Eastwood at 93

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

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John Fraim

Over his 94 years, Clint Eastwood has become much more than a Hollywood star. It was something he never wanted in the first place. He escaped LA and move up north to Carmel where he owned and ran the Mission Ranch and became Mayor of Carmel as he continued in films.  

It was hard a little more difficult to define him within his new endeavors. For anyone wasting time trying to define Eastwood in the first place. One thing was evident to me throughout his life, he lived it and did pictures about this. He knew so much about the picture. There were his years of acting. And then, these later years of directing and acting.  

Eastwood has become more than a legendary actor and filmmaker. Rather, he has in fact become a symbol. Representing a huge symbolic force in America. The Masculine symbol of America. In direct conflict like no other time in our history, with the Feminine symbol of America. 

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Few mention that the election has come down to a confrontation between the Masculine and Feminine symbols present at the creation of America. As I’ve written about, the two symbols have always been represented in our conservative, Republican (Masculine) party and the liberal, Democrat (Feminine) party. One of the symbols has ruled during the various administrations. 

Over the history of American politics, the two great symbols have acted like unfelt/seen environments of our daily lives. It certainly doesn’t affect one’s sex. Yet, the two great symbols of Masculine and Feminine, have always done battle. Just as they have always done battle inside the minds of Americans. 

The dynamics and battling back and forth of these symbols, expressed in American politics, have gone far to make American become the greatest nation in the world in the shortest amount of time. 

It has been this founding on the dynamics of these two great symbols of the world – Masculine and Feminine symbols/archetypes – that Eastwood has always carried forth. Clint has been the Masculine symbol. Watching his early films, he always was this symbol in his movies. Although, I didn’t know all this at the time. 

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In these times when the nation is divided more than I can remember. Eastwood has reached perhaps the highest power of his symbolic presence with his latest film Juror #2. 

One of the things no politician does today is to call out one of the sexes in the electorate. Yet the current election represents the largest clash between America’s Masculine and Feminine symbols. In history. The contrast is so obvious to me. 

This is obvious to anyone who simply looks at the messages and actions of each campaign. While no candidate calls out directly to their base, they must call out to them in the first place. 

But with all the key issues discussed, I think it has really come down to a battle between Masculine and Feminine symbols. Over our history, the two learned to live together in their environment of duality and battling. There were longer periods of domination of one of the symbols over the other. Yet the dynamism was always present. 

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Eastwood represents the symbol of Masculinity in the world today. He continues the great philosophy of John Ford into the modern era. 

So, Juror #2 arrives right after the key presidential election in American history. Perhaps arrives at a time when the results are still being tallied and/or disputed. 

The great symbol of Masculinity is still making films. At 94! And, Eastwood doesn’t try to act masculine in his films. It is just the person he is. The life he has led. 

In my mind, he has become a force for maintaining an old John Ford form of traditional American values in his films. Yes, one could say Make America Great types of films. But his films have been hard films. American is a tough place. Its wild west was tough. Yet, as Eastwood’s vision shows, the urban environment was even tougher than the wild west.  

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Eastwood. A last name bigger than a person. Rather, representing – perhaps – a place “East” of Hollywood? Wherever this place was it was outside Hollywood. For Hollywood, Eastwood learned, all marched to the same orders. He was not about to do this. He left Feminine Hollywood for his own place in Carmel, California. 

He has played many great Heroes in films. Yet his largest Hero role by far is the Hero role he plays now in the battle between America’s Feminine and Masculine symbols. It’s not a position Eastwood relishes or claims. He is so happy enjoying his amazing life. He is proud to show his actions and style of life to the world. It is not a real film but rather a film in the consciousness of popular mythology in the minds of Americans.

Anyway, Juror #2 in theaters after the election. It could be the last film made from the great masculine symbol of American film today. Yet, there is little doubt the Eastwood symbol has offered a guiding light to others. The film is getting great reviews. A high rating on Rotten Tomatoes!

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Reaching that status few ever reach. Much larger than a mere person. Even larger than a legend. Rather becoming a symbol of something valued and important in life. Something that attracts others to it because it provides access the masculinity symbol in film. 

With Eastwood it has always been the John Ford and John Wayne tradition of the domination of the symbol of masculinity in films. It is something that modern Hollywood doesn’t approve of as it’s the entertainment art of the Feminine symbol today.  

That’s why Eastwood rode out of town a number of years ago. To a place called “Eastwood.” A symbol of resistance to Hollywood. 

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San Francisco Chronicle Review of Juror #2