Clint Eastwood has been known for years for his portrayal of tough-guy, no-nonsense cops and cowboys in many films. But after taking to roles behind the camera, he may now be known better for his direction of bleak dramas ranging from Unforgiven his latest film, Gran Torino. Eastwood has also directed several movies that deal with the theme of war and plays a Korean War vet in Gran Torino. Eastwood himself was in the military and met some other actors in the service while never seeing action. I think that Eastwood's service in the military is the source of this recurring theme of war heroes throughout his films.
Along with the theme of war, violence is a common companion throughout many of Eastwood's. And while it is a common theme, violence is not portrayed to be honorable but as a burden that a man doesn't want to bear. It was shown in both Unforgiven and Gran Torino at the end of the films when Eastwood's character makes speeches about the terrible burden of taking another's life. This comes as oddity to me as Eastwood made a name for himself in Sergio Leone's spagetti westerns where violence was the main theme and draw of the film.
