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Unforgiven
Directed by Clint Eastwood - Western - 131 minutes - R - 1992
IMDB Synopsis: Retired Old West gunslinger Will Munny reluctantly takes on one last job to avenge an injustice with the help of his old partner Ned, and a newer outlaw known simply as The Schofield Kid.
Jesus what a movie. It takes my breath away every time I watch it. Truly great films, like this, age like fine wine; they're evergreen, dynamic, and always offer something more.
With this viewing I noticed the foreshadowing or connective tissue, and how the story comes full circle. Will has been adamant that he's no longer the killer he once was, claiming to be a changed man, a good man. Yet, as he says it, one wonders who he's trying to convince. In the end, when he succumbs, when even the kid draws away from him ("I ain't like you"), Eastwood's resignation is palpable—no more denial; this is who he is, what he does best.
The actors' reactions are fascinating to observe, like the inappropriate small smiles that betray their characters—Little Bill, a sadistic man deep down, also in denial of his true nature ("I was building a house"), the writer, a myth-making parasite, and Alice, vengeful and unyielding, and seemingly pleased with the bloodshed.
Then there's Ned, sitting there wearing that haunted, thousand-yard stare when he can't bring himself to kill (he's the one who's truly changed).
David Webb Peoples' script is phenomenal, arguably one of the best ever written. Without going overboard, it conveys what an atrocity frontier justice is, how horrible it is to take a life, how it marks a person. Death is spoken of so casually, and is so prevalent in westerns overall, that you forget the cost. Unforgiven made me feel the cost.
The cinematography, the orange glow of the lighting, the framing—note the "free one" scene with Delilah in close-up and Munny behind her—it's beautifully executed. Delilah's expression as she listens to Will is a masterclass in subtlety—script, performance, photography, and direction in perfect harmony, a standard maintained throughout.
Unforgiven is, simply put, a masterpiece.
Additional observations:
* There’s a fair amount of humor, more than I remembered. Morgan Freeman’s reaction to the kid’s wild shooting is priceless. Freeman's great in this, hell all of the actors are... from those who always deliver (Gene Hackman, who won an Oscar) to those you might as not be readily familiar with, like Anna Thomson, who brings a gentle naturalism to the role of Deliah. It also ranks among Clint's finest bits of acting.
* 'Deserves got nuthin’ to do with it', isn’t just a cool line. It’s a theme that runs throughout the picture. The gunfighters take the job figuring their targets deserve what they get. As the story progresses that perspective changes. 'We all got it coming.'
* For a guy who shoots a minimum of takes, Clint must at least film plenty of coverage shots, because there’s a fair amount of editing done here.
Directed by Clint Eastwood - Western - 131 minutes - R - 1992
IMDB Synopsis: Retired Old West gunslinger Will Munny reluctantly takes on one last job to avenge an injustice with the help of his old partner Ned, and a newer outlaw known simply as The Schofield Kid.
Jesus what a movie. It takes my breath away every time I watch it. Truly great films, like this, age like fine wine; they're evergreen, dynamic, and always offer something more.
With this viewing I noticed the foreshadowing or connective tissue, and how the story comes full circle. Will has been adamant that he's no longer the killer he once was, claiming to be a changed man, a good man. Yet, as he says it, one wonders who he's trying to convince. In the end, when he succumbs, when even the kid draws away from him ("I ain't like you"), Eastwood's resignation is palpable—no more denial; this is who he is, what he does best.
The actors' reactions are fascinating to observe, like the inappropriate small smiles that betray their characters—Little Bill, a sadistic man deep down, also in denial of his true nature ("I was building a house"), the writer, a myth-making parasite, and Alice, vengeful and unyielding, and seemingly pleased with the bloodshed.
Then there's Ned, sitting there wearing that haunted, thousand-yard stare when he can't bring himself to kill (he's the one who's truly changed).
David Webb Peoples' script is phenomenal, arguably one of the best ever written. Without going overboard, it conveys what an atrocity frontier justice is, how horrible it is to take a life, how it marks a person. Death is spoken of so casually, and is so prevalent in westerns overall, that you forget the cost. Unforgiven made me feel the cost.
The cinematography, the orange glow of the lighting, the framing—note the "free one" scene with Delilah in close-up and Munny behind her—it's beautifully executed. Delilah's expression as she listens to Will is a masterclass in subtlety—script, performance, photography, and direction in perfect harmony, a standard maintained throughout.
Unforgiven is, simply put, a masterpiece.
Additional observations:
* There’s a fair amount of humor, more than I remembered. Morgan Freeman’s reaction to the kid’s wild shooting is priceless. Freeman's great in this, hell all of the actors are... from those who always deliver (Gene Hackman, who won an Oscar) to those you might as not be readily familiar with, like Anna Thomson, who brings a gentle naturalism to the role of Deliah. It also ranks among Clint's finest bits of acting.
* 'Deserves got nuthin’ to do with it', isn’t just a cool line. It’s a theme that runs throughout the picture. The gunfighters take the job figuring their targets deserve what they get. As the story progresses that perspective changes. 'We all got it coming.'
* For a guy who shoots a minimum of takes, Clint must at least film plenty of coverage shots, because there’s a fair amount of editing done here.