1. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
This 1966 masterpiece from director Sergio Leone is the final and most celebrated film in his Spaghetti Western trilogy and features Eastwood in one of his most memorable performances ever as The Man With No Name. What makes this film stand out from its first two entries (A Fistfull Of Dollars and For A Few Dollars More) is that although it contains brilliantly constructed set-pieces of ultra violence abound, it also displays a large element of compassion as well, set against backdrop during the American Civil War. In one memorable scene, while on the trail of his latest bounty, The Man With No Name stumbles across a dying Confederate Soldier lying on the ground. Without uttering a word, he comforts the dying soldier, allowing him to take a few ceremonial puffs from his cigar before leaving the world. Eastwood took charge of this very complicated character and stands out in a terrific cast maintained under Leone's sure handed direction. Mastering a role where your character utters less than a few sentences is a hard feat to accomplish, but Eastwood, his look and his general screen presence make his performance work so well. When American audiences finally caught up with this Italian produced film, they embraced Eastwood as a cherished movie star, and since his big break in this film, he hasn't stopped since.