The abiding darkness in heroism — what it sometimes takes, what it can lead to — has been a longstanding interest of Clint Eastwood’s, from his onscreen vigilante icons to his behind-the-camera explorations of real figures.

And with “Richard Jewell,” his 38th film as director, his portal into the subject is a harrowing case study indeed: the brave do-gooder-turned-suspect, vilified through the very spotlight originally intended to praise him.

In 1996, Jewell was an Atlanta Olympics security guard when he discovered a suspicious backpack that eventually exploded, killing two and wounding many. Initial publicity made this unassuming figure a life-saving star, since the death toll could have been higher. But when word got out that the FBI considered him their prime suspect, the aspects of his life that weren’t so media-friendly — overweight, wannabe cop, lived with his mother — were suddenly turned against him by authorities and the media into evidence of someone craving attention.
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