Is this movie symbolic of his versatility?

What I noticed in the 60's and 70's critics did NOT take kindly to Eastwood. Especially with the Dirty Harry films. Pauline Kael was the most outspoken Eastwood hater. The popular label for him was "fascist." Eastwood took this pretty hard and you can see it in his work.

I think this is why Eastwood does wacky movies like Every Which Way But Loose at the time. And he did other movies that sort, contradict themselves. This confused critics of course and they didn't really know what to make of his films sometimes. Eastwood did movies that confused and befuddled his critics. Eventually this forced critics to reassess and take better looks at his body of work as a whole and his newer roles.

But I mean, look at the types of movies Eastwood does over his acting and directing career. He was a western hero, an urban cop action hero, he's been in adventure movies like Where Eagles Dare and Eiger Sanction, and suspense thrillers like Play Misty For Me, military war movies like Heartbreak Ridge. And then he does a movie like Every Which Way But Loose, which is this really kind of almost plotless, wacky movie. And all these movies work really well to me.

A movie like Every Which Way But Loose, I like them because it shows that Eastwood has a sense of humor and is willing to poke fun of himself and his persona. Kelly's Heroes and this movie both had un-subtle riffs on Eastwood's sphaghetti westerns by Leone. It shows that Eastwood you can put Eastwood in all these various settings and he can still make them work.

“But still I . . . if I try hard, then I should obtain something. If I work hard I can save anyone. If I pay a sacrifice then I can find true happiness. I want to believe in that equivalent trade. That isn’t reality. But if that’s a child’s reasoning, then I’ll be a child!” -Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist

Jeffrey "The Vile One" Harris