UPDATE: Mara Reinstein pointed out to me that she bears the honor of having been the last person to interview Eastwood — back in 2021, Parade published her sit-down with the legend, titled “'I'm Not in it for the Dough!' Clint Eastwood Says He Has No Plans to Retire.”
EARLIER: Who says print is dead? Most recently, Cinema Scope and Total Film shuttered their doors, opting to go exclusively online. However, a ragtag bunch of film lovers didn’t seem to get the memo.
The Metrograph, a new biannual print publication, was recently unveiled, and they landed one hell of an exclusive for their first issue. Journalist, and Metrograph Editor-at-Large, Nick Pinkerton has interviewed Clint Eastwood in a rare, career-spanning conversation, and by my count, the only press Eastwood has done this decade.
Eastwood did zero press for last year’s ‘Juror #2,’ and didn’t even show up at the AFI world premiere of the film. I don’t blame him. The man is 95, and has nothing more to prove. He could have also lashed out at Warner Bros for dumping the film on streaming, but Clint’s decided to take the high road and not comment on the whole situation.
The full Metrograph interview has been made available online. Eastwood speaks, at length, about his filmography. The conversation also delves into Eastwood’s evolution from a television actor in “Rawhide” to a filmmaker with a distinctive voice. Eastwood reflects on his early experiences with mentors like Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. The interview also touches on his directorial style, including his preference for efficient shooting schedules and not many takes.
Pinkerton fails to ask Eastwood about the press claiming “Juror #2” would be his last film — I’ve heard the opposite. Last year, a much-quoted THR article claimed that with “Juror #2,” Eastwood “wanted to find one last project in order to be able to ride off into the sunset with his head held high.”
Eastwood’s filmography has remained impressively consistent over the past six decades. Among his finest works are “Unforgiven,” “Mystic River,” “Gran Torino,” “Changeling,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales,” “Pale Rider,” “High Plains Drifter,” “A Perfect World,” and “Million Dollar Baby.”
“Juror #2” was engaging and proves he still has plenty to offer. And aside from the uneven “Cry Macho” (2021), his twilight years have been remarkably productive. I’m especially fond of “The Mule” (2018) and “Richard Jewell” (2019) — both stand out as strong additions to his late-career filmography.