmmakers. He also remains a controversial figure in the political landscape, often characterized as the most prominent conservative voice in mostly liberal Hollywood. At Eastwood’s late age, his critical success as actor and director, his combative willingness to confront serious cultural issues in his films, and his undeniable talent behind the camera all call for a new and comprehensive study that considers and contextualizes his multiple roles, both on and off screen. Tough Ain’t Enough offers readers a series of original essays by prominent cinema scholars that explore the actor-director’s extensive career. The result is a far-reaching and nuanced portrait of one of America’s most prolific and thoughtful filmmakers.

Author / Editor information

LESTER D. FRIEDMAN is a professor emeritus of the Media and Society Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He is the author or editor of over twenty books, including Monstrous Progeny: A History of the Frankenstein Narratives (Rutgers University Press).

DAVID DESSER is an emeritus professor of cinema studies and comparative and world literatures at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has written and edited eleven books, including The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity.

Reviews

"Highly recommended."

— Choice

"The editors have assembled a diverse group of scholars and turned them loose to make sense of the vast array of contradictions that is Clint Eastwood. This is a unique and extraordinary collection with not a weak chapter in it."

— Dennis Bingham, author of Whose Lives Are They Anyway?: The Biopic as Contemporary Film Genre

"Chronicle of Higher Education 'New Scholarly Books' Weekly Book List, August 31, 2018," compiled by Nina C. Ayoub

— Chronicle of Higher Education

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
1. The Teller and the Tale: An Introduction to the Films of Clint Eastwood Lester D. Friedman and David Desser Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I. Crosscurrents
2 “I Don’t Want Nobody Belonging to Me”: Riding the Post- Leone Western Stephen Prince Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	19
3. “God/Country/Family”: The Military Movies Lester D. Friedman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	36
4. “A Man’s Got to Know His Limitations”: The Cop Films from Nixon through Reagan Jonathan Kirshner Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	55
5. “I’m Not So Tough”: Melodrama and Performance in the Later Films Diane Carson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	75
6. “Heroes Are Something We Create”: The Biopics David Sterritt Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	94
Part II. Controversies
7. “I Am a Camera”: The Performative Gaze Murray Pomerance Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	117
8. “You Ain’t Ugly like Me; It’s Just That We Both Got Scars”: Women in Eastwood’s Films Lucy Bolton Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	134
9. “I Know I’m as Blind as a Slab of Concrete, but I’m Not Helpless”: The Aging Action Hero David Desser Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	152
10. “Seems like We Can’t Trust the White Man”: The Theater of Race Alexandra Keller Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	169
11. Play Music for Me: The Film Scores Charity Lofthouse Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	190
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	211
Notes on Contributors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	213
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	217

Language: English
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 232
Illustrations
- Other: 43 images
Keywords: Clint Eastwood; Hollywood; actor; director; Eastwood; America; film; filmmaker

eBook

Published: June 29, 2018
ISBN: 9780813586045