Unforgiven

Unforgiven (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Writer: David Webb Peoples

Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris, Jaimz Woolvett, Saul Rubinek, Frances Fisher, Anna Thompson, Anthony James

Synopsis:

Reformed gunfighter and down on his luck pig farmer William Munny (Eastwood) is convinced to go back to his former life by The "Schofield Kid" (Woolvett) to collect a $1,000 bounty on a pair of cowboys who assaulted a prostitute. Along with William's former partner Ned Logan (Freeman), the trio travel to Big Whiskey, Wyoming, to kill the offending cowboys and collect the payment. Trouble arises when Big Whiskey's sheriff, the famous Little Bill Daggett (Hackman), finds out about the bounty and takes steps to discourage anyone from trying to collect, including brutally beating the well-known gunhand English Bob (Harris). Soon after arriving in town, Will runs afoul of Little Bill, and the group must find a way to complete their task while avoiding the authorities at the same time. 

First Impressions:

I saw this movie in theaters when it was released in 1992. Before watching this film, I hadn't really seen too many Westerns, and I honestly didn't really care for the genre all that much. Unforgiven changed all that as it was the movie that really made me fall in love with the genre. While I don't generally gravitate to the older films from the Western's glory days, I do still quite enjoy more modern takes on the genre. I've long considered this movie among the best, if not THE best, Western ever put to film. It's been quite a while since I've seen it, and I'm excited to see how it holds up.

Story/Direction:

"It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have."

Where to begin, where to begin? Well, to start this film isn't you're average bang-bang shoot-out at the O.K. Corral-type Western. Much like a previous Western I reviewed, Open Range, this film takes a hard look at the impact and consequences of violence. However, this film goes a bit deeper and really digs into how much violence and bloodshed can impact the psyche of those who commit it. The film's three protagonists, Will, Ned Logan and The Schofield Kid, all approach the task from very different perspectives. Will takes on the job out of desperation. Ned does so for practical reasons, while The Schofield Kid does so for fame and fortune. The trio's reactions to the life of violence all differ greatly, and all come to terms with it in vastly different ways (I won't go into too much detail to avoid spoilers).

Meanwhile, the film also follows Little Bill's efforts to prevent a plethora of gunfights and killers from plaguing his town. The first methods he employs are quite reasonable; he issues an ordinance stating that any visitors must surrender their firearms to the local authorities for the duration of their stay. However, once English Bob openly flaunts his disobedience to that rule, Little Bill must resort to more draconian measures by beating the shit out of him to discourage any more offenders. When Will and company successfully kill the cowboys, Little Bill takes things up a notch, resorting to torture and other less than honorable methods. 

It's an interesting point of view to take, where the "villain" of the film is actually a lawman trying to do his job, while the "good guys" are hired killers. It's also interesting how Little Bill has absolutely no remorse for any of the awful things he does, while Will and company struggle with the consequences of their actions. There's definitely a lot to unpack here, and much of the questions raised remain relevant 30 years later.

Acting:

This cast assembled in this film is honestly one of the best in movie history. It says a lot about the cast when the film's lead is probably the weakest actor in the bunch (no offence Clint). The highlight for me is Gene Hackman's turn as Little Bill. Hackman is, of course, one of his generation's finest actors, and he shows that in this movie. He plays Little Bill as an outwardly charming and affable fellow, but hovering just below the surface is a cruel, remorseless fiend, no better than those he purports to hate. It really is a stellar performance and one that earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Morgan Freeman also turns in a great performance as Ned Logan. Freeman plays Ned as almost a paternal figure to Will. We get the impression that he takes the job partly for the money, but also partly to keep an eye on his old friend, who he's worried about. That what Freeman does best paternal and empathetic, and it really shows through in this role.

The rest of the cast is great, with Eastwood basically playing an older, more desperate version of his classic The Man With No Name character. Frances Fisher knocks it out of the park with her turn as strong-willed prostitute Strawberry Alice. The late, great Richard Harris is fantastic as the needlessly pompous English Bob, and Saul Rubinek is delightful as his awkward biographer W.W. Beauchamp. Not a bad actor in the pile.

Visual/Special Effects:

So, the visuals in this film lie pretty much entirely with the costumes and production design. The sets and locations all look great, and it really helps immerse the audience in the action on the screen. Likewise, I love how Eastwood chose to shoot the film, relying mainly on close shots and eschewing the broader, sweeping shots the genre is known for. One little visual tidbit I also liked was that Eastwood always seemed to shoot Will's face partially shrouded in darkness. I'm assuming that this was intentional to symbolize the duality of the character, but I thought it was really cool, which is odd because I usually don't care about stuff like that.

Score/Soundtrack:

The film's music was composed by Lennie Niehaus, a frequent Eastwood collaborator. It's one of those scores that are extremely understated and sits very much in the background. It's very quiet and generally consists of a plucking guitar and not much else. I don't recall any parts where the music swells and becomes louder at the dramatically appropriate moment. I think that's a good thing because, despite all the action, this is a really personal film, and a brash musical score would lessen its impact. 

Action:

The action in this movie is handled quite differently than many of its genre counterparts. As the film is really examining the consequences of violence, it has to handle its violent scenes with a fair amount of tact. To that end, the film portrays the film's action as very visceral and not sensationalized at all. The fistfights are all brutal, while the gunfights are short and very closed in. All in all, the action is handled quite well, and Eastwood finds a balance between making the violence seem real and making sure it's not glorified.

Final Verdict:

My opinion of this film has changed very little based on this most recent viewing. I still hold it up as one of the best westerns ever, and it's also a fascinating look into the price of violence, whether it's used for good or for ill. Highly recommended it for fans of the Western or Clint Eastwood and fans that just like a good thought-provoking movie.