Clint Eastwoodremains one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood history, and he’s worked regularly in movies now for 70 years. Though he perhaps remains best known for appearing in Westerns, withDollars Trilogy classicThe Good, The Bad and the Ugly(1966) being a particular highlight, he also worked extensively in other genres, taking on the crime thriller withDirty Harry(1971), and appearing in war movies likeWhere Eagles Dare(1968) andKelly’s Heroes(1970). Eventually, of course, Eastwood would also make the jump to directing.
Eastwood, who is now 94 years old, has directed 45 movies over the course of his career, his first beingPlay Misty for Me(1971).Eastwood’s most iconic directorial efforts, however, would come somewhat later in his Hollywood journey, and they include movies likeUnforgiven(1992),Million Dollar Baby(2004),American Sniper(2014), andSully(2016). Eastwood would also often star in his directorial efforts, including a 1986 war movie that chronicles the American invasion of Grenada.
Eastwood’s upcoming and potentially last movie as a director isJuror #2starring Nicholas Hoult.
Clint Eastwood’s Iconic Heartbreak Ridge Scenes Earn A Middling Accuracy Score
Gunnery Sergeant Highway Makes Some Crucial Errors
Despite featuring one of Eastwood’s most iconic lines,Heartbreak Ridgefeatures some significant inaccuracies. Eastwood stars in the 1986 war movie as Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway in a story that follows the gruff military leader as he trains a new batch of undisciplined recruits into a formidable fighting force for Operation Urgent Fury, the U.S. invasion of Grenada in 1983. The film earned lukewarm reviews but was a box office success, andit features some classic Eastwood lines as he attempts to whip his recruits into shape.
30 Best Clint Eastwood Movie Quotes, Ranked
From gunslinger one-liners to angry cop retorts, Clint Eastwood’s characters have plenty of memorable lines that are still being quoted decades later.
In a recent video forInsider, retired U.S. Army drill sergeant Lamont Christian analyzes two scenes fromHeartbreak Ridge, including a scene in which Highway fires live rounds from an AK-47 assault rifle around his recruits in order to scare them straight. Eastwood then delivers a memorable line identifying the weapon and how it’s favorable with the “enemy.”
Christian takes issue with the use of live rounds during the training, which is prohibited in the military, but he also points out the inaccuracies in another scene in which Highway fights an officer. This fight scene, Christian explains, would fracture the loyalties of the recruits. Check out his full analysis below and score for the film out of 10:
That’s an iconic clip. A lot of people will often repeat that particular quote by Clint Eastwood in this movie. One of the things that the U.S. Military does not do is integrate live fire training where we actually shoot at our personnel at close quarters like this just because of the safety factor, right? I’m not saying that it has not happened. It’s definitely something is not condoned.
Definitely something that could happen where they would fight in the pit during that time period. I think they were actually, around the period of [Operation Urgent Fury, the U.S. invasion of Grenada], my father was actually one of the participants in that. He was serving in the 82nd at the time. They’re out at PT, they’re doing their physical training, some warrior-based training, warrior ethos, it’s all about demonstrating that they’re prepared to go to war.
For a senior non-commission officer to fight an officer, it would probably create a problem with good order and discipline in that organization because the ranks would begin to kind of fall apart. You would have those that would be following behind the officer, then those that might follow behind Gunnery Sergeant Highway.
In context for the period that the battle that they were getting ready to go into in Grenada,I would say it’s probably about a five [out of 10]. Again, only because when he was shooting at them with live ammo.
Our Take On Heartbreak Ridge’s Lack Of Accuracy
How Much Does It Really Matter?
One of the big appeals of Eastwood as an actor is his severity and gruffness. He often plays no-nonsense characters, delivering clever quips with a growl while coming across as cool in the process. Gunnery Sergeant Highway may not beas memorable as Dirty Harry, buthis firing of the live ammunition around his recruits immediately tells audiences what kind of character he is, and his line afterward affirms that this is a military man with a great deal of combat experience.
There have been relatively few movies about Operation Urgent Fury, and the film had an opportunity to present a semi-realistic take on the conflict and the soldiers who fought in it.
WhileHeartbreak Ridge’s inaccuracy may not be a deal-breaker from an entertainment and story perspective, it is a let-down in another way. There have been relatively few movies about Operation Urgent Fury, and the film had an opportunity to present a semi-realistic take on the conflict and the soldiers who fought in it. Movies, however, are ultimately meant to entertain and not necessarily to educate, and Eastwood’s performance inHeartbreak Ridgeremains entertaining all these years later.
Heartbreak Ridge
Cast
Heartbreak Ridge, released in 1986, follows a hard-nosed Marine Gunnery Sergeant, played by Clint Eastwood, as he clashes with superiors and his ex-wife while leading a recon platoon with disciplinary issues. The film explores themes of leadership and redemption against a military backdrop.
