Westerns:Eastwood versus Peckinpah

[Tim]

  Well, I can't speak for Bronco Billy having not seen it, but Junior Bonner is one of Peckinpah's most underrated movies, western or otherwise.  The teaming of Peckinpah and Steve McQueen works perfectly here and in The Getaway.

  And while I'll like most of Eastwood's non-Leone westerns, I'll stick with Peckinpah for westerns directors.

[The Peacemaker]

  And while I'll like most of Eastwood's non-Leone westerns, I'll stick with Peckinpah for westerns directors.

I'm the same way. I love Eastwood as an actor but...director? They ripped off Martin Scorsese from an academy award ( he deserves one so badly ) so Eastwood could have it. Million Dollar Baby was a good film but Eastwood is an actor not a director!

[Banjo]

Eastwood is an actor not a director!

I know i usually make the odd silly comment but come on
i don't  go in for Eastwoods non-western films normally but you gotta give him lots of director brownie points for a lot of his work including Bird and White Hunter Black Heart.Play Misty For Me is a great director debut film for Eastwood too!
Just like football players develop an understanding of game tactic etc and go onto become coaches and managers surely actors like Eastwood who took a keen interest in the film making process right from his early time as an actor are more capable than many of becoming a first class director-and Eastwood has proved his capabilities in all genres again and again.

[Banjo]

BTW, by my count, Eastwood has only directed 4 Westerns (unless you count Bronco Billy). So those of you voting for Eastwood are saying you prefer HPD/Josey Wales/Pale Rider/Unforgiven over The Deadly Companions/Ride The High Country/Major Dundee/The Wild Bunch/PG&BtK (and maybe Junior Bonner). Hard to believe anyone would think that way.....

So what Leone only did 5 and Solima made just 3!
Eastwood has easily the best western portfolio amongst todays directors and i hope he makes some more soon.
And i'd prefer to watch Bronco Billy over Peckinpahs best anyday!

[titoli]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Italian dubbing Titoli once you've seen it!

I confirm Hughes' info. In fact when at the end the dwarf asks "You never told me your name.", Eastwood's answer is not "Yes you do", but "You've just written the one of my brother".

[Banjo]

Well done Titoli
Well thats conclusive then,even in that Eastwood quote Clint says the drifter is the deceased brother but the movie very ingeniusly manipulates us to believe that he is some sort of an avenging spirit right until we find out the truth in that very last scene-Major Jim Duncan RIP.
 

[dave jenkins]

Whoa, cowboy, not so fast. Just because the Italian version of the film makes it clear who Eastwood is doesn't mean the same holds true for the English language version. The Italian dub has no authority over the English one, the English version has to stand on its own. And anyone who has seen the film knows that Eastwood has made the identity of the stranger ambiguous: it could be the dead lawman's brother, or an avenging spirit, or even the dead lawman's ghost (maybe the dead lawman's dead brother's ghosr?). The very last shot of the film shows the stranger disappearing into the heat haze, which can be accounted for either naturalistically or supernaturally. Eastwood put that ambiguity into the film intentionally, and the film is better for it (we get to debate the issue in forums like this, for example). There is no need to rob the picture of this ambiguity; in fact, we do the film a disservice if we attempt to do so. Why undermine the director's clear intention? Rather, we should honor it.

[Banjo]

Which ever way i see it this doesn't undermine it for me in the slightest and it will always be one of the best American westerns of all time,but i respect anyone that prefers the ambiguity to remain right up until the very end of the movie-even if Clint admits the drifter was Jim Duncans brother