Unforgiven

My original plan was to watch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, The Outlaw Josey Whales and Pale Rider before revisiting Unforgiven. Eastwood made this movie knowing it would be his last western and I was hoping to go through most of his previous films so I could get the ultimate effect when finally watching again.

However, my movie penis zoned in on Unforgiven in a way I just couldn't ignore.

Even without watching Clint's previous westerns, Unforgiven easily remains one of his greatest triumphs as both actor and director. He stars as William Munny, a reformed gunman who once was known to kill women and children at the drop of a hat, now off the bottle and trying to take care of his youngsters after the passing of his wife. And in an effort to provide for his family, he takes one last job killing two cowboys who severely beat and cut a hooker.

As I keep saying on here, the western genre just calls to me. I can't help it. So it's not hard to believe that this movie is one of my all time favorites. Not only is it a complete examination of the genre itself, but its made by the man who single handedly carried the western for 20 years once The Duke was out of the game.

I love how Eastwood uses the image the audience has of him and completely flip that on its head as a way to introduce Munny. When we first see him, he is trying to separate sick pigs from the healthy ones with little success. Then moments later we see him miss every single shot he takes at a tin can, followed by an extended sequence of Munny struggling to get onto his horse, eventually falling on his ass. It feels almost unnatural to watch Eastwood struggle with these seemingly easy cowboy duties, which is exactly the point. His Munny is a broken man, struggling with the loss of wife who freed him from the bottle and his previously devilish ways and Eastwood plays it beautifully, filling each moment he's on screen with sorrow and regret. The scenes particualrly with him and his young partner asking him about his past, as if he were some kind of legend are both fascinating and chilling.

With all the talk of gunfighting and killing, the movie itself is surprisingly light on actual gunfights, save for the finale. Again though, Eastwood didn't set out to make an action film, but instead a study of men in the old west and the difference between man and myth. You could even go as far as to say that this is an anti-violence film to a degree, as it shows repeatedly the toll it can take on a man after killing or harming another.

I can't talk about this movie and not mention how good Gene Hackman is. I had forgotten how good he is honestly. He somehow knows exactly how to play badass lawman and complete asshole at the same time. Specifically the scene in the jailhouse with him and Richard Harris where Hackman explains how to win a gunfight is masterfully delivered. He won an Oscar for the role and watching his performance again really made me miss his presence onscreen.

I still plan on watching Clint's other western's as I continue my mission throughout the summer, so stay tuned for more western love from this idiot.