Anglerbe's Retro Review: Unforgiven

“Unforgiven” is, to my recollection, the first Clint Eastwood movie I have ever watched (say what you will about that). I haven’t as of yet watched too many westerns, so I figured that this would be a good place to start, as it was made fairly recently (90’s) and apparently has a good reputation. And Morgan Freeman is in it, there’s always that.

"We all have it coming, kid."

While on one hand not having seen many Westerns may mean I am inexperienced, it also renders me unbiased. Having said all of that let me say that I found this film to be very “enjoyable”. I state it this way because, despite not being intensely gory or explicit, the film maintains some pretty dark themes regarding morality and vengeance, especially toward the latter half of the movie. I won’t spoil any deaths or occurrences (yes, people die in this movie), but I will say that as the movie progresses, the viewer is compelled to feel the hesitation and regret of Will Munny (Eastwood) and his fellows as they strive to collect a bounty.

All throughout, Eastwood conveys his regret of his past life as a brutal criminal to his fellow riders, with his crimes becoming more evident as the film progresses. However, I feel that a few flashbacks would have allowed the viewer to identify with his guilt. As is, his remorse doesn’t have such a driving impact as it was apparently intended to. That is, until the end, where it becomes extremely potent.

Despite this, the character development in this movie is excellent. The viewer is driven to wonder which characters are really the heroes and which are the villains. Or, perhaps, there are no heroes. Gene Hackman plays the role of a town sheriff whose moral righteousness is very dynamic throughout the movie. At one moment he is built up as a hero and respectable man who knows what he’s doing, and yet in the next the viewer is compelled to wonder whether he’s crooked. This dynamic ethical uncertainty is one of the driving factors in the movie, and I believe it is very well executed. Overall, the acting is top notch, with just about every actor doing their part to bring the Old West to life. Including women of questionable moral character…

Special effects, while not extremely plentiful, do their job well enough to make the Old West setting believable. The sound effects are similarly effective, and the soundtrack is excellent, though it is often bittersweet.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and the dark moral questions it probes at stick in your head long after the credits roll. I may not have seen many Westerns up to this point, but I can say without a doubt that I don’t regret starting here. I give this movie a 10-scale rating of 8/10. Whether a newbie like myself or a grizzled Wild West veteran, I recommend you give this movie a watch. As for me, I have a feeling that a second watch would shed even more light upon its dark and yet superbly implemented themes.