Unforgiven

This noirish, brutal Western truly leaves its mark upon the viewer. Filled with moral ambiguity, unjust actions and a decidedly flawed hero, Unforgiven once again shows the genius and proficiency of Clint Eastwood, and marks him aside not only as one of the best actors of all time, but now as one of the most accomplished directors.

William Munny (Eastwood) is an old, embittered man, disturbed by his deadly past, and confronted with the fact that he may have to face it again after encountering a sheriff with a psychotic streak (Hackman).

Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman. Just the names alone need only remind you that this film suffers no lack of acting prowess and power. Clint Eastwood once again proves that no-one else can play a gunslinger as well as he can. The fact that he can convince the viewer of his moral dilemma whilst pumping a whole bar of deputies full of lead is only one indication of his skill. To have Gene Hackman as your ‘villain’ (which, let’s face it, does not cut it in this story), and Morgan Freeman as support to the hero is enviable for any filmmaker, but Eastwood complements these two stars with many smaller actors who more than hold their ground; they stamp their own performances on screen. The writer Beauchamp represents the meek and creative man of the Old West; those who would never have fought or shot anyone. It was brilliant to watch someone show this type of person; not all men were fighters. Finally, to have Richard Harris appear for such a short time and still leave his mark lends the film yet more class.

You would believe “Unforgiven” was filmed in the real Old West, so fantastically shot and designed the movie is. Eastwood manages to seamlessly direct and act, and the film’s win for Best Picture shows through in the design, execution and portrayal of the narrative. Eastwood manages not only to get great performances from Harris and Hackman, but also himself, his character undeniably the focus but also the strongest performance. There is very little dialogue throughout the movie, but this only adds to the noirish film. Characters are not supposed to be fleshed out, and with the moral confusion embodied in every single person, whatever they do say cannot be trusted, lending the dialogue an interesting duality. There was very little music throughout the film, and this is due to the fact that it is not the sort of film that would actually benefit from it. Rather, the lack of music only adds to the tension and atmosphere. The stark nature of the American West comes through with the visuals here; the rain and the night particularly. Eastwood manages to portray a town and an area that so clearly befits the time that you could have been there.

The film is amazing in many aspects, and as such deserves its success. However, for all its praise and its many strengths, the film requires a certain state of mind and expectation on going in, and this will be, to many, its downfall. Those expecting an all-out Western actioner will be sorely disappointed; this is new, modern Clint, and he’s bitter as hell.

9/10