Tough Ain't Enough ― New Perspectives on the Films of Clint Eastwood

Throughout his lengthy career as both an actor and a director, Clint Eastwood has appeared in virtually every major film genre and, at this point in his career, has emerged as one of America’s most popular, recognizable, and respected filmmakers. He also remains a controversial figure in the political landscape, often characterized as the most prominent conservative voice in mostly liberal Hollywood. At Eastwood’s late age, his critical success as actor and director, his combative willingness to confront serious cultural issues in his films, and his undeniable talent behind the camera all call for a new and comprehensive study that considers and contextualizes his multiple roles, both on and off screen. Tough Ain’t Enough offers readers a series of original essays by prominent cinema scholars that explore the actor-director’s extensive career. The result is a far-reaching and nuanced portrait of one of America’s most prolific and thoughtful filmmakers.

LESTER D. FRIEDMAN is a professor emeritus of the Media and Society Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. He is the author or editor of over twenty books, including Monstrous Progeny: A History of the Frankenstein Narratives (Rutgers University Press). 

DAVID DESSER is an emeritus professor of cinema studies and comparative and world literatures at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has written and edited eleven books, including The Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity.