We're going back to 1992, here, but wow, the movie still hits me the same as it did the first time. It's a rare pleasure to watch a movie with that much depth. A college professor could lecture for three classes on all the richness in this story. It is absolutely gripping and emotional. The title itself, "unforgiven," is what the story is about. Clint Eastwood "ain't like that no more," he says over and over again, but other people don't get it. His inlaws never accepted him because they never saw that wasn't like that no more. A young kid comes looking for him because of the old stories -- because people didn't understand that he wasn't like that no more. At the center of the plot is a group of prostitutes (yes, really) who can't forgive -- "unforgiven" -- the cowboy who scarred one of them, or their pimp who didn't stand up for them, or the town sheriff who didn't issue a satisfactory penalty on the cowboys. There's powerful metaphors (e.g., the sheriff is building a house but there's hardly a straight line anywhere because he can't make a straight line), and scenes where the people silently but strongly reaffirm with their actions key lines that repeat (e.g., Eastwood pushing the whiskey shot to the other side of the table, and refusing a prostitute because in his mind his wife is back home watching over his children). They just don't make very many movies this good.
What impressed me when I watched it was the Eastwood sat on this script so long (he got handed it in the 70's) until he felt ready to play the part. It's that level of commitment that helped make it so good.
I didn't think of this on my previous viewings, but only caught it last night: If Bill ain't like that no more, then why'd he accept the mission? And recruit his friend? More depth to the story!
I love a western, and it's one of my favourites I think the pace of it is important too, modern films often don't get time to breathe somehow. Mitch
Because the farm was failing and it was a righteous cause which - in his mind - was a justification..... Note the parallel exaggerations between the tales of what happened to the girl and the myths about the gunfighters themselves
Going against the grain, I find it a bit dull, doesn't explore the aspects that do interest me, and I think it's vastly inferior to Pale Rider.
I was going to say I found High Plains Drifter better (and indeed Outlaw Josey Wales), but I thought I'd just leave it as is.
high plains drifter has always been one of my favorite movies. another great movie which client starred in is hang 'em high.
Now I've finished my vegan carrot sorbet or whatever the hell I was force fed... I hated Westerns when I was young. I'd seen I few I enjoyed, Pole...Pale Rider, but I had seen plenty that had put me off the genre (John Wayne etc - Way too much heroic, macho nonsense for my tastes). I saw Unforgiven and that film alone changed my opinion. Not long after that I watched Deadwood and some other classics and I fell in love with the genre. Still, none of them are as good as: Spoiler Back to The Future III
Tombstone is one of the only films not called Star Wars or Enter the Dragon I am in triple figures for
Jose Wales is already in my Netflix queue, but I'll put the others in it, including Hang 'Em High (Giovanni).
It's good but I wouldn't compare it to the films already mentioned and it doesn't come close to Leone's Dollars trilogy. ------------ Django is awesome as is 3:10 to Yuma. El Topo anyone? I haven't seen that.