12 Ridiculously Macho Movies You Must See
6. Heartbreak Ridge
Clint Eastwood directs, produces and stars in this fantastic b-movie about a grizzled military veteran whipping a platoon of new recruits into shape the only way he knows how. Eastwood plays Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway, a man almost too tough to belong anywhere but the Marine Corps.
The approach to Heartbreak Ridge is one of economy, as the narrative moves at a heady pace and Eastwood rattles through each segment of the movie with no pondering on anything deeper. His assigned platoon is filled with every clichéd misfit you could hope to find in the ‘80s, and it is never anything but great fun watching Clint put them through their paces in basic training before finally getting one last chance to lead a group of marines moulded in his own granite image.
Outside the enjoyable supporting cast that make up his platoon, there is also a great performance from Everett McGill as Highway’s annoying young commanding officer, representing the modern, by-the-book Marine Corps.