Clint Eastwood is one of the Hollywood stars who has not only captivated the audience with his on-screen presence but also through his impressive directorial achievements. Starting as an actor in the 1950s, he made his directorial debut with the 1972 film Play Misty for Me. The film did pretty well at the box office and was received very well by the critics as well.
And over the years, he has become one of the renowned filmmakers in the industry, having two Best Director Oscars under his name. And unlike many other acclaimed directors, Eastwood has developed a unique directing style that has turned out to be frustrating for some of the actors he has worked with.
Clint Eastwood’s Unique ‘One-Take’ Directing Style
Hollywood filmmakers Stanley Kubrick and David Fincher are known for going through multiple takes to achieve the perfection. The late English actor Philip Stone has shared that The Shining director took 50 or 60 takes of a single sequence.
The cast of Fincher’s 2007 film Zodiac also had to perform a scene multiple times. Clint Eastwood, however, does not follow the same directing style. The Unforgiven director has shared that he believes in capturing the best possible result in the first take only.
“The objective is to make everything sound like the first time it’s said, so the only thing I can do is try to pick it up the very first time,” he shared during an interview with Film Comment. He agrees that every filmmaker has their own techniques and ways.
However, he has also stated that he only prefers to go onward and upward with multiple takes if it does not come out right the first time. “The rule is whatever it takes,” he shared. Although he is well aware that it could cause issues for some of the people he works with, Eastwood doesn’t seem too bothered by the thought.
Leonardo DiCaprio Got Frustrated With Clint Eastwood’s Direction
Leonardo DiCaprio starred in Clint Eastwood’s 2011 biographical drama J. Edgar, following the career of the FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. While Eastwood prefers getting things done in a single take, the Titanic star likes to take his time and often carries the scene for multiple takes until he is able to perform with perfection.
And the Oscar-winning actor was left frustrated when the Mystic River director reportedly “announced the day as a wrap and walked off set” after DiCaprio asked for a retake. It is also claimed that after working with Eastwood on the 2011 film, DiCaprio turned down the offer for the Oscar-winning movie A Star Is Born.
Eastwood admits that he’s aware that some people don’t like to do that, but he believes in the concept of “how interesting something can be the first time” if a good performer tries to give it their best. Otherwise, he also doesn’t mind having more than one takes for a single sequence.
J. Edgar is available on Prime Video.
Source: Film Comment
