Ian Nathan, the former editor of Empire film magazine and writer of numerous books including the best-selling Alien Vault about Ridley Scott’s sci-fi masterpiece Alien, has most recently turned his attentions to one of his favourite filmmakers – Clint
In new book, Clint Eastwood: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work, Nathan provides a thoroughly entertaining, well-researched and beautifully presented celebration of the Hollywood legend’s work in front of and behind the camera.
Through a series of chapters that feature alongside a wonderfully curated selection of images, Nathan’s detailed look at Eastwood’s approach to storytelling, his screen persona, filmmaking style, and relationship with actors, is covered alongside a whole lot more.
Very much focused on Eastwood’s professional career as an actor, director and producer, Nathan eschews tabloid gossip for an intimate view of Eastwood’s life as it has been told through cinema.
A book for Clint Eastwood fans and casual movie lovers
From his early breakthrough performances and emergence as a western movie star to his move into directing, elements of his career are broken up into easily digestible chapters supported by a goldmine of behind-the-scenes photos, posters, and iconic images from his movies.
Written for the film enthusiast and Eastwood fan rather than the academic, Nathan’s tone is casual and enthusiastic. He warmly recalls the actor and director’s best work, championing movies like Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby, and avoids deep critical dives into his lesser works, flag-waving patriotism, or move further and further right on the political spectrum later in life. That said, the book does reserve a few pages for Eastwood’s time as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California.
Instead, Clint Eastwood: The Iconic Filmmaker And His Work takes readers on an immersive tour of one of Hollywood’s legendary figures. It celebrates the screen hero and brand of powerful masculinity Eastwood brought to his characters, as well as the reserved, unfussy directorial style he found from behind the camera.
Perhaps most interestingly, Nathan offers an insightful critique of Eastwood’s work as a filmmaker capable of tackling themes without the commercial headache almost every other director must deal with.
In the book, we learn that Eastwood’s relatively simple approach has a complexity that belies its uncomplicated aesthetic. Specifically, through the Hollywood icon’s bold choice of subject matter, and the types of characters, both male and female, young and old, that have taken centre stage.
Presented in a handsome slipcase edition, this book presents a wonderful celebration of one of the most prolific filmmakers and an icon of the silver screen.