Review of Unforgiven (1992) by Nick O — 16 Jul 2012

"Unforgiven" is rivaled only by "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" in terms of greatest Western ever made. Why? Clint Eastwood for both, mainly. Instead of riding his blazing cash saddle into the sunset, the immortal actor and filmmaker chose to chip at his demons by first peeling away his own layers.

Turns out they're just like us. His '92 Oscar-sweeping masterwork is the kind of daddy that'll eat up those to come that don't go hard enough. By shining a light on the pseudo-scars and scares bled onto the film reels he's wracked up as a grizzly-man icon, Eastwood and screenwriter David Peoples show the darkest sides of age, rage and violence come from within.

It's not easy being mean.