Clint Eastwoodis an icon of American cinema who initially gained universal fame for classic Westerns such asThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,Fora Few Dollars More, andThe Outlaw Josey Wales. Known for his rugged, bold characters, notablySergio Leone’s Man With No Name, Eastwood has successfully dominated the Western genre both in front and behind the camera as an Oscar-winning director, making him a staple in the timeless film genre.
While Eastwood eventually moved into other film genreswith signature movies, includingDirty Harry,Play Misty for Me, andMillion Dollar Baby, he remains to be a defining figure in the Western genre and a beloved favorite among Wild West film fans. With unforgettable titles likeA Fistful of Dollars,Pale Rider, andUnforgiven, these are the ten best Clint Eastwood Western movies.
10’Honkytonk Man' (1982)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Eastwood directs and stars in one of his most unique Western films,Honkytonk Man, as a country singer, Red Stovall, who, unfortunately, is dying of tuberculosis but dreams of reaching stardom by performing at the Grand Ole Opry before death gets a hold of him. He travels south with his nephew, played by Eastwood’s son,Kyle Eastwood, and the two embark on an eventful road trip that changes both of their lives forever.
Unlike Eastwood’s other Western films,Honkytonk Manisn’t action-packed or riddled with intense shootouts, but instead, it follows a sentimental story that is full of lighthearted humor and phenomenal performances by the father and son duo. The film earned critical acclaim and received three out of four stars from film critic,Roger Ebert, who praisedHonkytonk Manas a low-key, feel-good film.
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9’Two Mules for Sister Sara' (1970)
Directed by Don Siegel
In theunderrated Eastwood Western film,Two Mules for Sister Sara, Eastwood plays a gunslinger, Hogan, who rescues a young nun, played byShirley MacLaine, from a group of men trying to take advantage of her. The two escape and travel to a camp of Mexican revolutionaries where they agree to help them in their fight against the invading French army.
Two Mules for Sisteris a solid Western that doesn’t get enough credit andwhile it isn’t considered to be a great Western film, it’s still generally entertaining with plenty of humor and action that keeps audiences invested. The movie was a mild financial success, earning positive reviews from critics, who many acknowledged Eastwood’s performance to be one of the actor’s finest to date.
Two Mules for Sister Sara
8’High Plains Drifter' (1973)
In the ghostly Western tale,High Plains Drifter, Eastwood plays a stranger who arrives in a small mining town, Lago, where his sharpshooting skills are in high demand by the townspeople. Initially, he is met with hostility, but once he shows what he can do with a pistol, the town hires him to fend off a group of outlaws who are expected to be released from jail and have a score to settle with the people of Lago. The stranger agrees to help them but, unbeknownst to them, he has his own vendetta to score with the townspeople.
High Plains Drifteris a semi-horror Western film that follows a story of revenge and redemption with an unexpected twist, making it a must-see Eastwood Western. The movie earned mixed reviews, notably for its moments of callous, uncomfortable humor, but despite the criticism,High Plains Drifteris still a skillfully directed film by Eastwood and also puts a paranormal twist on the traditional tale of the Old West.
High Plains Drifter
7’Pale Rider' (1985)
Eastwood directs and stars in the 1985 Western,Pale Rider,as a man known as Preacher who, after arriving in a California town, discovers a mining baron, Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart), who is trying to rid the land of other miners and their families through force and violence. Preacher agrees to help fend off LaHood and his men, but when LaHood threatens to bring a marshal in to clear the miners out, they refuse to leave, putting Preacher and all of their lives in jeopardy.
Despite Westerns being a bit out of fashion at the time,Eastwood’sPale Riderwas a success with audiences and critics, who raved about the actor’s grace and wit as not only a performer but also an exceptional filmmaker. Even though some points drag,Pale Rideris still a suspense-filled Western featuring Eastwood returning to his roots and glory days as the no-nonsense gunslinger who comes along to save the day.
Pale Rider
6’Hang ‘Em High’ (1968)
Directed by Ted Post
Hang ‘Em Highis a top-notch Western classic that stars Eastwood as a retired man of the law, Jed Cooper, who is wrongfully accused of murder and miraculously survives being hanged by a group of men. When Judge Adam Fenton (Pat Hingle) determines Cooper is innocent, the judge offers him a job as a marshal, which Cooper accepts, and while he’s ordered to track down the men who tried to kill him, Fenton warns him not to kill them but to bring them in to stand trial.
Hang ‘Em Highis a high-quality Western full of excitement and impressive performances by Eastwood as well as the entire cast, which also includes notable names such asEd Begley,Bruce Dern, andDennis Hopper. The movie was a massive success for United Artists, becoming the production company’s biggest premiere in history and even surpassing all theJames Bondfilms at the time. Even though not everyone was impressed withHang ‘Em High,Eastwood still delivers a stellar performance as a lawman who is inevitably torn between seeking justice or revenge.
Hang ‘Em High
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5’The Outlaw Josey Wales’ (1976)
Eastwood stars as a farmer turned soldier in the riveting Western,The Outlaw Josey Wales, which is set during the Civil War and follows Wales on his relentless journey for revenge against those who brutally murdered his family. When the war comes to an end, Wales refuses to accept defeat and while his fellow soldiers are slaughtered, Wales escapes, becoming the prime target of bounty hunters across the country.
The Outlaws Josey Waleswas a commercial and critical success, earning rave reviews from critics, who many credited Eastwood’s performance as one of the star’s most iconic.While Eastwood gives an astounding performance, his artful direction of the film is a quality to be admired. He authentically captures the atmosphere of the setting down to the finest detail with impeccable sights of the beautiful desolate West that eases the overall intensity of the film’s tone.
The Outlaw Josey Wales
4’A Fistful of Dollars’ (1964)
Directed by Sergio Leone
A Fistful of Dollarsis the first installment in Sergio Leone’s infamousDollars Trilogyand also marked Eastwood’s first major leading role on the silver screen. The film introduces Eastwood’s now-iconic Man With No Name as he arrives in a small town and learns about an ongoing rivalry between the town’s sheriff and a group of outlaws led by the Rojo Brothers. As both sides fight for control of the town, Eastwood’s character takes it upon himself to play them against each other for his own financial gain, but as the surrounding circumstances become clearer to him, he soon rethinks his initial plan.
Eastwood gives a captivating performance conveying the subtle but skillfully violent nature of his character that film fans have come to label as one of the greatest Western characters of all time.A Fistful of Dollarshas a sadistic tone, but the occasional humor of certain scenarios adds a bit of comic relief to the intensity, creating an entertaining Spaghetti Western.It may not be the best film in the trilogy, butA Fistful of Dollarsis noted for Eastwood’s feature film debut as well as his stunning performance as the Man With No Name, which has cemented him in cinematic history.
A Fistful of Dollars
3’Unforgiven’ (1992)
Eastwood stars as former gunslinger, William Munny, in his Oscar-winning film,Unforgiven, which tells the story of a young woman who is permanently disfigured by a man who gets off with a slap on the wrist. Outraged, the woman’s friends secretly collect and offer a reward to anyone who can deliver justice to the offender. When word gets to Munny, he and his friend, Ned (Morgan Freeman) travel to the town of Big Whiskey, where they receive less than a warm welcome from the town’s corrupt sheriff, Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman).
Unforgivenis easily one of the best modern Westerns in cinema history, which received nine Academy Award nominationsand went on to win four, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Hackman.Eastwood delivers a profound performance that stands apart from his other anti-hero characters, delivering a slow-burning intensity that comes to a final head of brutality and vengeance that is simply a sight to behold for audiences.
Unforgiven
2’For a Few Dollars More’ (1965)
In the second installment of Leone’s Dollars Trilogy,For a Few Dollars More, Eastwood stars as a bounty hunter alongside fellow Western icon,Lee Van Cleef, who plays a former army officer turned bounty hunter, Colonel Douglas Mortimer. When the two cross paths and realize they’re after the same escaped outlaw, El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté), they decide to team up and collect the hefty reward together.
Unlike other Westerns,For a Few Dollars Morefocuses more on multiple situations rather than a single plot, and, despite a few Old Western clichés, it all leads up to a finale that is an exceptional payoff for audiences.Eastwood and Van Cleef are an epic duo who deliver phenomenal individual performances that meticulously refrain from overshadowing each other’s characters. The film also features a hauntingly beautiful tune of chimes, setting an eerie, intense tone throughout the film, but at the end, it is revealed to have an intriguing significance that ties the film up in a neat, strategic bow.
For a Few Dollars More
In the Spaghetti Western,The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Eastwood embarks on a harrowing journey withEli Wallachplaying a dastardly outlaw and Eastwood’s former partner in crime, Tuco, to find a buried fortune before a sinister mercenary known as Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) gets their first. Many considerThe Good, the Bad, and the Uglyto be Eastwood’s most celebrated Western and his incomparable performance is undoubtedly one of the greatest in cinematic history.
While Eastwood gives an unforgettable portrayal of his Man With No Name, he and Wallach are an unlikely but surprisingly entertaining pair and the main alluring element of this gem of a Western. Throughout the film, the two are consistently at odds, but their underlying distaste for each other pushes the plot along with steady unpredictability and manipulative tricks that add a comedic quality to the film.Even though Eastwood has starred in countless noteworthy Westerns, he gives his finest performance inThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, which,without a doubt, reigns as his greatest Western of all time.
