As powerfully commanding as he is in front of the camera, Clint Eastwood may be even more talented behind it. Unlike many self-indulgent directors who spend far too much time shooting multiple takes of a particular shot or scene, the iconoclastic Eastwood built a reputation as a director who shoots only one or two takes before moving on. Yet, despite working incredibly fast and efficiently, Eastwood’s remarkable resume, including Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, High Plains Drifter, and many more, speaks for itself.
But when it comes to his 24th feature as a director, Eastwood’s less-is-more approach wasn’t the only thing that spoke loudly. The late film critic Roger Ebert lauded Eastwood’s restraint in his piercing direction of Mystic River, allowing the supremely skilled actors to shine in what became a multi-Oscar-winning crime story. Based on Dennis Lehane’s celebrated novel, every fan of Clint Eastwood, Sean Penn, and Tim Robbins needs to wade through Mystic River at least once.
‘Mystic River’ is a Masterclass in Directing That Avoids Conventions
Adapted from Dennis Lehane’s acclaimed 2001 novel by screenwriter Brian Helgeland, Mystic River is a contemplative crime thriller set in Boston that follows three childhood friends who grew up together, and the painful scars they’ve tried to keep hidden for generations. Twenty-five years after one of the three friends — Jimmy (Sean Penn), Dave (Tim Robbins), and Sean (Kevin Bacon) — was sexually abused by criminals posing as police officers, Jimmy is an ex-con who owns a liquor store, Dave is a local handyman, and Sean has become a state trooper.
When the teenage daughter of one of the three friends is found murdered (a young Emmy Rossum), the trio can’t help but conjure their traumatic memories from their childhood, prompting a police investigation to find the killer. The plot thickens when the daughter’s boyfriend and one of the three friends listed above become the primary suspects. Yet, in a much lesser and more conventional movie, the story would adhere to a typical whodunit. Instead, as Roger Ebert astutely observed in his 4-star review, Clint Eastwood is less interested in the destination than the journey, as the movie is about generations of traumatic despair and buried secrets and how they achingly gnaw at one’s soul over time.
As Ebert puts it:
“Although elements in ‘Mystic River’ play according to the form of a police procedural, the movie is about more than the simple question of guilt. It is about pain spiraling down through the decades, about unspoken secrets and unvoiced suspicions.”
Clint Eastwood Limits Sensationalism to Allow the Actors to Shine in ‘Mystic River”
By the time Clint Eastwood made Mystic River, he was so assured and confident in the less-is-more directorial style he built a career on that he deliberately avoided calling attention to himself or indulging in crass sensationalism in the film. As a fine actor himself, Eastwood’s spare technique in Mystic River took the onus away from his camerawork, framing, and editing, and put the focus on the actors, allowing them to do some of their best career work.
As a result, both Sean Penn (Best Actor) and Tim Robbins (Best Supporting Actor) won Academy Awards for their heartbreaking performances in Mystic River, which still hold up 23 years later in their emotional devastation. In fact, it’s the quality of performances Eastwood elicited that Ebert responded to so favorably during his initial assessment, ending his glowing review by saying:
“To see strong acting like this is exhilarating. In a time of flashy directors who slice and dice their films in a dizzy editing rhythm, it is important to remember that films can look and listen and attentively sympathize with their characters. Directors grow great by subtracting, not adding, and Eastwood does nothing for show, everything for effect.”
Almost 25 years after its release, Mystic River‘s exquisite performances serve as a stark reminder of the kinds of stories Hollywood used to make: a prestigious crime picture that grossed $157 million, won 2 Oscars, and holds an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
