Last Updated on September 25, 2020 by rob
Dread, destiny and a strong emotional undercurrent are the hallmarks of the trailer for Clint Eastwood’s new film The Mule. This looks a lot more commercial than something as radical as Clint’s last film, the superb yet woefully misunderstood and underrated 15:17 To Paris. Eastwood’s directing and starring (the latter no surprise since he’d never officially announced his retirement despite the assumptions of a lot of ignorant internet commentators), there’s a terrific supporting cast (including Eastwood’s daughter, Alison) and the trailer score is extremely evocative. It does sound like one of Clint’s minimalist compositions but there’s something familiar about it and after mulling it over I think it’s Paganini’s Rhapsody, best known for its use as the theme from Somewhere In Time (1980).
Whether this is the movie score or something they’ve stuck in just for the trailer we’ll find out soon enough. Anyway, one of the things that struck me most about Gran Torino (good grief, over a decade ago now) was the unprecedented sight of a 78 year old starring in a Hollywood movie (and directing it). Eastwood is nearly 90 now and yet here he is headlining another big movie (and directing it). In the history of Hollywood we’ve never seen this kind of thing before. Aside from it being testament to the star’s enduring appeal I always get a kick out of seeing him in these old man roles because he loves to play up the ageing process on screen even though the reality is that he’s a trim and exceptionally fit man more 60-something than the 88 year old he is right now. Also fascinating to consider the very real possibility that Eastwood could be the first filmmaker in American cinema to still be directing and starring in major Hollywood movies when he’s well into his 90’s or even 100+.
