Review of Unforgiven (1992) by John M — 03 Mar 2012

Western revival. So William Munny (Clint Eastwood) is an outlaw who has given up the life of sin for a quiet farmer's life. He gets talked into coming out of retirement to bring bounty vengeance to two men responsible for cutting up a town whore.

If you are a huge advocate of the great Eastwood Westerns of the 60's and 70's (much like myself), then chances are that you've already seen this, but this is SO for you. I know it's never specifically labeled as such, but I have always viewed this as a perfectly fitting send off for the Man with No Name, and it undeniably feels like you are watching that same character in his twilight years, and that's probably my favorite angle of this movie: he keeps warning people for 3/4 of the film that he's not a good person and never was, but they keep pushing him and pushing him until he reaches his breaking point and unleashes.

It all builds to this incredibly climactic conclusion that'll just make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Apart from a complex antihero, you also have Gene Hackman, and while it is clear that he is the scenery-chewing antagonist, you could make a compelling argument either way if he can be considered an actual villain.

The rest of the supporting cast is well rounded and great, and this fires on all cylinders. It is darker in tone than most of the Westerns that have preceded it, but if you are a Western lover, you'd be hard pressed to find a modern take more rewarding than this one.