This Classic Clint Eastwood Western Created a Unique Link to James Bond in a Surprising Way
Clint Eastwood‘s squint-eyed gaze in a cowboy hat has become the face of the modern Western. It’s an image that was first created when Sergio Leone cast him as the “Man with No Name” in his genre-bending Spaghetti Western, A Fistful of Dollars. The first of the Dollars trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars, marked Eastwood as the ultimate antihero in the Western genre, with the actor-filmmaker delivering a cowboy archetype who projects a cool, ruthless, and enigmatic persona. Technically, Eastwood’s character Joe ended up being known by United Artists’ promotion-given name, the “Man with No Name.” Eastwood’s rise to one of the most iconic figures in the genre followed his impressive delivery as cattle driver Rowdy Yates on the Western television show Rawhide. Equipped with sparse dialogue and a gaze that did all the talking, Eastwood’s portrayal of the Man with No Name elevated the low-budget Italian production into a beloved classic. But when you think of his “Man with No Name,” martinis, tuxedos, and international espionage probably don’t come to mind. Yet, in a 1964 interview, Eastwood made a surprising comparison between his Fistful of Dollars antihero and James Bond.
Speaking about Sergio Leone’s gritty gunslinger saga, Eastwood also revealed to the Associated Press (via MeTV) that he wasn’t paid much for one of his most recognizable roles:
“In fact […] I did it for peanuts, less than I get for ‘Rawhide.’ I just liked the script. It’s so far out that I guess you could call it a James Bond Western. I’m supposed to be the hero, but there’s only a thin line between me and the heavy.”
How Does “The Man with No Name” Compare With 007?
When it was released, critics and audiences alike connected with A Fistful of Dollars’ bold signature style, as Sergio Leone announced his auteur work to the world. His use of extreme close-ups edited together with sweeping wide shots of bleak backgrounds, antiheroes for traditional heroes, and music that was crafted scene-by-scene for cinema were elements that had never been seen before. Collaborating with Ennio Morricone, Sergio Leone created a score befitting each moment in the film, often reversing the filmmaking process by shooting scenes to ready-made music that they would play on the set during filming. Quentin Tarantino described the film as “the birth of modern filmmaking.” A Fistful of Dollars also showed the possibilities of cinema, with Leone turning a genre piece into an ambitious vision on a limited budget. But while critics saw these groundbreaking qualities in the film, Eastwood saw a different blueprint that likened his character to Bond.
By the time of Eastwood’s interview, three Bond movies had been made: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger. In the films, Bond is committed to duty more than anything else. Even though we root for him, it is not always because he is a noble man—he is a government assassin. Like 007, Eastwood’s character isn’t a traditional do-gooder either. The Man with No Name is a dangerous cowboy with even murkier motivations. Just like he shows up in a town he’s never been to, gets caught up in a fight between two gangs, and turns the situation in his favor, James Bond in Dr. No lands in Jamaica acting like he runs the place. Neither character needs a grand plan, as they’re always ready to move, relying on their guns and an uncanny ability to read the room. In the interview, Eastwood acknowledges his flawed character: “I kill five people in the movie and end up burning down the whole town… I settle all arguments with gunfire. I think I do one good deed in the whole picture.” Their cool confidence and flaws make them charming, mysterious loners, especially since we don’t know much about their past.
Clint Eastwood Almost Became James Bond, But Turned It Down
Talk of life imitating art. It turns out the Bond producers saw the same qualities in Eastwood, offering him the role in 1971. But Eastwood walked away from it. This was after Sean Connery stepped away from the role before claiming it back later. Although a missed opportunity for his audiences, Eastwood’s refusal reflects his career philosophy, as he preferred to forge his path, whether as a performer or behind the scenes or both (his movies, like one of the best Westerns ever made, Unforgiven, come to mind). It would have been a delightful sight having the Man with No Name ordering a martini, “Shaken, not stirred.” Ruggedly classy, perhaps? We’ll never know, though we can only imagine.
As the hunt for the next 007 takes shape, maybe the team should look for someone who, like Eastwood, holds your attention with confidence and mystery the moment they step into a scene. Because, ultimately, whether in a Wild West bar or a high-stakes poker room, whether in a worn-out coat or a sharp tux, the Man with No Name and James Bond’s timeless cool are what really charm us. So, who’s ready to blend Bond’s sophistication with a cowboy’s grit? We wait.
- Release Date
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January 18, 1964
- Runtime
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99minutes
- Director
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Sergio Leone, Monte Hellman
- Writers
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Ryûzô Kikushima, Akira Kurosawa, A. Bonzzoni, Víctor Andrés Catena, Sergio Leone, Jaime Comas Gil
