"Is there any other cinematic artist more synonymous with a single genre than Clint Eastwood is with the western?
Of course, there are comedians such as Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Steve Martin or Eddie Murphy, but that's something else, since they rarely venture outside of their comedic vehicles. And then there are the Hammer stars such as Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee that defined the classic horror movie. And, it must be mentioned, there is also John Wayne, Eastwood's predecessor in the realm of iconic cinematic cowboys. All are worthy, strong contenders, but there's something that puts Eastwood in the lead: none of them can evoke more instantly an entire slice of cinema as Eastwood's iconic face in any frame from the Dollars Trilogy; those squinting eyes; the hat, the pose and the poncho are enough to transport any cinephile and even neophyte to the sandy wastelands of the Old West."
