Clint Eastwood: To a Point, Moore, Maher Right in 'Sniper' Criticism

From Newsmax:

Clint Eastwood surprised many people recently by saying he agreed with critics who have attacked his Oscar-nominated film "American Sniper." 

Since the film was released last month, it has been attacked by film director Michael Moore, who called military snipers "cowards." 

Comedian Bill Maher questioned whether the subject of the film — the late U.S. military sniper Chris Kyle — was a "hero or not" and called him a "psychopath patriot," The Daily Beast reports. 

As he was leaving a West Hollywood restaurant Monday night, Eastwood was asked by TMZ what he thought about the recent criticism by Moore and Maher. 

"They were right," he said. "Did Clint Eastwood Just Agree with 'American Sniper' Critics?" a Daily Caller headline asked. 

The answer appears to be that he does — to a point. Mediaite reported, for example, that Eastwood has defended the film by stating that "the biggest antiwar statement any film" can make is to show "the fact of what [war] does to the family and the people who have to go back into civilian life like Chris Kyle did." 

In an interview published last month, Eastwood described his philosophy as "more dove than hawk: a pragmatic libertarian rather than a red-meat Republican," the Toronto Star reported. 

He said he opposed both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and that he has seen enough conflict in his life. 

"I was a child growing up during World War II. That was supposed to be the one to end all wars," Eastwood, 84, told the Star. 

"And four years later, I was standing at the draft board being drafted during the Korean conflict, and then after that there was Vietnam, and it goes on and on forever." 

Every time "the nation enters these conflicts, it deserves a lot of thought before we go wading in or wading out," Eastwood said. 

But as director of "American Sniper," Eastwood said it was his responsibility to be able to properly represent Kyle's version of events. 

"I'm seeing it from the point of a person who was sort of an American hero, as far as his ability to be this ultra-sniper. And his family and his beliefs were very strong about defending the country," he said. 

"You have to embrace his philosophy if you're going to tell a story about him."