One Line Review: It is a pattern-interrupt movie that has a rebellious script, good acting, and a bold story.
Youtube Trailer Unforgiven
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman
Director: Clint Eastwood
Release Date: 7 August 1992
Introduction
Today we’re celebrating the release anniversary of a very brave, straightforward, and last Western movie of Hollywood. We’ll be discussing ‘Unforgiven’ today and check what it offers to the audience.
Iconic dialogues from this movie
Bill Munny: Little Bill: …you just shot an unarmed man! Bill Munny: Well, he should have armed himself if he’s going to decorate his saloon with my friend!
Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett: You just shot an unarmed man!
Bill Munny: Well, he should have armed himself if he’s going to decorate his saloon with my friend.
Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett: Look son, being a good shot, being quick with a pistol, that doesn’t do no harm, but it doesn’t mean much next to being cool-headed. A man who will keep his head and not get rattled under fire, like as not, he’ll kill ya. It ain’t so easy to shoot a man anyhow, especially if the son-of-a-bitch is shootin’ back at you.
Critic Reviews
“No thrill comes cheap in Unforgiven. The West that it shows is Wild all right, but more like a dog than a party. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy being dragged along for the ride; the rougher the better, in fact, as every action zings with ricochets.” Anthony Lane
Plot Summary
A prostitute gets shot by two cowboys, her former brothel co-worker posts a reward on the heads of those two. But this doesn’t appeal to the town sheriff who wants peace. Two gunfighters came to know about the offer and goes on the mission to collect the reward after killing the two cowboys only to clash with each other and the town sheriff. Atticus Finch prepares himself for a big day. He takes a case to defend a black man, Tom Robbins, who is accused of raping a white woman. Atticus believes that Tom is innocent and didn’t commit the crime he is charged with. While all this is s going on in the courtroom, the children at Atticus’ home spy on their weird neighbor.
A pattern-breaking film for Westerns
Westerns are represented by clearly defined good and evil, but this certainly does not apply here. Eastwood and Freeman play reformed murderers who find the situation dragging them back on their evil path. But an aged wise person now recognizes the value of life and faces problems conscience. This differs from their unpretentious and young partners, who are attracted to the brave image of a murderer and enjoy taking people’s lives. This moral issue is virtually taboo for classic westerns that beautify gunslinger lawlessness and heroic charm. This is also why, in my opinion, no one other than Eastwood should have dealt with this film.
This Movie’s enemy is almost always the most complex and therefore the most interesting to analyze. His futile attempt at woodworking is his way of trying to show his goodness to people. There is purity in building his own house, and it is this battleship that he seeks to capture. As such, his fellow citizens see him only as a simple person who wants to live the right life. But his powerlessness as a carpenter shows his corruption. He can’t be a good person. The source of his impulses is anger and hatred.
The Combo of Good script and good acting
It was not only the power of the script but also the talent of the actor that presented the audience with an attractive climax. The acting of the actors presents a climax to the audience. We acknowledge that his ending is not only inevitable but also qualified, only through Hackman’s acting. He wants to be a villain in the eyes of the audience and see the audience realize the definition. Eastwood has gone beyond traditional entertainment methods and has become an art of storytelling. It provides a host of characters with deep-seated problems that are inseparable from the villains of the story. By refusing to fade and die, the style has perfectly adapted to age, thus ensuring that it matures into a true Hollywood legend.
The plot of this movie is simpler than I expected, but the movie itself retains its fabulous quality. The evocative photography technique gives amazing power to every shadow and detail in the image. The real sound design allows the storm and other natural elements to be swallowed up. Lennie Niehaus’s understated soundtrack becomes unforgettable and influential when needed. As a movie, it’s pretty high-quality, but take it as a deconstruction of all the clichés of Hollywood westerns and you’ll find it amazing.
Let me tell you a little back story. My cousin bought this film for a family gathering. Everyone was so excited to watch it. But, when she told me that it is a classic black and white film, I immediately backed off. Because the black and white films are famous for being, to say the least, boring. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Though, there was not very much happening in the movie. But, I stayed till the climax.
Conclusion
The era of western Hollywood ended after this movie. The directors and writers leaned more towards other genres like sci-fi, acting, or adventure. It was a good step because the genre was already very saturated and overused. There should be space for creativity to breathe. Unforgiven is all we have now in the name of good western Hollywood. Let’s enjoy it.
