Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Unforgiven

Thought I'd like to share my thoughts on my favourite film, Unforgiven.

Without a doubt, Unforgiven is Clint Eastwood's finest achievement. It's a masterpiece that embodies everything Eastwood has done before. It's also a tribute to Sergio Leone and Don Siegal. Quite possibly a bookend to Eastwood's westerns.

Clint Eastwood stars as William Munny, a retired gunslinger and now a down on his luck pig farmer. When a younger gunfighter The Schofield Kid, rides onto the farm, he tells William about a reward for the "Cutting of a Whore". William refuses saying he's retired, but the pig farm is suffering and he's got two young children to feed. William has no other choice.

William Munny is a complex character. Not only is he a retired Gunslinger, but a reformed alcoholic. He says this periodically throughout the film. "My wife cured me of my wicked ways"

Morgan Freeman plays, "Ned" William Munny's partner. Ned is content working his own farm and married to Sally Two Trees. In many ways, Ned is the character that William should be. Content, practical and logical. Ned is a changed man at the beginning of the film. He doesn't need any transformation. However, he is William's old riding partner and he will help out his friend.

Each character has their own complexities. Even the Schofield Kid. He's the young desperado. The one who sees the legend in William but wants to take his crown. He wants to be the next one. What the Kid lacks though, is experience.

Gene Hackman portrays Little Bill. Now, there's a reason why Gene Hackman won an Oscar for this role. Little Bill is the Sheriff of Big Whisky. He's mean, tough and a killer. He upholds the law and believes in his system. No right or wrong. Justice. He explains to a Mr. Beauchamp, a biographer chronicling the life of English Bob(played outstandly by Richard Harris) about the workings of firing a gun,

"It's cold ain't it?"

Little Bill is everything that William Munny, Ned, English Bob and The Schofield Kid are not. On the flipside, Little Bill is every character combined.

He's what William Munny used to be. He's building a house which is the peacefulness of Ned. He has the built up legend of English Bob and he's got the wide eyed enthusiasm of the Schofield Kid.

In the most poignant scene in Unforgiven, The Schofield Kid and William Munny are waiting by a tree for one of the prostitutes to bring them their reward money. The Kid says to William,

"I shot him five times while he was taking a piss" which William responds,

"You sure shot the hell out of that fella."

"Yeah, well, I guess he had it coming."--The Kid

"We all got it coming, Kid"

Unforgiven is not a western, it's not an anti gun film. Sure, it has some of these themes, but really, it's a story of regret, loss, sorrow, doubt and pain. or in this quote,

"I don't deserve to die like this..."

"Deserves got nothing to do with it."

Watch Unforgiven. It is an incredible film.

***** (out of five)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105695/

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