Is Clint Eastwood a better director than he is an actor?

I didn't like the movie ' J. Edgar ' which Eastwood directed .

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is better than anything he directed but he directed many great movies so it's a hard choice. His greatest contribution has been as director, though, since actors are less important.

Eastwood is definitely a better director than actor. OTOH, I think his performances in MILLION DOLLAR BABY and GRAN TORINO were both Oscar-worthy.

As an actor, Eastwood is one of those actors who mainly play themselves in different clothes and scenery. His direction, however, results in movies with a spare, economical, direct and nearly merciless look at a character. He has a really unique look in his movies.

I think Eastwood has turned out to be a fantastic director...I think his Oscar for MYSTIC RIVER was richly deserved. I also think he did Oscar-worthy work in MILLION DOLLAR BABY and GRAN TORINO.

Million Dollar Baby is one Eastwood film I didn't like.

Eastwood's only directing Oscar was for Unforgiven.

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Mark, Eastwood has two Oscars for Directing. He won for both "Unforgiven" and "Million Dollar Baby." He was also nominated but did not win for directing "Mystic River" and "Letters From Iwo Jima."

Yeah, I realized that yesterday.

Either way, the man is a legend.

Yes he is.

I find his movies whilst occasionally great (Unforgiven) are generally are just solid and mired in maudlin sentiment (e.g. Gran Torino...a film where everyone elses roles are under-written and 1/2 dimensional).

In all honesty, Ben Affleck is much more interesting actor/director, his films so far have been excellent.

Affleck a more interesting actor than Eastwood? You haven't seen enough Eastwood. He made Dirty Harry, The Beguiled and Play Misty for Me the same year.

Affleck is in no way a more interesting actor/director than Clint Eastwood.

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Recently watched Gone Baby Gone for the first time and I liked it more than any Eastwood-directed movie I've seen

Affleck the actor > Eastwood the actor is madness to me though

The Outlaw Josey Wales?

Ha well that's the one I'd actually really to see

For Eastwood the director I've seen Gran Torino, Changeling, Letters from Iwo Jima, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Space Cowboys, A Perfect World, Unforgiven, White Hunter Black Heart, Bird, Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter and Play Misty For Me

White Hunter Black Heart and Gran Torino are the only ones of these I like a lot. I'm really not into most of his more acclaimed movies but ya Josey Wales definitely looks interesting

Sorry guys didn't explain very well.

Think Affleck is possibly (have to say possible its early in his career) the more accomplished director of the two, and less reliant on maudlin sentiment, etc.

I would agree that Eastwood is the better screen presence/actor though.

Sorry.

Affleck a more accomplished director than Eastwood? No. And I'm a big fan of Affleck as a director too.

^^^

Fair enough dude, IMO. Just too many of Eastwoods movies like Gran Torino and Million Dollar Baby for example don't work for me.

Everyone of Afflecks movie so far have worked.

If anything though, they are similar in style (non-flashy).

What?! Have you even seen Eastwood's earlier films from The Outlaw Josey Wales to Unforgiven?