Review of Unforgiven (1992) by Greg L — 13 Nov 2010
Clint Eastwood has devoted the second half of his career largely to deconstructing the sort of violent genre films he spent the first half of it making, and this dark, blood-drenched revenge western is among the best of those efforts.
It unflinchingly delves into the underlying brutality and moral emptiness of a world in which people like The Man With No Name could thrive, but does so without ever losing its narrative drive or its sense of humor.
There are no genuinely sympathetic characters here, but the skill of the actors keeps you watching anyway, and amusing running gags at the expense of an obsequious biographer and the carpentry skills of Gene Hackman's character provide welcome levity to a screenplay that otherwise might be unbearably dark.
Hardly anybody makes westerns anymore, which is a shame, because as the most American of cinematic genres, they're a great vehicle for exploring the concerns of the society, as "Unforgiven" demonstrates.
This review of Unforgiven (1992) was written by Greg L on 13 Nov 2010.
Unforgiven has generally received very positive reviews.
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