Through his various films during the decade, Clint Eastwood captivated the American people with his gritty and macho performances. He influenced the idea of what a man should be like with his characters Blondie and Schaffer. The former is one of his most recognized roles from the 1966 film “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Set in the Wild West, Blondie is a professional gunslinger trying to find a stolen treasure. His journey is filled with shootouts and fragile alliances, culminating with a classic Mexican standoff for the buried treasure. This role helped popularize the idea of a rough and tough man. Blondie is not the friendliest man and is no stranger to fistfights or duels. He made this type of life seem exciting and rewarding and promoted the lifestyle to its intended masculine demographic. Another of his famous roles of the 60s was as Lieutenant Schaffer in the film “Where Eagles Dare.” Schaffer is an American spy apart of a team sent to infiltrate one of Hitler’s main command centers, the Eagle’s Nest, a castle in Austria during World War II. This character was another talented gunslinger and who had trouble listening to authority. It’s an action-packed role filled with explosions and cursing, which made a man cheer and imitate in reverence. It also invoked a sense of patriotism in men at the time, as the film was released during the peak of the Cold War with the Soviets. Eastwood’s heroic performances throughout the decade inspired American men to live a grittier and fast-paced life as his characters did.
