There was a time when Clint Eastwood hit a cord of disfavor with the moviegoing public. From 1971 to 1984 Clint was the king of the box office. Tightrope was his last true hit and masterpeice of the 80's. It's like a Dirty Harry film except Clint doesn't play a god like cartoon character of a cop, he plays a flawed human being. Anyone else agree that this is one of Clint's best?
Yes, but Harry Callahan was a deeply melancholic and all too human individual, as opposed to a caricature. If you watch the films and performances closely, you'll recognize that truth.
Also, Tightrope was not Eastwood's last hit in the eighties (City Heat, Pale Rider, and Heartbreak Ridge all approached its grosses while The Dead Pool scored solidly in the theaters), and it certainly wasn't his decade's masterpiece (that would be Bird). But it should be noted that Eastwood did indeed direct Tightrope, uncredited.
Finally, Eastwood placed in the Quigley's Annual Top Ten movie stars list (as voted on by theater owners) every year from 1968 to 1986 (and again in 1992 and 1993), ranking in the top five almost every time and finishing first in 1972, 1973, 1983, 1984, and 1993.
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No, Clint did not direct Tightrope. Richard Tuggle did.
Definitely one of his best performances.
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This movie tries something very different and succeeds with it. I love it, I don't see how anybody could rate it lower than an 8 (I gave it a 9).
The 3 best movies ever: Dirty Harry, Unforgiven, Sudden Impact
I hate it, very boring and a step down from the wonderful "Sudden Impact". -That film was dark too, but this one is even more noir and so badly constructed, form photography to editing. Sorry, I give it 2.
shareClint Eastwoods best movie was Revenge of the Creature
shareI definitely agree that it is one of his best movies. It is in fact my favorite Clint Eastwood movie (though I have not seen alot of his movies). But I went to see Tightrope in the PIX theater in Rock Hill, SC one afternoon in late August, 1984, it was the tenth and last movie I saw in theaters that spring/summer (which began with the record crowded opening night showing of Friday the 13th-The Final Chapter in this same theater on April 13-explained on its user board). But I immidiently liked it alot, and watched it on our VCR on rented tapes later in the 1980s and early 1990s, and it is on my 100 favorite movies of all time list. I thought it was very exciting, and the ending really kept you on the edge of your seat until it was over. I thought it was also very touvhing in places, with the relationship his character had with his two daughters (and I liked that the oldest was played by his real life daughter). The plot centers around a mystery, which is kept hidden until the end, and makes you wonder, and I thought it made very good use of the city of New Orleans (and I thought the nude shots in it were an added bonus, and probably typical of the French Quarter). I hope to see it again soon on DVD.
"I happen to be a vegetarian". Lex, from Jurrasic Park
Yeah this is underrated on this site, it is quite a good movie and builds up nice tension it's also funny to see Clint banging hookers for some reason. Worth watching: 7.5/10
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I agree. This film is such a dark and daring departure for Clint Eastwood.
"We're all part Shatner/And part James Dean/Part Warren Oates/And Steven McQueen"
Very well done. In my top 3 or 4 Clint movies for sure.
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pretty intense at times and the final chase scene with the helicopter lighting was plain beautiful // still missing something, maybe there was too much of Clint and not enough of the villain cop?
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It's very good, but just a bit "off," isn't it? This is a very good film from a man whose built a career on excellence, but the dots don't completely connect here. Because we pretty much know who the villain is all along, the suspense isn't what it could be, and the sense of danger isn't as high as with most of the Eastwood actioners. Still, this works well – just not quite as well as it could have. 8/10 stars.
shareIMDB rating is dead-on. Too many cliched moments in this one, I laughed out loud in the father/daughter scenes.
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