The star’s age began to erode the credibility of some of his later action roles, with 1988’s Dirty Harry sequel The Dead Pool feeling particularly lethargic.
Eastwood himself appears to have been acutely aware of his.
As both Unforgiven and 1993 action-thriller In The Line Of Fire play up his age as part of the character’s journey.
The latter was a major success upon release, but despite being one of his best leading man turns. It appears somewhat forgotten now.
In The Line Of Fire Gave Clint His Last Great Action Role
In The Line Of Fire cast Eastwood – who rejected Die Hard. As a Secret Service agent who was present the day JFK was assassinated.
Racked with guilt for his inability to do prevent it, 30 years later he’s tasked to pursue John Malkovich’s would-be Presidential assassin.
While more of a thriller than a straight-ahead action film, In The Line Of Fire still sees the star involved in multiple chases and fights.
In fact, one of the defining images has Eastwood’s character panting and sweating. As he visibly struggles to run alongside the Presidential motorcade, making his age a core part of the narrative.
In The Line Of Fire was one of the last times Eastwood solely acted in a movie too, instead of producing and directing too.
Director Wolfgang Petersen manages the impressive feat of making a taut thriller that also features some great character work.
The romance between Eastwood – who appeared in MANY Westerns. And Rene Russo’s fellow agent has no business feeling as credible and warm as it does. It gave Eastwood one of his most underrated action roles.
He can still pull off all the physical requirements of the part, which just makes his eventual victory all the sweeter.
Clint Stopped Playing Action Roles After Blood Work
Just like he did with Westerns following Unforgiven, Eastwood probably should have stepped away from action parts following In The Line Of Fire.
He pulled that lottery chain one final time with 2002’s Blood Work, a lame, forgettable serial killer thriller.
That tried to pull off the same trick as In The Line Of Fire by focusing on Eastwood’s advancing age.
Sadly, it didn’t work nearly so well, as he just felt far too old for the chasing and gunfights that occasionally broke out.
He wisely stopped after that and even ruled out a return for a sixth Dirty Harry movie, which Gran Torino was once rumored to be.