Clint Eastwood's Hidden Gems: 5 Underrated Movies You've Probably Missed, Ranked by RT
These are films in which he experimented with genres or worked with material that wasn't widely appreciated.
Some know Clint Eastwood as the nameless gunslinger from Sergio Leone's Spaghetti Westerns, while others know him as the Oscar-winning director of masterpieces like Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven.
However, this Hollywood giant has made many movies that have been overshadowed by his breakout hits.
5. 'American Sniper', 2014
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Chris Kyle, a US Navy SEAL sniper, is recognized as one of the most accurate in American military history. He deployed to Iraq several times, where he was responsible for protecting his soldiers and carrying out risky missions in the war zone.
With each new deployment, Kyle became more deeply entrenched in the quagmire of war while simultaneously trying to maintain his relationship with his family and cope with the psychological effects of serving on the front lines.
4. 'Flags of Our Fathers', 2006
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 76%
During the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, a group of soldiers stormed an enemy position on Mount Suribachi. Five of the soldiers raised the American flag, and the resulting photograph became a national symbol of heroism and patriotism.
After the battle, the soldiers returned home for a propaganda tour to boost morale and raise funds for the war effort.
In 2006, Eastwood released an ambitious war film duology: Flags of Our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima, which were released within months of each other.
The two films are technically about the same battle during World War II. However, Flags depicts the battle from the American perspective, while Letters depicts it from the Japanese perspective.
3. 'Richard Jewell', 2019
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77%
In 1996, security guard Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious backpack at the Atlanta Olympic Park and quickly evacuated the area. The backpack contained a bomb, and Jewell became a national hero.
However, the FBI then began to suspect him of being involved in the terrorist attack. They alleged that he staged the whole thing to portray himself as a hero. With the help of his lawyer, Watson Bryant, Jewell must defend his honor against the authorities and the bloodthirsty media.
2. 'Letters from Iwo Jima', 2006
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
World War II, led by General Kuribayashi, Japanese soldiers prepare to defend Iwo Jima from a vastly superior American advance. Knowing they would likely die on the island, they prepared for battle with no hope of help.
Unlike Flags of Our Fathers, the second part of the war duology is entirely focused on the battle for the island. It is perhaps Eastwood's most conceptually daring film, shot in a language he doesn't speak.
The director takes a clear humanistic stance – he empathizes with the soldiers on both sides and shows no sympathy for those who sent them to die.
1. 'The Outlaw Josey Wales', 1976
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
After Union soldiers brutally murder Josey Wales' family during the Civil War, he joins a Confederate army unit. When the war ends, most of his comrades surrender, but Josey refuses.
Now, he is pursued by his family's killers and bounty hunters. His only allies are an odd old Native American.
The Outlaw Josey Wales handles the topic of revenge in an interesting way. The expected focus ultimately fades into the background – the main character sincerely tries to build a new life far from the evil and trauma of the past, but he's simply not allowed to.
