I get the creeps even now as I’m writing this, the movie is so powerful!
And that fall leaves the viewer breathless: the final part of the movie is chilling, Frankie has to make a tough decision and it will be inevitable to ask ourselves: what would I do in his place? A powerful question, a question that makes us think about the nature of life, about what we want to make of it, and how to live with the consequences of our actions. The film is a continuous crescendo of emotions and tension until when everything falls down from the peak of success to the hellish situation of the finale. The theme is very delicate and Eastwood treats it very intelligently, demonstrating yet again that he’s much better than what his political declarations suggest. Frankie too is sad and lonely, feeling guilty for who know how many other things (just think of his relationship with his daughter).Īnd then, needless to say, this is a film about euthanasia. The narrator of the story, Eddie, is very poor and blind in one eye, and apparently Frankie blames himself for that. But Million dollar baby also tells the stories of people who never get to that success, and who instead live sad, lonely, and gloomy lives. One part of Million dollar baby is a story of social revenge of a person coming from the so-called white trash of the US countryside and who lives the American dream of having fame and success thanks to her efforts. Of course the story doesn’t end here: this film isn’t the stylish and feminine version of neither The karate kid ( 1984) nor Rocky ( 1976).
Under his protective wing, Maggie will find a success she never would have expected in life. Her perseverance will eventually convince old Dunn and eventually he accepts training her and being her manager. She’s a sort of rough diamond, but Frankie nevertheless refuses to help her. One day, Maggie Fitzgerald ( Hillary Swank), a 30-year-old from Missouri, begins to train in the gym by herself: she has no experience whatsoever, but shows great potential. Eddie Scrap-Iron Durbis ( Morgan Freeman) helps him: he’s a former boxer who stays in that gym day and night. And let’s talk about this story!įrankie Dunn ( Clint Eastwood) is an old boxing trainer who runs a small gym on the outskirts of Los Angeles, avoiding the popular stages despite his skills and the remarkable talents he has in his hands. So the then 74-year-old Clint both directed the movie and co-starred in it with Hillary Swank and Morgan Freeman after declaring that yes, it was a very sad story, but also very beautiful. I’ll explain below trying to avoid spoilers as usual, although in this case it will be a bit difficult, I’m afraid!Īpparently, Million dollar baby came to Clint Eastwood after a few years in development hell: the script had been read and discarded by potential producers and directors for years, until Clint Eastwood decided to invest all of himself in this story. At the end of the vision I felt as if Hillary Swank had hit me with one of her stomach punches: this film impressed me, moved me, and even made me feel a little angry. Let me admit it straight away: I saw Clint Eastwood’s Million dollar baby 15 years after it came out ( 2004).