I sometimes wonder about the role of the film director

[RAMd®d]

Without the director, there would have been no story.

Or consistency.


That's only really true if the director is good. There are a lot of movies that had a director, no story, and no real consistency.

A great director gets the most out of actors, probably for several reasons. A great actor can give a great performance with a weak director. That doesn't mean the movie still won't suffer.

And in Eastwood's case, I think he trusts the actors because he knows they trust him. And finding good actors, especially unknowns, is a talent all it's own.