Sample Annotated Catalogue

Does the constant use of a 'triumphant underdog' character make Clint Eastwood an auteur? 
 

Annotated Catalogue


Films
Item 1 - Unforgiven (1992)
I chose this film as my focus film as it shows all of Eastwood's auteur themes, like his anti-hero characters, dark, gripping and embracing complex narrative, ...... It also stresses the importance of establishing shots and the landscape itself and the theme that I am focusing on, the triumphant under-dog; my focus being more on females triumphing. This film also offers a clear relationship between Eastwood and the genre (western) that developed, not only his ...... and style, but his directing style and views, influenced by Don Siegel (director for 'Man With No Name' trilogy). 


Item 2 - Changeling (2008)
This film helps to show my more in depth focus of women underdogs and Eastwood's subtle constant theme of feminism. This is also a good film to focus purely on Eastwood's directing as, unlike my focus film and other chosen film, he both stars and directs. I chose this film over any other film that Eastwood has solely directed because it portrays my chosen theme as well as being ............ I will also compare the similarities and differences with his progression as a director. 


Item 3 - Million Dollar Baby (2003)
This is my final film as it presents the theme of feminism clearly and the triumph of the male and female under dogs of Eastwood’s character and Hilary Swanks character. This was a successful film for Eastwood and enables me to discuss Eastwood as an auteur as his films often have a dark narrative, clearly seen through him directing the darkest of the Dirty Harry series compared to the others and the not fully happy endings, both in Million Dollar Baby and Changeling. This film gives a good focus point of a female in a male dominated world (like all three of the films I have chosen). 


Documentaries
Item 4 - Inside The Actor’s Studio
I have used this documentary because it not only gives the audiences response to the film and Eastwood himself, as an actor, director, producer, screenwriter and score composer, but also give Eastwood’s feeling towards his work and personal life. Knowing what happens in Eastwood’s personal life and what ............ reasoning to why he directs the way he does and how and why he chooses the scripts to produce and work on. This documentary offers a complete insight into Eastwood’s ways and attitude towards the film industry and others he has worked with and for and their influences on him. This documentary also helps to understand the constant theme of feminism and why Eastwood .......................................

Interviews
Item 5 - David Letterman Interview (January 14, 2009)
This interview focuses on all of my films with additional films and from this I can use information about the film, in turn information about my chosen theme. Also I am able to have some insight into Eastwood’s personal life and personal reasons for why he chose certain scripts, settings and filming techniques. In this interview Eastwood also gives his personal feelings towards ................... 


Magazine
Item 6 - Uncut DVD (Nov – Dec 2005)
I have chosen to use this magazine as a source due to the in depth information written about Eastwood and his films. This magazine gives the opinions of people who have worked close to Eastwood,....

Item 7 - Empire, Damon Wise, (May 20, 2008)
This article gives an outsiders view on Eastwood’s work and provides quotes from people who have worked with Eastwood; this will help me to understand his work more from behind the scenes of his films. .............................

Item 8 - Variety, Todd McCarthy,(May 20, 2008)
From this article I am getting a reviewers viewpoint on Eastwood's film Changling. This will help to add opinions from other people as well as myself and bring a more equally balanced argument. .........................

Internet
Item 9 - Empireonline (http://www.empireonline.com/search/default.asp?search=eastwood)
This is a good source, and provide reviews on all of my chosen films, giving others opinions on the films and not only close friend, Eastwood himself or from face to face interviewers, allowing .......

Item 10 - sensesofcinema.com
This website has many comments from close friends, people who have worked with and for Eastwood, and several comments from Eastwood himself. I am using this site as it gives a large range and variety of comments and opinions. It also gives a back-story to Eastwood and his history growing up and .....

Item 11 - http://www.screenplaydb.com/film/scripts/unforgiven.pdf
This is a copy of the script to Unforgiven; I am going to use this to use direct quotes for the film from here to help show the important physical defects that creates the triumphant underdog in ...........

Books
Item 12 - Oxford Guide to Film Studies
I am using this book because it has an in-depth analysis of genre and .................techniques and effects, these will then in turn enable me to see and recognise common techniques used throughout my chosen films and help ........... I will also use auteur theory quotes from this book to help prove Eastwood as an auteur. 


Item 13 - Clint: The Life and Legend (Patrick McGilligan)
Patrick McGilligan presents Clinton Eastwood Junior -the man, the actor, and the star- as he is, not as he is portrayed to be. He effectively reveals ................. most of which are not flattering, from Eastwood's childhood, .......... success and stardom; all angles and every insight into Eastwood's life draws information for directing theme.

Newspapers
Item 14 - The New York Times (August 7, 1992)
This article gives a passionate review of Eastwood's performance in Unforgiven and compares it to his performances in "The Man With No Name" Trilogy and .......... I will use these comparisons as evidence in my presentation script on the topic of underdogs.

Item 15 - The Guardian, Elizabeth Day. Article - "Gentle Man Clint". (November 2, 2008)
I will use the interviews in this article from Eastwood's co-workers to get an in-depth feel of Eastwood's character and work behind scenes to help put forward the idea of Eastwood being an auteur and the factors that help make him one.

Item 16 - The New Yorker, David Denby. Article - "Out of the West". (March 8, 2010)
This article offers several opinions on two of my films, highlighting the feminist argument put across in Eastwood's film. I will use the comparison to shows the auteur theme that runs throughout Eastwood's films.

Rejected Items 

Film: Play Misty For Me
I first chose this film as I thought it would be a good comparison piece of Eastwood's older and newer work; Play Misty For Me being the older works of Eastwood in my comparison. I considered this film, over other older directory works of Eastwood, as it was the first film that Eastwood directed, making it more significant, and offer a more precise depiction of Eastwood's auteur themes. ...... not to be the best comparison piece to show Eastwood as an auteur. 

Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsHbxgfyhM4
I rejected this interview because most of the information given I already have from other websites. The extra information given by Eastwood in this interview was irrelevant and added no extra support to why Eastwood uses my questioned theme.
Website: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/bio
This website only gave an overview and the years of every film Eastwood started in and directed and didn’t give any necessary detail about the themes used in the films or why Eastwood use them. It also provides a lot of interesting trivia but none relative to why Eastwood uses triumphant underdogs.
Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood


The information that i found useful on this website i also found on others that i have decided to use. i chose the other websites over this on as they are more reliable and gave more in depth information about the same points made.