What are your personal Eastwood directorial highlights?

[Cal]

Hey everyone -

I was contacted by someone at Special Ops Media who is working on promoting the AMC premier of Million Dollar Baby.  Here is what they wanted to do:

"We would love for you to write up your personal favorite Clint directorial highlights in support of the Million Dollar Baby basic cable premiere on AMC this Saturday.  In addition, we have two Million Dollar Baby DVDs to give to you to use for a giveaway!  I hope this helps.  I have provided a little blurb below regarding the airing on Saturday.  Please let me know if there is anything else you need from me and if you will be able to have this live before Friday."

AMC PREMIERE EVENT: MILLION DOLLAR BABY will be showcased on two consecutive nights on Saturday, May 17th and Sunday, May 18th at 8 pm ET & PT/7C.  Directed by Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hillary Swank star in this 2004 film about a hardened trainer/manager who works with a determined woman in her attempt to establish herself as a boxer. MILLION DOLLAR BABY garnered four Oscars  including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Director, Best Lead Actress and Best Supporting Actor.

So basically I thought this could be a good topic for this board.  It opens it up to the masses, not just one, and then if they still send the DVD's I could give them away as a drawing on whomever posts their highlights?!?

Don't know how this will work but if interested, please post your "personal Eastwood directorial highlights" here and besides sharing your views with everyone, you also enter yourself (hopefully) for a free DVD.   

[Francesca Kincaid]

My favorite Eastwood directorial highlight is The Bridges of Madison County.  The way it was directed was just straight story-telling, no effects or anything like that to play it up.  I think that's the best way for a character study to be done, to just let the audience get to know the characters.  The acting was outstanding, very real.  Clint is known for shooting films without a lot of takes, and I can see how that helps make everything seem more natural.  It's the realest seeming movie I've seen.  And the most touching/tear-jerking, romantic, etc.  That's why it's my favorite movie. 

Another of my favorite directorial highlights of Clint's is High Plains Drifter.  While I like Westerns, I think it was better than most because it had a lot more going for it with all the genre mixing -  funny, supernatural at times.  It has a neat ambience & it's just fun to watch.