Since his breakout role as theMan with No Name in Sergio Leone’sA Fistful of Dollars,Clint Eastwoodhas made a name for himself as one of the best actors and directors in Hollywood. Tackling almost every genre, from comedy and crime to Western and war, it’s hard to discuss cinema without mentioning the icon. With a career as impressive as his, there’s no shortage of brilliant endings to his films.
After John Wayne, fewactors have starred in multiple truly great Western moviesor have been able to embody the Old West like Clint Eastwood, and his entries in other genres have been just as significant.Taking his skills as a director into account, few men know how to make an exit quite like Eastwood,and some movies are a testament to this. From gun battles to tragic deaths, it’s rare for moviegoers to leave one of the star’s movies disappointed.
10The Gauntlet (1977)
Directed By Clint Eastwood
After his successful move to thrillers took off withDirty Harry, Eastwood continued his foray into the genre — albeit with very mixed impact. In 1978, he starred in and directedThe Gauntlet, a gritty road trip adventure with a very simple premise: The detective has to bring his prisoner from Las Vegas to Phoenix before the mob and corrupt cops can take them out. The ending comes as a moment of well-earned victory for its hero, as he wins the respect of his fellow cops.
Outside of comedy, happy endings are the exception in Eastwood’s career, with most of his characters lucky to see their stories end standing over a dead bad guy. Here, however,Ben Shockley brings down the bad guy, overcomes his alcoholism, and finds love— as it happens, with a woman played by his real then-wife, Sondra Locke. In effect, the ending signifies the redemption and revival of its hero.
9The Outlaw Josey Wales (1978)
Despite its controversial background,The Outlaw Josey Walesis a strong contender for the best Western of the 1970s,thanks to its focus on companionship, revenge, and redemption. As its hero meets a diverse group of outcasts, the story builds towards his final confrontation with militia and bounty hunters chasing him. What follows is one of the best gun battles of the genre, as the heroes defend a farmhouse from a small army.
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The Outlaw Josey Wales’ending shows just why the Redlegs pursue Wales with such intensity and almost represents the one-man war the hero had been waging to avenge his family. Now with a surrogate family at his back, the scene allows him closure as he defeats the villains and is let go by his old friend. The Confederate-turned-hero is a staple of the genre, and no film sold this change quite as well as this tale.
8Dirty Harry (1971)
Directed By Don Siegel
Following his successful tenure in the Western genre,Eastwood started to move towards action-thrillers, something he perfected in his performance as Harry Callahan in 1971’sDirty Harry.Here, he played the role of a morally gray San Francisco cop tasked with finding Scorpio, a serial killer loosely based on the real Zodiac Killer. The movie came amidst a real crime wave in the nation, and its ending signifies the pessimism and anger felt by many at the time.
Dirty Harry’s final showdown feels like a modernized scene from one of Eastwood’s Western movies, even concluding with him throwing away his badge just as Gary Cooper does at the end ofHigh Noon. The final note of the movie balances the heroism of Callahan against the nihilism of ’70s cinema. While the villain is defeated, the hero — and the audience — is left frustrated by a broken system, a sentiment that defined crime movies throughout the decade.
7Million Dollar Baby (2004)
When it comes to the sports genre, directors and stars have often sought to combine inspiration with drama.InMillion Dollar Baby,Eastwood sought more of a tragic taleas he presented the story of an aspiring female boxer who is paralyzed by an injury during a match. The heart and soul of the story come from the relationship between Eastwood’s Frankie Dunn and Hilary Swank’s Maggie Fitzgerald, one that mirrors a father/daughter dynamic.
Million Dollar Babyquickly garnered praise for its characterization, both in Dunn and Fitzgerald, while also becoming one of the most tragic films of its decade. The final act of the film builds towards Frankie’s gut-wrenching decision as he euthanizes his surrogate daughter. Audiences knew where the film was leading the moment Maggie was hospitalized, but seeing it play out gave Eastwood his most heartbreaking ending to date.
6Gran Torino (2008)
As perhaps his most controversial film,Eastwood’sGran Torinodeals with a variety of divisive topics,namely the clash of cultures between American-born and immigrant communities. Despite the tension present in the film, the actor-director presents a touching story of mentorship as he plays the role of a bitter older man who takes a Hmong boy under his wing. The film presents two views of America, one of community ties and family, another of crime and dispossession.
Gran Torino’s ending signifies a crucial evolution for Eastwood’s character as he lets go of his prejudices throughout the story and gives his life for something greater than himself. After having been used and neglected by his own children, the bond he forms with Thao reminds him of what it means to be a protector and, to some extent, a good father. In giving his life, he allows his neighbors to live theirs in peace, with his death symbolizing the end of “old America” to allow a new one to prosper.
5High Plains Drifter (1973)
InHigh Plains Drifter,Eastwood gave Western fans something genuinely unique in a tale that combined the premise ofRio Bravowith the supernaturalism of aTwilight Zoneepisode.The film uses the threat of a trio of outlaws returning to a cowardly town to keep the audience intrigued, slowly counting down to its inevitable confrontation. When it finally arrives, justice is delivered to everyone involved.
High Plains Drifter’sending expertly plays on the same themes ofHigh Noon,directing even more anger toward the cowardly townspeople. After setting up an epic battle, the film’s stranger shows up at the last minute to take his revenge on the men who killed him, before revealing himself as a ghost to both the audience and characters. The ending sends a chill up the spine of those watching and leaves every character having gotten what they deserved.
4Pale Rider (1985)
One of the things Eastwood was always great at while making Westerns was channeling the classics, paying homage to the directors who came before. No film is as much a testament to this asPale Rider, which takes the story of 1953’sShaneand gives it a supernatural makeover. Here, the actor appears in the role of the Preacher, a mysterious hero who arrives in a small town to protect the people from a thuggish land baron.
Pale Rider’shomage toShaneis particularly obvious in its ending, which gives Eastwood one of his most epic showdowns against Stockburn’s men before riding away from Megan proclaiming her love. The film builds on Alan Ladd’s classic brilliantly, reimagining his heroic gunfighter as an avenging angel, elevating it to the genre’s finest supernatural Western. The conclusion honors both the film’s horror roots and the gunslinger mythom and it salvaged the Western in a decade that saw its decline.
3Unforgiven (1992)
As soon as it released,Unforgivenearned a reputation as one of thegreatest Western films of all time, in no small part thanks to how it both deconstructs and explores the genre. Eastwood made the film as a summation of his views on the genre at the time and, from beginning to end, it offers a somber anti-violence message. The ending is one of the deepest of his career as it challenges the morality of the West, forcing the viewers to root for an outlaw against a lawman
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Two of Clint Eastwood’s best movies are The Outlaw Josey Wales and Unforgiven. He plays an antihero in both, and they tell the same story in reverse
Unforgiven’s ending befits its overall message of the moral ambiguity of the Old West. In just one scene, the film simultaneously deconstructs the romantic view of the West, while also reconstructing the myth of the deadly gunfighter. However, for those who understand the movie’s subtext,it brilliantly redefines the classic Clint Eastwood antihero into something darkerand more complicated.
2For A Few Dollars More (1965)
Directed By Sergio Leone
Following his blockbuster success inA Fistful of Dollars, Eastwood returned to the role of the nameless gunfighter inFor a Few Dollars More. A rarity in the genre, this sequel actually gives Western fans a buddy cop-style team-up movie, one that sees the antihero partner up with Colonel Mortimer, a bounty hunter seeking vengeance for his dead sister. As the movie builds towards his moment of justice, the Stranger’s intervention offers a cheerful turn, one that stands out as the film’s best moment.
For a Few Dollars Moreends with a quintessential Hollywood happy ending,one that sees a victorious Mortimer ride off into the sunset as he leaves the Stranger to count his fortune. For audiences who love an inspirational Western, the film offers a nice contrast with Eastwood’s other movies. Mirroring the iconic ending ofIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade, it’s as picturesque and idyllic as it gets.
One of the best achievements of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy is its status as one of very few trilogies that get betterwith each successive film. Here, audiences are treated to a truly epic treasure hunt, one that takes its characters on a journey into the heart of the American Civil War in search of gold. The movie is a masterpiece on every level possible, from its stunning backdrop and emotional character moments to its legendary score and iconic showdown.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’sfinal duel is perhaps the single most iconic scene in the genre, one elevated significantly by Ennio Morricone’s score. After the standoff between the eponymous trio of gunfighters, audiences watch asClint Eastwood’s beloved stranger rides off into the sunset for the last time, leaving Tuco with his loot. The finale stands out as a visually captivating work of art, and the Stranger’s ending is the most triumphant in the genre.
